Well… we’ve seen this for the last several years already, that cars from the same manufacture have similar looking interiors. Personally I think that’s reasonable because all manufactures share parts bin among models in their lineup in order to reduce cost. However, I think recently Audi and BMW have taken this “laziness” or cost-cutting into an entire level altogether. In the following 3 pictures you can see the interiors for popular Audi models and BMW’s newest addition to their lineup, the F01 7-series and F10 5-series, as well as the current 3-series and 5-series.
From a quick glance it’s almost impossible to indentify which interior is for which model. All Audis have the up-right standup center stack that’s molded into the gauge cluster and angles toward the driver; the major controls, vents and navigation screens are all in the same region, they all have the trim pieces (whether it’s wood or metal) in front of the passenger seat on top of the glove box. Also, all Audis have similar looking gauge clusters.
If you think that’s bad then let’s take a look at BMW’s masterpiece… Can you even tell that those are two different interiors from two TOTALLY DIFFERENT cars? Just for giggles, take a look at the A/C vents for both interiors… Yup! They are the same, EXACTLY the same. As for the current 5-series and 3-series? I’ll let the picture do all the talking.
Oh, and don’t forget to compare the steering wheels too…
I mean, I am not against family resemblance here, as matter of fact I do encourage cars from the same maker bear some sort of family resemblance in them. However, that does not mean they have to make them exactly the same or 90%+ similar. Lexus is a good example for designers actually put some effort into interior design in order to make them all unique but still shares some similarities (up-right center stack, same function wheel-column stalks…). Sure someone would prefer BMW and/or Audi’s designs over Lexus but I can definitely appreciate the effort that a company put into their products.
What do you think?
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December 16th, 2009 at 7:22 AM
Yeah they all look very similar
December 29th, 2009 at 5:03 PM
What a retarded statement. Ever heard of “family resemblance”? There is nothing wrong with a brand having a lineup with similar looking interiors. And for your information most people who care enough about cars can easily tell the difference between an A4 or A6 or A8 interior and so forth.
January 30th, 2010 at 12:31 PM
There’s family resemblance and then just plain cookie-cutter small, medium, large. Is this Starbucks or a car company? I miss the unique designs that give each model character and reflect its actual mission profile, rather than the one car, three sizes concept. The new A8 looks way too much like the A4, but at least it has a pop-up screen and a very different, flagship type interior for the new and prior gen. That the 5-series interior is just transplanted 7-series interior makes both cars seem less special.
February 14th, 2010 at 3:59 AM
I agree with Mike, there is family resemblance, and then there is the “Starbucks” approach of one design, three sizes.
Jake, I find that an ironic statement as I have seen plenty of enthusiasts on the internet (as well as knowing some personally) that get confused between the A4, A6, and A8 interior. The people I know personally are “car guys”.
Fact is, you would have to be a big Audi fan to be able to tell the difference. A regular non-Audi-fan car guy would have trouble telling the difference.
I’ve been a “car guy” for many years, and although I’m not a huge Audi fan, I often get the A4, A6, and A8 interiors confused. The new A8 interior is actually a bit more unique, so it’s easier to tell it apart from the rest. Let’s hope the next-gen A6 gets a bit of uniqueness in it’s interior.