Soldato
- Joined
- 11 Sep 2013
- Posts
- 12,401
Wood trim is what makes a car look like an Old Man car.
Anyone else disappointed with progression of Car Interiors?
- Thread starter Clipsey
- Start date
My wife had a new Mazda CX5 Grand Touring with all the bells and whistles. I kind of liked the look and layout of the interior (felt well built), however the control system and software for everything is pretty poor.
Soldato
Sat in a new C220d today, thought it looked really nice...
Soldato
Holy thread revival. 
Soldato
Since it's reopened, I have just got a brand new A-Class and interior plastics feel very cheap and not merc like at all, my previous Volvos plastics had a much more solid feel
Caporegime
I can't complain, love my interior!
I had a chat with a guy from bmw a few years ago when I applied for a job and asked him about the crap interior plastics nowadays and he explain a lot of them were due to safety. They're designed to deform or break with smooth edges in a crash to decrease the chances of injury. It just so happens that this property also often gives them the feel of cheapness.
I had a chat with a guy from bmw a few years ago when I applied for a job and asked him about the crap interior plastics nowadays and he explain a lot of them were due to safety. They're designed to deform or break with smooth edges in a crash to decrease the chances of injury. It just so happens that this property also often gives them the feel of cheapness.
Caporegime
Sounds like BS to me.
I'm no doubt a bit biased but the interior of the F13 6 series is a lovely place to sit 
.
https://www.bmw.co.uk/en_GB/new-vehicles/6/coupe/2014/design.html
On the subject of touchscreens in cars, I think they are no different from someone looking at their mobile phone while driving. I hope BMW stick with the iDrive and (no pun intended) don't touch touchscreens in the future.
.https://www.bmw.co.uk/en_GB/new-vehicles/6/coupe/2014/design.html
On the subject of touchscreens in cars, I think they are no different from someone looking at their mobile phone while driving. I hope BMW stick with the iDrive and (no pun intended) don't touch touchscreens in the future.
Soldato
More BS ..... they are cheaper because they have looked to reduce the cost.... materials and process have got better not worse....
Caporegime
It just seems that it's a strange place to reduce cost - somewhere so visible.
Soldato
Every area gets cost reduced or very closely controlled to a budget.... Some OEMS put the priorities/budget in different places, Audi/VW more effort or cost into interior materials, Ford into Chassis dynamics etc, to suit the brand DNA.
All a set of compromises.....
So pre 2000s car manufacturers used to just spend as much money with no budget control and never looked to reduce costs?
There must be a reason, the term budgeting hasn't only come about recently. If they were looking to save money with interiors this would have happened in the 70s/80s not in the past 7-8 years. They are always and I bet always have been looking to save money
Soldato
Not sure what your point is..... you think pre 2000 cars are better quality interior?
The cost of manufacture has become more sensitive over the years as competition has increased from the likes of China and low cost countries. Manufacturing methods and costs have improved and changed with technology that allows the same quality to be made cheaper.....
For sure there has always been budgets to meet, but the pressure on those budgets has increased.
Cars have much more technology and safety fitted, offsets to cover that cost increase has to be found by saving elsewhere or the price of a new car would have gone massively up....
Once interiors were all walnut and wrapped leather, now that is the preserve of very expensive luxury cars..... because it's very expensive to do.
The cost of manufacture has become more sensitive over the years as competition has increased from the likes of China and low cost countries. Manufacturing methods and costs have improved and changed with technology that allows the same quality to be made cheaper.....
For sure there has always been budgets to meet, but the pressure on those budgets has increased.
Cars have much more technology and safety fitted, offsets to cover that cost increase has to be found by saving elsewhere or the price of a new car would have gone massively up....
Once interiors were all walnut and wrapped leather, now that is the preserve of very expensive luxury cars..... because it's very expensive to do.
Caporegime
Expensive cars have nice interiors and cheap cars have nasty interiors. So it has been and so it will continue.
And no, cost accounting and financial control in the motor trade is not a new invention.
And no, cost accounting and financial control in the motor trade is not a new invention.