2008 BMW 135i: Coming Up a Bit Short

I am not feeling that the dash suddently cuts off right before the A/C vent as well...
 
BMW engineers know how to build a great driving car but they need some help from the Audi or Lexus interior designers.

I don't mind the overhanging trim, but when it is too short, as in the above photo, I think it looks pretty poor.

ok, now you are nit picking this car. Just like the aura, I geuss once something stands out in edmunds writers eyes, they cannot let go.

It looks beautiful to me. I don't know what the problem is.

Um that was all done on purpose. You don't even need to be a designer to see that. Mercedes does it too!

Whether or not you like it is one thing, but it is intentionally designed that way. I think they were going for a more 3D look - note how it is also not recessed into the dash plastic like most accent trim pieces are. It looks odd or "wrong" probably because it's a rather unconventional design tactic.

Ending the wood trim early is a good way to protect it. Not a problem to me.

"Beautiful" hardly does it justice. I have always disdained symmetrical dashes that flow smoothly from one door to the other. Kudos to BMW for randomly chopping out a four-inch section.
 
Maybe this is the interior equivalent of "flame-surfacing"?
 
Or maybe this dash was originally designed for a car that was four inches narrower.
 
Or maybe German passengers have really long right femurs.
 
-Sadlier

If for once they would show the WHOLE DASH it doesnt look odd at all.

is that wood real? looks fake.

I am really glad you posted this because it calms the chaos swirling around Ed's post. People were speculating on all manner of possible problems since he did not state exactly what the problem was.
 
Now my turn to weigh in: this is just shoddy design/workmanship. I agree that BMW desperately needs help on the interior side of car design from the folks who do it right (Lexus, Audi, even Infiniti is killing it now.)

overlaps a bit more on the cemter, gap on the passenger end- maybe someone on the assembly line stuck that piece on a little off to the center stack.
looks cheesy and when you are paying ^ $40K, yeah, it kinda does matter.

The left side of this trim piece lines up with the leftmost edge of the wood trim surrounding the shifter, which gives the wood a cohesive flow. You get a get interior view in the build your own feature at bmwusa.com. You'll have to choose the taupe leather/ette and the light burl walnut trim to get the same look.
 
If the left side was intentional (and I believe it was), I imagine the right side was, too. I can't explain it, but I have no problems with the way that part looks.

I think the current 3 Series has an excellent interior in terms of both design and materials quality. It's not a general malaise at BMW -- the 1 Series just doesn't measure up.

I can't see the problem. BMW needs more personality as far as their interiors go- they are pretty boring.

The overhang on the left appears intentional. The shortfall on the right does not. Take a look at this pic for comparison purposes.
http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Site=CW&Date=20070628&Category=PHOTOS01&ArtNo=628002&Ref=PH&Profile=1065&Params=Itemnr=9

Nope, check out the BMW website, the photo is clearer than on Autoweek. It is short in the right by design.
I think this looks fine.
http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Content/BYO/Byohome.aspx?NAModelCode=0822

Guys, it's a *design element*, NOT a defect or slop in trim alignment. Love it or hate it, the designers did it ON PURPOSE.

Thank you bimmerjay. It is an intentional design element that follows the sweep of the upper dash, and in my opinion would appear "cheap" if it sat flush w/ the end of the dash. Just because some automotive hack doesn't care for a particular trim piece mean that it's somehow poor design. The entry, in my opinion was written in order to generate the responses that we've all given. Bryn knew it would generate impassioned response; period.

sadbuttrue,
I disagree about the 3-series interior. In my opinion, it is one of the most boring on the market. Honestly, as good as the 3-series is, that interior is the one thing that would keep me from buying one.

sabastian,
 
Really? That's interesting. To me the 3's interior is just what I want in a driver's car -- center stack canted toward the driver, everything falls readily to hand (I'm talking non iDrive models here), high-quality materials everywhere. I like the standard strip of aluminum on the dash too, adds visual interest without appearing tacky. But I do hear a lot of people calling it boring; you're not alone.
 
Anyway, I've been saying I'll put up a post about the 135's general interior quality for awhile...I'll do that soon and let you all have at it.
 
-Sadlier

Totally agree with sabastian, interior alone would kept me from getting the awesome 335i. I am also not a big fan of the exterior design (sedan only) but it's not unbearable like the interior...
 
E46, on the other hand, has a great interior.

karjunkie is totally right. It is intentional because the centerpiece wood trim by design is asymmetrical. It is supposed to be interrupted by the steering wheel. If any of those two posts had the full picture on the dashboard you would see that it is obvious. This is the reason it is not only longer on the drivers side but thicker on that side too. I hope I don't see yet another block post about that too!
 
opfreak is right too. You are not only nit picking this car but you are wrong too thinking it is a misalignment.
 
I would think that senior editors would write a little more substantial posts.

sadbuttrue,
I see the appeal of the 3's interior as a pure driving machine, but if I bought one, I wouldn't just use it for bombing down country roads. It would probably be my everyday car that would be used for all kinds of everyday things. So I guess the way I see it is that I would want a car that makes even boring drives feel special. For that reason, I would probably take the dynamically inferior Audi A5, which happens to look and feel like a million bucks. That said, however, I like the 1's cockpit-like feel and more e46-esque curves. Too each his own, though. Interiors seems like they're mostly about personal preference anyway.

Yeah, fair enough -- to each his own. I think the A5/S5 is a lot better-looking on the outside, but I prefer the (IMHO) more intimate feel of the 3 Series interior (though I despise the double-hump look you get when iDrive blights the dash).
 
banhugh, et al.,
 
I think the root of the problem is that bizarre concavity to the right of the wood strip. If that wasn't there, the wood strip would appear more or less centered, with roughly the same margin of beige plastic on either side.

Nearly all BMW interiors are cold... Audi's are the warm, excellently put together and designed interiors.

It's ironic, I've never warmed to Audi interiors (recent ones, my friend's 99 a4 2.8 interior with black leather is one of the best I've ever been in....at 140k miles. Impressive). The last A4 I was in had a cheap, plasticky feel to it and was designed with clear disdain for ergonomics and a focus on aesthetics....form over function. New one looks great in pictures and in person (sat in an a5 at the auto show).
 
Sadlier - The e90 center stack isn't canted towards the driver. It's flat. Are you thinking of the e46 bmw? To me, it has one of the finest interiors.
 
Joe

Joe,
 
I do mean the E90, having spent about 750 miles in the saddle of a 328i recently. Pretty sure we're dealing with some driver-ward cantage on the center stack. Off the top of my head I'd say our long-term M3's stack is more pronounced in its cant, but, the E90's got it too. I'm interested to hear that you don't think so though. Maybe it just seems flat coming from the e46?
 
Josh

99 is recent????
 
I'll admit the B5 interior is ugly
 
But the newer B6/B7/ and newest B8 is great.

" Audi's are the warm, excellently put together and designed interiors."
 
I wouldn't say they are warm, but I agree that they are well put together and well designed. I would love an Audi interior any day of the week.

Intentional, or not, it does look strange. BMW designers should have intentionally made it look better.

E90/92 center stack cants toward to the driver? I don't think so and here are the picture:
 
http://www.familycar.com/RoadTests/BMW335Coupe/Images/DriversSeat.jpg
 
http://www.familycar.com/RoadTests/BMW335Coupe/Images/Dash.jpg
 
http://www.familycar.com/RoadTests/BMW335Coupe/Images/Stack.jpg
 
Look closely at the last picture, the center stack lines up perfectly with the center console.
 
This ought to settle the discussion, no?

Based on the pics lousiwei posted, it looks like the stack does cant toward the driver. Maybe this is an illusion because of the curve in the dash near the passenger seat?

dougtheeng, in the second picture it "appears" that it cants toward to the driver but I think that's due to the angle. Check out the first picture and the last then you'll see the center stack is flat.
 
Especially in the last picture, since the center stack lines up perfectly with the center console and the center console runs straight through the middle, that's the perfect proof that the center stack does not cant to any direction.
 
Still don't see it? Here are more pictures from BMW USA:
 
http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Content/Vehicles/2008/3/335iSedan/335iSedanMediaGallery.aspx

Let me put it this way to put this discussion to rest: You have to really, really stare to determine if it's driver-oriented...and if you have to exert effort, then it's not :)
 
The e46 clearly is, and in my mind is canted in the most appropriate amount...it's clear, but the passenger can still easily access the controls.
 
Josh - Me thinks your 750 miles of driving in the 328i was spent enjoying the sublime inline six? :)
 
Joe

I like the cold efficiency of the BMW interior. I want to drive a machine, not a living room.
-mike

Amen boxermike.
 
As for this center-stack alignment debate, the trick is to look at how the trim piece (aluminum or wood) isn't flat. Going right to left, it curves progressively outward until roughly where it passes that overengineered swinging drink holder just to the right of the center stack. Then it curves back in. The center stack is parallel with this trim piece where it curves back in (this is evident in louiswei's last picture from BMW USA), i.e., toward the driver.
 
It's subtle, I'll admit, and less pronounced than in the e46, but the stack definitely isn't pointing dead south; it's angled at least a few degrees toward the driver.
 
-Sadlier

This post is retarded.

franks and beans! franks and beans!

I'm pretty sure the E90 series dash isn't canted towards the driver. I've owned a couple from March 2005 up to the present day, and I can confidently say there's no canting to be had.

Too long on one side and too short on the other end?
 
Maybe it is not a crappy design, just crappy assembly?
 
Or is both!