[bpu]

I see a few threads now asking about when the 5 series will get the new interior design that's been coming out lately, but I actually feel like the new designs are a step backward from what we have now. I don't think I'd be excited to see this design in the 5 series the next time I’m shopping.

The interior of the G30 is perfect, have no complaints at all and think it's very ergonomic and modern/sporty at the same time. Some reasons why (mix of tech and design):

• When you get an interesting color such as Cognac with M-Sport, the cognac color is almost everywhere - backside of the front seats, lower dash, sides of center console. Makes for a very striking and premium feel every time you look inside.
• The wood trim is plentiful and feels integrated into the dash and door tops rather than stuck on as an afterthought like in many other cars.
• The control layout is fantastic. Everything is accessible by feel due to the shapes and contours of the buttons - you can rest your finger in some groove and know exactly where you are. I love the vertical Adaptive drive mode button, as an example. HVAC, iDrive, everything is intuitive and comfortable to use.
• iDrive 6 is great, easy to use, reliable as hell, and has every modern feature you could want.

Comparing some of these points to the G05 X5, as an example:

• The new X5 has a black lower dash and backside of front seats in all upholstery colors except for ivory and beige. This makes the cognac, for example, far less interesting than it is in the G30. Really takes the interior down a notch and removes that super premium feel.
• They totally omitted wood trim from the door tops. This is a head scratcher since it’s the main part you look at every time you operate the door. Instead the wood is placed awkwardly below the door handle above the speaker, where you never see it.
• All the buttons are flat, small, and indistinguishable - steering wheel buttons, HVAC buttons, iDrive buttons around the knob, drive mode buttons by the shifter. No shapes, no grooves, all the same size. This destroys the ergonomics that BMW is so good at. The HVAC buttons don't look premium at all, just small plastic squares.
• All the center console buttons are forced into the singular pod, instead of being separate and logically placed like in the G30. What this means is that in most cars there is this ugly black blank section beneath the iDrive knob. Unless you have an SUV that has ride height buttons there, it’s just blank. Doesn’t look upscale. The left side of the center console pod seems particularly bad, with the drive mode buttons all cramped into a vertical row. Why is Auto H in the corner instead of beneath the parking brake?
• The iDrive 7 widgets look okay, but the iDrive 6 home screen already served that need perfectly. Also, no one seems to be talking about the fact that split screen in iD7 is pretty much gone. It exists within navigation still, but that’s it. So if you liked split-screening CarPlay with something else, you can’t do that anymore.

All in all I won’t say the new interiors are terrible, at least BMW is sticking with iterative design and evolving what they already had, and at least they kept real buttons for most things like HVAC, and the iDrive knob is still there and remains the best control interface in the industry. But I think the G30 interior is pretty much perfect in both form and function and it’s a shame to see them remove much of what makes that so - namely the cheapening/crowding of buttons and the leather and wood trim changes.

I can’t think of a great reason why any of those changes were made, other than to consolidate/cut costs, or to chase a “flatter" design aesthetic like so many seem to be doing now (with the extreme end of that being something like Audi’s new all-screen layouts which are terrible).

Curious what others think. Pics below for reference.







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[TK - 421]

I like it, better placement of engine start button, looks like progression for me, like all things I would like to see the right combo of materials, trims etc. Screen looks good, more integrated. At first I thought it looked worse, but when I switched back to the current images then the LCI images I started to see improvements and how the current setup could start to look dated against the LCI (eg the current I-Drive controller looks lost compared to the LCI which looks integrated more like Audi layout) BMW usually think things through, be nice to see some images of everything lit up to make a better decision, but gets a thumbs up for me.

[CLABRO]

I agree with what you're saying, OP especially with the referenced pictures. I do think the right combination of materials makes a HUGE difference when comparing what looks better and the picture of the new layout you posted doesn't do it for me, but the cognac looks very good.

Now, if you take the new layout and put individual leather in there and add some nice wood trim or what have you then I think it will be much more striking. However, I do agree the black on the lower dash and back of seats really just look bleh and remind me of a nice rental car haha.

I will add: I think the button layout and iDrive seems to be intuitive and looks very nice in the new layout and well made. So with the right combination of materials inside, I think she'll be gorgeous. With all new things, it will take time for us to adjust and adapt to the new look.

[clee1982]

Probably should look for the LCI 7 series interior for what a 5 can be instead of other model though

[mobilejo]

Originally Posted by clee1982

Probably should look for the LCI 7 series interior for what a 5 can be instead of other model though

Agree, the 7 LCI interior has kept the pre-LCI 7 series/pre-LCI 5 series type gearstick, idrive dial and buttons panel. It has ID7 and and the new dials though.

The G30 LCI might be like this, rather than like the X5/3 series.

[MikeElmendorf]

As the owner of a 2018 540 and 2019 X5, I am inclined to agree with BPU: The 5 series interior is superior.

I also prefer the 540's digital dash and so far iDrive 7 has been a buggy mess for us.

[AP]

I'm inclines to think that if there are interior changes, it will mirror the 7 .
Always see the 5 as a smaller 7 rather than a larger 3.

I guess we need to differentiate between the style and quality of materials being used.

[clee1982]

Originally Posted by AP

Always see the 5 as a smaller 7 rather than a larger 3.

+1

[bpu]

Originally Posted by TK - 421

I like it, better placement of engine start button, looks like progression for me, like all things I would like to see the right combo of materials, trims etc. Screen looks good, more integrated. At first I thought it looked worse, but when I switched back to the current images then the LCI images I started to see improvements and how the current setup could start to look dated against the LCI (eg the current I-Drive controller looks lost compared to the LCI which looks integrated more like Audi layout) BMW usually think things through, be nice to see some images of everything lit up to make a better decision, but gets a thumbs up for me.

Is it actually a better place for the start/stop button? It's near the shift lever, but also near the driving mode buttons which you might use frequently during a drive, whereas the start/stop button you only use at the beginning and end of your trip. Seems it could actually get in the way.

I prefer the standalone iDrive knob, because its function is very different from the shift lever/driving mode buttons, and it allows for more trim along the entire right side of the center console. The new pod that combines it all sort of feels forced and has the black plastic for the blank sections which doesn't look great.

But you're right, the right combo of materials and trims can make a difference, maybe cognac is just better in the G30 than in these newer SUVs, and BMW does usually think things through and design things carefully.

Originally Posted by CLABRO

I agree with what you're saying, OP especially with the referenced pictures. I do think the right combination of materials makes a HUGE difference when comparing what looks better and the picture of the new layout you posted doesn't do it for me, but the cognac looks very good.

Now, if you take the new layout and put individual leather in there and add some nice wood trim or what have you then I think it will be much more striking. However, I do agree the black on the lower dash and back of seats really just look bleh and remind me of a nice rental car haha.

I will add: I think the button layout and iDrive seems to be intuitive and looks very nice in the new layout and well made. So with the right combination of materials inside, I think she'll be gorgeous. With all new things, it will take time for us to adjust and adapt to the new look.

Yeah, material and trim choice matter a lot, but the X5 pic with cognac and wood trim just looks disappointing compared to the G30. You get that extensive coverage in the G30 without even opting for individual or extended leather, and I can't understand the deletion of the trim from the door tops in the new models.

The iDrive buttons have retained their layout which is good, but the flat buttons look less usable than what we have today. But you're right that some adjustment is necessary and I'm sure the new designs have their own high points.

Originally Posted by clee1982

Probably should look for the LCI 7 series interior for what a 5 can be instead of other model though

To everybody saying look to the 7 series not the 3, I think the 7 didn't get it yet just because it's an LCI. This new design will undoubtedly come to the 7, as they've been putting it in every all-new model, including the range-topper 8. And, several reviews have noted that the 8 series interior does not feel high end enough for the model. This new interior design seems to be a little too one-size-fits-all, instead of letting them differentiate a bit more.

[SweEngineer]

Originally Posted by clee1982

Probably should look for the LCI 7 series interior for what a 5 can be instead of other model though

The 7-series needed a heavy LCI because it lacked in exterior design and has not been such a hit on the market.
That could explain why most of the budget went on the exterior and less on the interior.
It's not common for BMW to make drastic changes when it's time for LCI but this time it was needed.

As for the 5-series, I have a hard time thinking they would revise the exterior that much and neither should they, it still looks beautiful.
The interior though could probably use some of the new dash layout.
I don't think it's going to happen, just wishful thoughts.