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Do you find it strange that pretty much every European car built before probably the 2000's had that "bank vault" feeling when closing the door, yet today's cars that don't have that feeling are safer in a crash?
Yep.....I was one of the first members on CL and Car Chat to bring that up in public, years ago.
As you note, that downgrade in material-solidness and thunk-solid heftiness affected many European cars around that time period, but also, to some extent, with Lexus products. But, IMHO, although I also noticed it quite a bit with Mercedes, probably nowhere was it more apparent than with the BMW 5 and 7-series. At the Washington, D.C. Auto Show (in 2002 or 2003, I think), the BMW display had a 4th-Generation E39 5-series parked right next to a 5th-Generation E60 5-series. The difference in build-solidness was extremely noticeable. The new E60 had substantially thinner sheet metal, thiner glass, lighter interior materials in the cabin, a MUCH less Thunk-sound/feel to the doors, and, compared to the former E39, just seemed like it was designed by the bean-counters and built to a budget...for a higher price. Same with the first Chris-Bangle-designed 7-series, which also traded a lot of its former build-solidness for lighter materials, ugly styling from the "Bangle-Butt" trunk-lid, and the awful first-generation I-Drive system. I spent some trying to figure out the I-Drive, then just threw my hands up in disgust and walked away.
20 years ago notwithstanding the 7 Series today is very solid.
Did you ever examine or test drive the Pre-Bangle 7-series? That goes back some years now. I don't actually remember test-driving one, but I did do static-reviews and examined the materials inside and out.
Did you ever examine or test drive the Pre-Bangle 7-series? That goes back some years now. I don't actually remember test-driving one, but I did do static-reviews and examined the materials inside and out.
Oh yes, many times. One of my dad’s good friends had one and my father in law had one. We also considered one before we got the LS400 in 1998.
Yep.....I was one of the first members on CL and Car Chat to bring that up in public, years ago.
As you note, that downgrade in material-solidness and thunk-solid heftiness affected many European cars around that time period, but also, to some extent, with Lexus products. But, IMHO, although I also noticed it quite a bit with Mercedes, probably nowhere was it more apparent than with the BMW 5 and 7-series. At the Washington, D.C. Auto Show (in 2002 or 2003, I think), the BMW display had a 4th-Generation E39 5-series parked right next to a 5th-Generation E60 5-series. The difference in build-solidness was extremely noticeable. The new E60 had substantially thinner sheet metal, thiner glass, lighter interior materials in the cabin, a MUCH less Thunk-sound/feel to the doors, and, compared to the former E39, just seemed like it was designed by the bean-counters and built to a budget...for a higher price. Same with the first Chris-Bangle-designed 7-series, which also traded a lot of its former build-solidness for lighter materials, ugly styling from the "Bangle-Butt" trunk-lid, and the awful first-generation I-Drive system. I spent some trying to figure out the I-Drive, then just threw my hands up in disgust and walked away.
The frustrating 1st gen iDrive evolved into one of the better if not the best systems available. The newest version 8.5 seems to be pretty complex for some users.
@AJT123 Saw this gem on the highway road while on our little roadtrip. My guess it’s no pavement princess.
You are certainly correct. He has extra gas bc the truck has a small tank (24.6) and it guzzles gas so badly. Other nations had an auxiliary tank fitted to 200s, I wish we got it.
My friend picked up a GX and put tires and a lift on it, yet won't do anything off road with it or even be hard on it on pavement. I literally beat the **** out of my truck and there is not one single blemish on the paint. Undercarriage is clean. But whatever, I told him he's a poser lmao. He thinks jumping things in the mud and having fun will ruin the truck.
I'm starting to feel the pull on a 2020 or 2021 LX570 but honestly don't want to get rid of ours bc we love it so much.
