bnizzle87

the car is very useful, and i do see it for its practicality purposes. but 74k is kinda pushing it for a car that doesnt have even the ///M badge. the interior with all the red definitely would keep someone alert at night. at the same time, i like what lexus did with the green. some may not like it, but its easy on the eyes, while still giving enough stimulation not to doze off at any given time when driving at night.

another thing from this 550 GT is that it definitely doesnt resemble a BMW. from all the bimmers ive test driven, it makes me feel small and that the car itself is small on the road (which i like). with the GT, from the inside looking out, it seems large and a bit cumbersome. but then again i personally dont like suv's or trucks because of their largeness in comparison to sedans and coupes.

2turbo4u

What so funny I was on autotrader just this morning looking up used bimmers, and I came across 550i GT and I was like what model is this? Well they didn't have any for sale but they already got a space for them. haha!

DustinV

You think it's ugly. That's your opinion. I respect your opinion, but I am just saying that the 5er GT shouldn't be judged based on design. There are many great cars whose design is questionable.

The Mercedes R class looks funny, but it is an excellent family car that is safe, spacious and comfortable. The same appears to be true for the 5er GT. Even the Pontiac Aztek, which gained notoriety for its freakish design, was, in effect, an excellent family car in a certain price class. The Lexus HS250h is an excellent car, as you even pointed out in your personal review, but I sure think the design is incredibly hideous. That's my opinion. Do you respect my opinion?

IS-SV

IMO, the R-class is a failure (but that's just an opinion even though the sales numbers in the US are pathetic). I don't expect this GT thing to do much better being an over-priced, over-engineered, ugly, over-weight gas guzzler.

DustinV

The R class isn't exactly a failure in Europe. I think it was just marketed wrongly in the US. There is clearly a market for such cars, even in the US, but I think Mercedes overestimated their predicated sales.

Hopefully BMW can do it better.

LexFather

I agree the flexibility is attractive. However how many want a bigger uglier, sportier Prius? I'm sorry but BMW simply is lost with design, even the new more tamed ones are okay at best to me.

This is how you design a 5 door hatch.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/car...ngolstadt.html



HS and 5GT are ugly, they are aesthetically challenged. Not one review has called either good looking and has said the opposite. Most people feel the same way.

These are cars you buy based on other attributes (Hybrid, space, luxury, flexibility) not looks. Yeah to .5% of people they look good, that is their opinion.

Its ugly. Having seen a few in person now, it is ugly. THough not as ugly as the Crosstour, I could not believe how bad that looked.

UDel

What is happening to BMW? Soon they will have more SUVs, hatchbacks, and Crossovers then sedans and coupes and it seems they are just jumping on the bandwagon when they used to do things their own way.

When I heard BMW was making a new model called called a GT based on the 5 series, I expected a nice 5 series coupe but instead it was another overpriced bland hatchback cross over vehicle. I hear there is a 3 series GT in the works which now I could care less about after seeing this ugly thing. This 5 GT and upcoming 3 GT are unfortunately going to take the place of other much more interesting models like a 2 door 5 series coupe, true lightweight front or mid engined BMW sports car, etc.

To BMWs credit they are not the only company doing this as other companies are also giving us crossovers, hatches, and SUVs over coupes, sports cars, sports sedans.

I then read the review and surprise surprise it has major reliability issues where it is inoperable and can't move and leaves people stranded. The reviewers don't even seem to care because they are gushing over its handling and clever nooks and storage and they still seem to recommend it(wonder how they would feel if it was their own vehicle that they paid 74K with their own money that is having trouble doing the basic thing a car is supposed to do which is be able to DRIVE). Then the steering system fails and does not work like it should, what a disgrace.

This is not the only review where I have read a new BMW breaks down or has major issues during the test. It is sad but it seems BMW is the king of their vehicles breaking down and becoming inoperable during short car tests in magazines yet the reviewers are so smitten with the handling they still love them and recommend them. If my brand new expensive BMW broke down the first week or even year of ownership I would take it back and head right over to a Japanese dealership.

DASHOCKER

iTrader: (2)

bingo!! Thread.......

LexFather

Yup.....they released these too and well, they don't make them anymore. So lets not act like they haven't misjudged the market.



I think 800 or so of these were sold last year. Guess what, they are not bringing it to us anymore


There is no doubt there is utility and it can appeal to those that want a SUV/wagon/sedan thing. It also could not have cost much to develop since it uses the 7 platform and 5 parts. So it is possible with low sales, it can be profitable especially at the asking price. Udel though brings up a good point this just adds to image dilution. It is not sexy, it is not really aspirational and its ANOTHER SUVish thing from them.

I have not seen sales goals yet (need to find).

pagemaster

I saw the GT today. I have no problem with it, it is a good idea. I also noticed inside how the wood/carbon fibre trim extend through the B-pillar from front to back. Nice touches inside. I like the interior and performance numbers on this thing.

MR_F1

And that about sums it all up.

P Weezy

iTrader: (1)

^^You got that right.

TRDFantasy

Of course 5 GTs are a common sight in Stuttgart; the majority of cars sold in Stuttgart are German brands, and BMW often tests their cars in and around Stuttgart. That's like saying Toyotas are a common sight in Japan.

So tell me, how are X6 sales doing?

How are you so sure BMW "wouldn't release a car if there was no market for it"?

Also what sort of market does BMW envision in this case? 4000 US sales a year? According to your logic, there is a market for ANY kind of vehicle, even if the manufacturer sells a few hundred a year.

Why is it when virtually every other automaker releases a vehicle like this, an answer to a question nobody asked, they are criticized for it? Yet when BMW or Mercedes release such sort of a vehicle, they are praised for it by certain people?

Why does BMW deserve to be praised or commended for such a vehicle? It is nothing more than a raised 5 Series wagon with uglier styling meant to look "cool" and to attract people who didn't buy regular 5 Series wagons. The whole idea is ridiculous, especially since the 5 GT will be sold alongside the regular 5 wagon in Europe.

Those are some low expectations, no? There are plenty of safe, comfortable, and spacious vehicles on the market. If those are the only things the R-Class offers along with strange styling, then Mercedes really failed with it. Fact is the R-Class is a sales failure in the US right now, and it does nothing for the Mercedes brand or it's image. Mercedes is a luxury automaker, not a mass market automaker of practical cars.

How is the 5 GT an "excellent" car for it's price class? It starts at 64K! For 64K, there are much better vehicles you can get for safety, space, and comfort. I used to think the X6 was a pointless, redundant vehicle, but the 5 GT now holds that title. The X6 actually seems like a much more useful vehicle compared to this 5 GT.

If the R Class is a big seller in Europe like you say it is, Mercedes should have kept it in Europe and never released it here in the US.

R Class sales fell off a cliff for 2009 in the US; they were down 63% last year.

If the 5 GT offered something really meaningful like sportier handling than a 5 Series, or more off-road capability, it would make more sense. If it offered something more meaningful, along with better styling, then there would be a market for such a car.

A problem I predict will happen is that here in the US 5 GT sales will cannibalize X6 sales and vice-versa.

The difference with the Lexus HS is, despite the less-then-appealing styling of it, at the moment it is outselling the R-Class and X6 by far, and it will no doubt outsell the 5 GT by far in the US. The HS at this point even remains supply-limited, as huge demand for the car exists in Japan, which limits the US supply.

Och

iTrader: (3)

The R class failed in the US, but not exactly because it was marketed wrongly. It failed because, along with last gen ML class, it is an Alabama built turd, and it shows in its quality and reliability. These two vehicles are perhaps the worst MB has ever built.

SecPole14

This.

And this.


I've said it before, but I'll keep saying it because it so perfectly summarizes the current strategies of BMW and Mercedes: They seem completely hellbent on producing vehicles for every market niche, whether real or imagined. This really can't be understated, and it just gets more hilarious the more you think about it.

I live in Charleston, SC. Mercedes has their US Sprinter van "factory" here. The president of the operation drives a R-Klasse. I was at a meeting with some of their top local people last year through my former employer, and their engineers were laughing about the R-Klasse and making fun of the president for choosing that as his company ride (the senior engineers had an E-Klasse and SLK).