# The E46 is looking dated.



## Masskrug (Feb 11, 2003)

Yes or no?


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## JetBlack330i (Feb 8, 2002)

no.


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## mquetel (Jan 30, 2003)

Well it's new to me, so I say *NO*!!


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## Guest (Oct 14, 2003)

Trendy designs look cool (to many/most) when they come out. But they don't have staying power.

Timeless designs lack the same "Wow!" factor when they are new, but they look great forever.

The E46 was the first "trendy" BMW design and it already looks more dated (IMO) than the E36 that preceded it.

The "new" Bangle creations are going to look just plain awful (as if they don't already) by the ends of their model runs.


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## Cliff (Apr 19, 2002)

Masskrug said:


> Yes or no?


No, and the styling on the E36 bores me to tears.


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## Jon Shafer (Dec 15, 2001)

Cliff3 said:


> No, and the styling on the E36 bores me to tears.


I agree with Cliff.

And the E36s are starting to look really old to me.


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## Cliff (Apr 19, 2002)

Jon Shafer said:


> I agree with Cliff.
> 
> And the E36s are starting to look really old to me.


 :hi: Jon! How's school?


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## Jon Shafer (Dec 15, 2001)

Cliff3 said:


> :hi: Jon! How's school?


This is week #2 Cliff.

The networks of neural pathways are getting a jump-start now;
I read 150 pages today.. Good thing the surf was flat!


How are you doing, Cliff???

Coming down this way anytime soon??


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## Guest (Oct 14, 2003)

Jon Shafer said:


> I agree with Cliff.
> 
> And the E36s are starting to look really old to me.


 :stickpoke:


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## Plaz (Dec 19, 2001)

TD said:


> The E46 was the first "trendy" BMW design and it already looks more dated (IMO) than the E36 that preceded it.


That's nuts. The E36 looks straight out of the 80s to my eyes now.

The E46 isn't exactly "wow" anymore, but it doesn't look like a tired trendy design, either. Like a Fiero does, for example.

However, the E46 is now the BMW design closest to looking "old," now that the classy, yet undeniably boring and tired E39 style has fallen by the wayside to make room for the astonishingly gorgeous new E60.

:angel:


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## Matthew330Ci (Sep 9, 2002)

TD said:


> Trendy designs look cool (to many/most) when they come out. But they don't have staying power.
> 
> Timeless designs lack the same "Wow!" factor when they are new, but they look great forever.
> 
> ...


E46 Trendy? I certainly don't see it. general consensus among people (inc. non-bmw owners) is that it's a "classic" design.

to me, the lines on an e46 flow gracefully and are well-balanced, the e36 on the other hand, has something that just looks a little unbalanced and uneven. (the side-skirts that get bigger towards the front being just one thing).


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## Cliff (Apr 19, 2002)

Jon Shafer said:


> This is week #2 Cliff.
> 
> The networks of neural pathways are getting a jump-start now;
> I read 150 pages today.. Good thing the surf was flat!
> ...


It could be worse - I have some comp sci books that will leave you in a coma long before you finish 150 pages...

I'm good - I'm on vacation this week and spent the day detailing the car (in the garage I bought in August - I'm still groovin on being a homeowner - it's tough to do on one income in the Bay Area). Tomorrow (and maybe Wednesday too) will bring more of the same. We spent a bunch of money on software this year (~$3 million, give or take), expectations are high, and I'm one of the key people on the project, so I've been working mighty hard.

No trips to SB are in the works for the near future


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## Maverick (Jun 25, 2003)

TD said:


> The E46 was the first "trendy" BMW design and it already looks more dated (IMO) than the E36 that preceded it.


This is crazy! :fruit: Besides we won't really be able to tell until the new design comes out. No doubt, E46 is still a good looking car.


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## ·clyde· (Dec 26, 2001)

The E36 looks like a Buick (shudder).


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## johnlew (Dec 25, 2001)

No. E36, yes.


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## PhilH (Jun 7, 2002)

There's tons of E46s everywhere, and it seems that very soon people will really be anticipating the E90. Those two factors make the E46 nearly dated. If they were more rare, or if the replacement was still a few years away, I don't think the same exact design would appear dated at all...it has classic styling.

Ignoring the troll who started the E36/E46 argument, I'd say if the E46 ages as well as the E36 has, I'd be happy.


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## bluer1 (May 30, 2002)

For me, the pre-facelift cars are starting to look a bit dated. I attribute this mostly to the turndown of the front turn indicators, like the E36. I have a hard time escaping that it looks a little too similar to the E36 when viewed against a post-facelift car.

I still think the E36 looks great - and even advised a friend to get the E36 M3 over the E46 when he was ready to give up his 5er. (I was first in line for his 5er, but the deal didn't go through.)

Go figure - I hated the E46 when it came out, and now own one. If anyone is counting, I did that with the Yamaha R1 as well.
:eeps:

As far as timeless goes, E30 M3. I still can't get past those fender flares. It'll likely to be my next BMW, (for a fun, modded, weekend driver).
:yummy:


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## Phil F (Mar 16, 2003)

Plaz said:


> [The] undeniably boring and tired E39 style has fallen by the wayside to make room for the astonishingly gorgeous new E60.


"Astonishingly gorgeous"? The E60? Tell me that you've "learned to live it" or that you find aspects of the design "interesting" and I can understand. But "atonishingly gorgeous"? That's just twisted.


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## sshuit (Apr 15, 2002)

Nope, and the E36 still looks pretty good too.



Masskrug said:


> Yes or no?


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## PhilH (Jun 7, 2002)

TD said:


> Trendy designs look cool (to many/most) when they come out. But they don't have staying power.
> 
> Timeless designs lack the same "Wow!" factor when they are new, but they look great forever.
> 
> ...


Now for a direct response to this post...

I agree with your ideas about the timelessness of classic and trendy designs, but I disagree about the E46 being trendy. When it was introduced in 1999, I thought BMW executed the car perfectly. It retained the basic look of the E36 outside, except with rounded edges, but they gave it a high quality interior and they dropped the 4-cylinder model in favor of the 323i.

I was not really "wowed" by the exterior design of the E46 when it was first introduced. It's a good evolutionary design of the E36.


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## The Roadstergal (Sep 7, 2002)

The E30 was the last real BMW. Everything since is trendy and silly. :neener: :angel2:


In all honesty, though, after looking at the Z4, everything else does look boring, not so fresh. It's quite striking, and for me in a positive way - a new way of doing things. In that light, yes, the E46 is looking like a car whose time has come - a cool shape, a good run, and I hope people preserve and love them like they have been for the 2002s, the E30s and E36s; but at its end.

The Z4 is one of the few cars I've driven that makes me feel disappointed with my Miata. :eeps:


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## eliyale (May 9, 2003)

Hmm. My first thought was, "No way!" But you know, I never thought I'd say it, but I'm starting to warm up to the Bangle-mobiles, especially the E60. (Still not a fan of the 7-series, though)

Now that the E46 is the odd man out in the BMW lineup, maybe it does look a little dated. Not bad by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a little dowdy (especially in non-ZHP form)... kind of like the old 5-series was in its last couple of years of life.


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## adgrant (Aug 13, 2003)

Masskrug said:


> It seems to me that a lot of people are still in the "new relationship syndrome" with the E46.


Perhaps but not in my case. However I bought my first E46 (a 99 323) back in 1998 (it replaced an E36 coupe) and my second in 2001 (a 325 AWD wagon for my wife). I still prefer the pre-facelift design.

However I just replaced the 99 with a 2004 facelifted model. I don't like the design as much but I do like driving a car with a warranty again and I like the improvements over my 99 (more power, Steptronic, DSC, AWD, NAV etc). AWD and NAV were unfortunately not available on the E46 in 1998. The NAV in the 04 is much better than the 01's also).

I will be replacing the 01 with an 04 next year (lease is up). If the E90 looks anything like the other Chris Bungle designs, that will be my last BMW for a while. I don't like any of the new designs, inside or out.


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## dynosor (Jul 15, 2003)

*Everytime I see one on the street I think, damn that car is beautiful.*

Everytime I see one on the street I think, damn that car is beautiful. Especially the facelift nose with more divergent creases on the hood.

Then it dawns on me, that's what my car looks like from the outside.


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## tommyd (Jul 8, 2003)

dynosor said:


> Everytime I see one on the street I think, damn that car is beautiful. Especially the facelift nose with more divergent creases on the hood.
> 
> Then it dawns on me, that's what my car looks like from the outside.


 :rofl: 
Personally, i have a pic of my car etched in my head...
I think i'm starting to annoy my friends and SO cuz all i do is look at it...

park... turn back and look as i walk away...
go into store... look out the window...
park at home... give it a quick go around and spot clean if necessary...

...in fact... i think i'm gonna go take a peek right now...
:eeps:


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