Style Notes
Finally, there's the question of style--the vaguest of disciplines. Is the 3 Series starting to look trite or, dare we say "pedestrian"? Perhaps. We fear the "specialness" of this car may be wearing thin after four years since its last major redesign. We're not saying the car is unattractive. Inside and out, it's handsome, well proportioned, and certainly underscores BMW traditions. But it's not a car that turned a single civilian head on this round of testing.
The CTS certainly makes a bold statement, but we're still not sure what language it's speaking. From the day the first photos were released by Cadillac, all of us reserved judgment until we could actually stand next to the car and put our gaze and hands on it. It turns out it's a vehicle that has two, perhaps three distinctly good viewing angles. But who wants to ask his neighbor to stand on a milk crate in the middle of the road to catch the elevated, rear five-sixths view with the sunset hitting it just so? Sure, we got plenty of eyes, but onlookers were also scratching their heads--polarization on a global scale. Inside the CTS, we applaud the effort its designers made to resolve the hard exterior shapes and combine attractive materials with clever electronics. We especially like the steering-wheel's four programmable buttons, audio-volume control wheel, and the usual cruise-control functions. Overall, the interior resembles well-constructed contemporary office furnishings. But if this truly is the car meant to redefine the brand, where are the manual-mode automatic, XM satellite radio option (already available on the DTS), LED taillights (also on the DTS), or sophisticated, next-gen Northstar V-6 powertrain?
Yes, it looks like it came from Asia, but the elegant shapes and proportions of the G35 prove there are still pleasing and functional designs yet to be imagined and produced. Everywhere we drove this car, we were stopped and questioned. More than one person told us the G35 would be his next car--especially after he learned the price. It's cool without looking trendy; beautiful without having to explain itself. Its long, low, sloping hood and simple, not overly adorned sheetmetal and headlight clusters show the designers' restraint. They knew when to put their pencils down. The one exterior element that doesn't follow the graceful theme is the taillight treatment. LEDs are fine, but more pleasing would be an organic lens shape, or one that better mimics the headlamps. The G35's interior could use a little tweak, as well. Although we like the gauge binnacle tilting with the wheel (a la Porsche 928), the titaniumesque finish doesn't seem appropriate to the sport-sedan segment. On the surface it resembles some high-end home-audio equipment, but it looks and feels inexpensive and unable to withstand long-term wear and tear. Likewise, the amber-lit LED instrumentation appears downscale for a car of this class. Also the plastic that covers most of the instruments is highly susceptible to reflected light and not dark enough to keep direct sunlight from making the gauges illegible altogether. All eminently forgivable once actual driving begins.
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