| 2010 BMW 7 Series vs 2010 Mercedes-Benz S-Class | November 2009 | AUTORIVALS.NET |
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| BMW completely redid its flagship model, the 7 Series, in 2009 and battles the Mercedes-Benz S-Class in the luxury department. Chris Bangle is gone as BMW's chief designer and so goes his 'butt' with him. The Mercedes has been refreshed but not completely overhauled yet. Still, it remains one of the benchmarks in the primo luxury sedan segment. | ||
| 2010 BMW 7 Series | vs | 2010 Mercedes-Benz S-Class |
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| A Mercedes grill will always look better than a BMW's. This is a prime example. The BMW's grille is oversized like a fat kid's flared nostrils. The headlights aren't as nice as the S-Class either which employs LED's to give it a high class look. The Merc's floating LED's on the bottom side air intakes are an especially nice touch. | ||
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| The S-Class looks beautiful all
around and throws in some sportiness into its design. If it were
a little smaller, lighter, and performance oriented, it could
easily pass off as a sports sedan. The BMW however has a the
twin kidney grille pushed forward giving it an unfortunate look.
The rest of the design isn't bad but isn't spectacular either. |
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| BMW's always keep their lines straight and clean. For instance, the rear door's straight line looks better than the S-Class's curved line over the rear fender. Aside from that, the BMW is moderately plain while the S-Class adds fender flares to give it a more aggressive demeanor. | ||
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| The Benz's front fenders can look off at this angle. The extruded curve would've looked better if it were sharp-cornered to match the rest of the car. | ||
 Finally. The 'Bangle Butt' is gone that made so much controversy on the last generation. The new 'butt' is better but kept moderate as to prevent the same backlash back in 2002. The tail lights vary from the usual LED bulb variety and look nice with an uncluttered design. Only the bottom reflectors look out of place. |
 The tail lights were revised and are now a one-piece design. Ironically, the Benz has a resemblance to the old 'Bangle Butt' with a trunk lid that's not flush withtheerear silhouette. The two level design isn't nearly as bad as the old 7 series though. Everything else is nicely integrated but is aging fast compared to the fresh BMW.. The two level design isn't nearly as bad as the old 7 series though. Everything else is nicely integrated but is aging fast compared to the fresh BMW. |
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| The BMW wins for interior design with everything well placed in a symmetrical layout. BMW now places the shifter where it should be instead of on the steering column like the last generation. The Benz covers the information screen with a housing that looks oddly proportioned and the steering wheel looks awful compared to the Bimmer's. However, neither interior will ever disappoint its owners. | ||
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PROS +Classy interior +Better looking 'butt' Cons -Huge nostril grill -A bit too dull overall |
PROS +Handsome sporty design +Engaging front fascia Cons -Odd front fenders -Oddly proportioned center stack housing |
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| Video Source: YouTube via Inside Line |
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