Tycoon

Although it doesn't resemble Honda in any way, the same goes for 3 series.

No, not like that Poverty dude compared it's quality with the one in VW Polo, but the layout looks like it has been done in 5 minutes. :

atuv

And the 3's int looks like it's been done in 1 minute

coolraoul

And for the A4/A5, they obviously get a panic attack when they saw all the buttons and stuff to put into, so some buttons here, a heater here, another pack of buttons here, and the rest, well...

HERE! look, lots of empty space around the gear level, perfect for the buttons we did not manage to place under the edgy screen with the rounded heaters around!

If I were Audi, I would hire somebody to put a little order and coherence in their new interiors...

IMO, none of the three has a really really good interior.

BigBoss

So much about the buttons: look again

coolraoul

Yes I look. I look at a realaxing, well ordered C-Class, and aty a complex A4 or A5.
You have lots of little black buttons everywhere for the climate, and lots of buttons everywhere (some round, some edgy, with no order, seemingly put here without design) around the gearlevel.
No coherence here, at all. No harmony, no order.

The big "empty" black plastic piece under the screen is awful and brakes the design of the center console. The center eaters are here, you don't know why. They had no other place? The heater near the door are high, the center heaters are much lower..

The dash does not flow with the doors like the Mercedes.

Also the "little"edgy screen in the too big curvy place and with curvy heaters under it...Under it and with a different size, so that the screenplace does not flow with the center heaters. They are just placed here the one under the other, without care...

The C-Class is much better from thos point of view, it relaxes you, is very clear and ergonomic.
On the other hand, I can't say the interior in the C-Class is wonderful. The center console is a bitt dull and little, I don't like the heaters, and the dash is too much "one big piece of plastic".

But in real life you feel realy good in the C-Class, realxing, ergonomic and much better looking than in pics.

I don't think it is the case forthe Audi. It is not as relaxing, much less ergonomic with all these buttons (the climate controls are easy to use in the Merc, with few clearly separated buttons, whereas on the Audi...).

And I sat in the A6, it is complex and unsatisfying for me.

I prefer Mercedes' clarity, coherence and harmony, even if it looks a bit spartan especially in black (the black/grey is much much much better).

Of course this is just my opinion, my view of a car. i don't say the A4/A5 has a bad interior, but I much prefer the one in the C-Class.

Amo

OK, maybe the Merc has got a more organised interior, but I personallly really like the buttons next to the gear lever. Makes it feel like a plane cockpit. I think its a better place to keep the main controls actually.

coolraoul

The fact that there are buttons around the gearlevel is not a problem for me. But they are not organized: some big, some little, some round, some edgy...

The hole interior lacks organisation. Nothing is clearly made, nothing flows. There are lines, buttons everywhere, and nothing has the same size or the same shape. Nothing harmonize.

So, too complex for me, I prefer Merc's harmony. I am a Merc fan. The Audi is designed to appeal to Audi fans.

But I wonder: the Audi fans, who liked the old Audis interiors (wonderfully made and designed, even if too much hard plastics), do they really like these new interiors? Complex, Star-Trek like if you want, does it appeal to Audi fans? Don't they regreat the old interiors?

I ask the question honestly, because I personnaly regreat the old Audis interiors.

BigBoss

I guess the interiors are so different because they are targeted at different people.
If you look at the statistics and see the average age of an A4 buyer or the C class buyer, the last ones are much older.
This kind of people prefer more conservative design and not so much aggressive and tight as Audi's is.

I drove the new A5 and I loved the interior, but never seen the C's interior in RL, because I have no interest in buying that car (It just don't fits my style
I am not saying it is perfect. The thing that bothers me the most is that the dash does not flow with the doors as you mentioned above and that empty space below the heaters, where CD changer is, looks empty to me.
I love the buttons around the shift gear and red lightning and...

BigBoss

Yes I loved the interior of B6/B7 and I must say that I miss it a little. I am not saying the new one is bad - just the opposite, but the old one set the benchmark in my opinion - design vise. The new one is clearly more ergonomic, has better navi screen position (that is why the heaters are so low) etc.

Mr. Mercedes

Just poked around the C's interior once again and it is FAR FAR FAR FAR better looking in person then print. I can also comfortably say that the interior quality is a step above the 3-series. It really does have an excellent interior in person.

Look forward to seeing the new A4. Bar the Q7 (which I believe does not live up to the quality of other Audi's) I love their interiors.