Who makes the best cabin interiors?

Who makes the best cabin interiors?

Author
Discussion

Willy Nilly

12,511 posts

167 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
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the rear seats look ideal for amputees

Valgar

850 posts

135 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
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The Alfa Giulietta has a pretty sweet interior


swisstoni

16,984 posts

279 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
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It's a shame,in a way, that so many recent interiors will be made to look a bit dated purely by the tech on display.
Perhaps in time they will come to look 'period' like old radios in classics and so be cool again.
But they will have to go through an old hat phase.

smm3008

19 posts

97 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
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Alfa 159/Brera as has been said aswell as the 156 imo:






Sam

HustleRussell

24,690 posts

160 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
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The Alfa interiors always look great but IMO are always let down by poor quality build / materials

smm3008

19 posts

97 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
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HustleRussell said:
The Alfa interiors always look great but IMO are always let down by poor quality build / materials
The leather in my 156 has way less signs of use than a lot of other cars of a similar age and milage, and the interior feels like a well made place with pretty good plastics tbf, much better than the more modern Golf I had before it

Trabi601

4,865 posts

95 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
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smm3008 said:
The leather in my 156 has way less signs of use than a lot of other cars of a similar age and milage, and the interior feels like a well made place with pretty good plastics tbf, much better than the more modern Golf I had before it
Alfa's 'Momo' leather is some of the best fitted to mainstream cars - much softer than the over-processed, hard and shiny stuff the Japanese use - and much harder wearing than the 'premium' options from the Germans. (We won't mention BMW's Dakota, as I've posted about that in another topic)

Presuming Ed

1,398 posts

208 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
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Have a look at the new Volvo s and v90, absolutely stunning and shows what can be achieved when manufacturers don't try and be german

Winder

433 posts

259 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
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Valgar said:
The Alfa Giulietta has a pretty sweet interior

Nah. Had one as a hirer in Tuscany last year. Nasty placky materials, weird ergonomics and naff DNA lighting effects. Cramped driving position.

Another vote for Audi by me. Not all models, borrowed a 60 plate A6 Allroad the other week and the centre console and silver triim was sub-premium. Preferred my older, much cheaper A3's interior styling and materials. Feels quite spacious still, too.

Bonefish Blues

26,677 posts

223 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
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F1GTRUeno said:
Volvo's interiors are lovely things, especially the new XC90.
The 90 came to my mind too.

anonymous-user

54 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
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swisstoni said:
Can we ever stop calling a car interior 'a place to be'?
Completely agree, why people insist on here as referring as an interior as 'a lovely place to be' is beyond me.

Trabi601

4,865 posts

95 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
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Kierkegaard said:
swisstoni said:
Can we ever stop calling a car interior 'a place to be'?
Completely agree, why people insist on here as referring as an interior as 'a lovely place to be' is beyond me.
From my limited reading here, can we also add 'sense of occasion', 'soundtrack' and 'good steer'?


MikeTFSI

5,004 posts

102 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
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Today I sat in a 640d, M135i, Abarth 500, Mercedes A45AMG, Lexus RC300h, Seat Leon FR, Ford Mustang V8, Ford Mondeo Vignale, Focus RS, AUDI TT, VW Golf R and a Civic Type R.

The Lexus disappointed a little, shame as the GS looked great. Strangely, the Golf felt very ordinary for a 40k (!) car. Probably too similar to a model costing half the price.

The Mustang looked good and the driving position was really good, but felt a tad cheap, as did the focus and the Mondeo. Actually not bad places to be considering the value offered, expect for the Vignale which just felt like a Mondeo with a bit more leather, rather than a more luxury product.

The Audi was nice. Very simplistic but high on quality. The vents are pretty cool. Both the BMWs were very nice places to sit, they were a cut above the rest which I wasn't really expecting. Would be better with more integrated screens though, but not as bad as others. Seats were really good.

I was impressed by the Leon as that looks naff in pictures and actually seemed decent enough in the metal. Not amazing, but no worse than the Golf R and this was only a mid range diesel FR.

The 500 wasn't great (neither was my old FIAT Bravo or my wife's MiTo), but is of course much cheaper and is more 'fun' orientated.

The Civic was very fussy and a bit cheap in places, but mostly ok.

The Mercedes was strange. The screen is just awful and looks like a 30quid Chinese tablet stuck to the dash. Nothing about the car seemed to appeal at all, except for the seats. Don't care how fast it is, really did not like it.

Overall today I realised that most cars cost about £32000 before options, after which everything is over £40k. The Focus RS really appeals and a Mercedes does not.

iphonedyou

9,250 posts

157 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
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Jakarta said:
Being driven to the golf course by my mates driver in the back of a Range Rover Autobiography Ultimate Edition is a rather pleasant place to be.
Particularly amusing is when he jumps out to get some beers for the road and you adjust the seats from maximum chill to maximum heat (35c outside).
The champagne cooler in the centre armrest is pretty useless though. It may keep a bottle chilled, but it won't cool it from room temperature.
Anybody know the best way to uncurl my toes?

Thanks in advance.

iphonedyou

9,250 posts

157 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
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MikeTFSI said:
Today I sat in a 640d, M135i, Abarth 500, Mercedes A45AMG, Lexus RC300h, Seat Leon FR, Ford Mustang V8, Ford Mondeo Vignale, Focus RS, AUDI TT, VW Golf R and a Civic Type R.

The Lexus disappointed a little, shame as the GS looked great. Strangely, the Golf felt very ordinary for a 40k (!) car. Probably too similar to a model costing half the price.

The Mustang looked good and the driving position was really good, but felt a tad cheap, as did the focus and the Mondeo. Actually not bad places to be considering the value offered, expect for the Vignale which just felt like a Mondeo with a bit more leather, rather than a more luxury product.

The Audi was nice. Very simplistic but high on quality. The vents are pretty cool. Both the BMWs were very nice places to sit, they were a cut above the rest which I wasn't really expecting. Would be better with more integrated screens though, but not as bad as others. Seats were really good.

I was impressed by the Leon as that looks naff in pictures and actually seemed decent enough in the metal. Not amazing, but no worse than the Golf R and this was only a mid range diesel FR.

The 500 wasn't great (neither was my old FIAT Bravo or my wife's MiTo), but is of course much cheaper and is more 'fun' orientated.

The Civic was very fussy and a bit cheap in places, but mostly ok.

The Mercedes was strange. The screen is just awful and looks like a 30quid Chinese tablet stuck to the dash. Nothing about the car seemed to appeal at all, except for the seats. Don't care how fast it is, really did not like it.

Overall today I realised that most cars cost about £32000 before options, after which everything is over £40k. The Focus RS really appeals and a Mercedes does not.
Like this post. I know (or rather, infer) you didn't have a lot of time in each car but I like how you write.

Post more often! smile

J4CKO

41,540 posts

200 months

Sunday 29th May 2016
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My Merc interior is nice, the photos on the internet made it look like a 1980s grey leather jacket, but in person it is rather nice, best I have ever owned and looks like new after 8 years and 115,000 miles which is impressive.

RikJonAtk

202 posts

95 months

Monday 30th May 2016
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TVR Tuscan. Hardly mainstream, but beautiful interior, uncluttered, functional, and cheaper to buy in to than a lot of what is being discussed.

MikeTFSI

5,004 posts

102 months

Monday 30th May 2016
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iphonedyou said:
Like this post. I know (or rather, infer) you didn't have a lot of time in each car but I like how you write.

Post more often! smile
Thanks, might just do that!
You are correct in your inference, each car was just long enough to form an initial view of comfort and quality only. Interesting day though.

bigbob77

593 posts

166 months

Monday 30th May 2016
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300bhp/ton said:
TazLondon said:
Audi
rofl
I don't have experience of other models, but I do think the TT Mk3 interior is lovely:



anonymous-user

54 months

Monday 30th May 2016
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Proton. Every material on the dash is painstakingly hand built from wood - hence it is akin to fingering a rock or taking your dead grandma up the OXO tower.

Here is an example of the finest Malaysian craftsmanship.