The premium cars are a generation a head of anything else,  not even PC's can match those cars.  Many of the standard cars still look better then Forza3 and other console racers, so i don't understand how people can say it lacked in graphics.

I know what you mean, i was driving a standard car on my 32" 720p tv. and tbh it looked great, i havent had the chance to use a premium car, but i cant believe people are saying the graphics are bad. okay maybe the s cars dont have cockpit mode, but still, no way does that break a game like this!

of course the graphics are bad. Hell, even Big Rigs has better graphics!

partially - yes

The game is just too inconsistent, mixing great graphics with below average ones gives a bad result. and the good looking ones make the bad ones look even worse, so overall i would give the graphics an 8 at most.

maybe I've driven the worst looking standard cars, but my impression was that they all look awful.

One of the first cars I bought in the game: http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/647/eigernordwandkurz.jpg

Forza 2 comparison: http://media.teamxbox.com/games/ss/1476/full-res/1178333047.jpg

Yes, PD had me expecting graphics better than real life, but in actuality, it wasn't close to real life. All I got were some weak ass PS3 graphics. PD are FUCKIN LIARS. 

I'm boycotting all future Grant Turismo games AND Polphony Digital games AND and any association from a company with the acronym PD. I'm going to start a riot against my local Police Department.

I love the game, but the graphics are definitely all over the place. At its best, GT5 is one of the most visually stunning games on any console and because of a lot of the old car models, it can look extremely dated. No matter how it looks though, it's still the most accurate driving experience out right now.

Technically, no. Aesthetically, yes. But it wouldn't be a simulation game if it didn't strive for realism, so it's good at what it does.

The GT series is much more about graphics than for example the GoW series. At times GT5 really sucks me out of the game instead of into the game because some things look even below PS2 level. That is unacceptable. I'm not comparing its graphics directly with Uncharted and God of War. But those games achieve their goal, and when it comes to graphics, GT5 doesn't. Still a really well made game though, but not as good as previous GT games or probably even Forza.

And I remember reading someone who said the above was SO horrible (the trees, shadows, etc...) it made them having a hard time playing Gran Turismo 5.  I guess GT5 is supposed to look SO awesome, and amazing and epic, it forces the entire planet to bow down and worship the PS3 as some monster powerhouse of a console, they have no choice but to buy it, and burn every other console in the process, then go on forums and defend the awesomeness of the PS3 (yes, the Playstation brand is supposed to be a religion I guess).  Short of this, you rip it to shreads, because it failed to meet expectation.

I still say, even with all the images above being true, why should it matter?  Cut and paste BUSHES in the background a big deal? Why?  How about asking if GT5 is worth owning if you have a PS3, and are looking for a driving sim on that console?  I would say yes.  But maybe cut and paste bushes in the background really prevent people from wanting to own it.

Back in the day, we played this... and we liked it!