[JBM]

I will agree that it takes time to become accustomed to the iDrive. But I will never say that it is intuitive and easy to use.

Let's go over some of the positives, IMHO. I will say that I like how my phonebook from my cell phone is easily downloaded and displayed in the iDrive window. I think the extra options availabe via the info menu in iDrive is nice. It provides a bit more customization. Navigation itself is very accurate and helpful.

Now the negatives. It is difficult to program. Rotating through the entire alphabet to select letters is tedious and time consuming. Although this is just a time factor, it does make a difference. Think of it this way, when you have to wait 45 sec for a web page to load, it seems like an eternity. Another thing about navi is that the colors looked washed out and pale to me, especially the white guidance line after you set a destination. It does not provide enough contrast with the general yellow background. Although selected Sirius stations is easy, the iDrive does not automatically display what's playing. For example, let's say you're listening to Sat radio on channel 1 with song A displayed. You decide you're in the mood for a CD now, you switch to CD and play that. After a bit you want to go back to Sat, you switch to Sat, and it starts playing channel 1 but shows the list of channels and not the window with what's playing. You have to reselect channel 1 to display the song info. No big deal if it's channel 1, but what if it's channel 135. That's a lot of scrolling. And another issue is that if you receive a phone call, after you're done speaking, it does not return to the screen you were on (e.g. if you were listening to sat radio, you receive a phone call, after the call you will have to renavigate to the sat radio to see what's playing). I also wish that at the bottom of the screen in sat radio or MP3 CD, the iDrive would display the song/title info instead of just the channel name or MP3.

I have an 2005 Acura TL, and maybe that's why I'm not too thrilled with the iDrive. The TL's system is very intuitive and touch-screen based, so it's quickly programmable. Also, if you want to put in a desitination via the map input (which is something I do more often than I every thought I would), the TL's system is much easier to use. If you would like to see what a good nav system is, take a look at any of the Acuira's line. Hell, even Tom Tom has more easily understood guidance, and for less money.

Although I'm very happy with the driving dynamics and feel of my 3 series. It's included nav/entertainment technology is poor. I think the IDrive could so easily be improved with a touch screen and a few other changes. BMW should really have a Japanese company create that tech and stick to driving design.

Like I said, I think the car itself is great and drives wonderfully both in good weather and our current snowstorm. I'm glad they returned the dual-zone climate controls. I even sorta don't mind the cup holders. But iDrive is not a good implementation in its current iteration, especially for $2000.

[poldim]

People hated computers when they first came out, and now I couldn't immagine life without them.

[poldim]

Originally Posted by JBM

I will agree that it takes time to become accustomed to the iDrive. But I will never say that it is intuitive and easy to use.

Let's go over some of the positives, IMHO. I will say that I like how my phonebook from my cell phone is easily downloaded and displayed in the iDrive window. I think the extra options availabe via the info menu in iDrive is nice. It provides a bit more customization. Navigation itself is very accurate and helpful.

Now the negatives. It is difficult to program. Rotating through the entire alphabet to select letters is tedious and time consuming. Although this is just a time factor, it does make a difference. Think of it this way, when you have to wait 45 sec for a web page to load, it seems like an eternity. Another thing about navi is that the colors looked washed out and pale to me, especially the white guidance line after you set a destination. It does not provide enough contrast with the general yellow background. Although selected Sirius stations is easy, the iDrive does not automatically display what's playing. For example, let's say you're listening to Sat radio on channel 1 with song A displayed. You decide you're in the mood for a CD now, you switch to CD and play that. After a bit you want to go back to Sat, you switch to Sat, and it starts playing channel 1 but shows the list of channels and not the window with what's playing. You have to reselect channel 1 to display the song info. No big deal if it's channel 1, but what if it's channel 135. That's a lot of scrolling. And another issue is that if you receive a phone call, after you're done speaking, it does not return to the screen you were on (e.g. if you were listening to sat radio, you receive a phone call, after the call you will have to renavigate to the sat radio to see what's playing). I also wish that at the bottom of the screen in sat radio or MP3 CD, the iDrive would display the song/title info instead of just the channel name or MP3.

I have an 2005 Acura TL, and maybe that's why I'm not too thrilled with the iDrive. The TL's system is very intuitive and touch-screen based, so it's quickly programmable. Also, if you want to put in a desitination via the map input (which is something I do more often than I every thought I would), the TL's system is much easier to use. If you would like to see what a good nav system is, take a look at any of the Acuira's line. Hell, even Tom Tom has more easily understood guidance, and for less money.

Although I'm very happy with the driving dynamics and feel of my 3 series. It's included nav/entertainment technology is poor. I think the IDrive could so easily be improved with a touch screen and a few other changes. BMW should really have a Japanese company create that tech and stick to driving design.

Like I said, I think the car itself is great and drives wonderfully both in good weather and our current snowstorm. I'm glad they returned the dual-zone climate controls. I even sorta don't mind the cup holders. But iDrive is not a good implementation in its current iteration, especially for $2000.

I will have to disagree. Acura's Nav is one of the best around, but it still has room for improvements. I test drove both the TSX and TL, and found that the nav is wonderful, but to me, iDrive was no more confusing than Acura's system. The touch screen factor is a matter of preference. I like the fact that I can see my screen without any glare problem because its covered by the overhang. I havent had one to date and I've been driving since September. This implementation also keeps you in your comfortable seated position without having to reach for the screen or sacrificing the room take up by the dash.


If you are entering your destination by map, why use nav? I've used this a few times, but if I know where I'm going and its not a 5 hour drive back to my house, then I dont use the nav, there's no reason to.

[JBM]

Well, I guess, as has been said so many times about iDrive and nav, to each his/her own.

[StewtheBassman]

Originally Posted by JBM

I will agree that it takes time to become accustomed to the iDrive. But I will never say that it is intuitive and easy to use.

Let's go over some of the positives, IMHO. I will say that I like how my phonebook from my cell phone is easily downloaded and displayed in the iDrive window. I think the extra options availabe via the info menu in iDrive is nice. It provides a bit more customization. Navigation itself is very accurate and helpful.

Now the negatives. It is difficult to program. Rotating through the entire alphabet to select letters is tedious and time consuming. Although this is just a time factor, it does make a difference. Think of it this way, when you have to wait 45 sec for a web page to load, it seems like an eternity. Another thing about navi is that the colors looked washed out and pale to me, especially the white guidance line after you set a destination. It does not provide enough contrast with the general yellow background. Although selected Sirius stations is easy, the iDrive does not automatically display what's playing. For example, let's say you're listening to Sat radio on channel 1 with song A displayed. You decide you're in the mood for a CD now, you switch to CD and play that. After a bit you want to go back to Sat, you switch to Sat, and it starts playing channel 1 but shows the list of channels and not the window with what's playing. You have to reselect channel 1 to display the song info. No big deal if it's channel 1, but what if it's channel 135. That's a lot of scrolling. And another issue is that if you receive a phone call, after you're done speaking, it does not return to the screen you were on (e.g. if you were listening to sat radio, you receive a phone call, after the call you will have to renavigate to the sat radio to see what's playing). I also wish that at the bottom of the screen in sat radio or MP3 CD, the iDrive would display the song/title info instead of just the channel name or MP3.

I have an 2005 Acura TL, and maybe that's why I'm not too thrilled with the iDrive. The TL's system is very intuitive and touch-screen based, so it's quickly programmable. Also, if you want to put in a desitination via the map input (which is something I do more often than I every thought I would), the TL's system is much easier to use. If you would like to see what a good nav system is, take a look at any of the Acuira's line. Hell, even Tom Tom has more easily understood guidance, and for less money.

Although I'm very happy with the driving dynamics and feel of my 3 series. It's included nav/entertainment technology is poor. I think the IDrive could so easily be improved with a touch screen and a few other changes. BMW should really have a Japanese company create that tech and stick to driving design.

Like I said, I think the car itself is great and drives wonderfully both in good weather and our current snowstorm. I'm glad they returned the dual-zone climate controls. I even sorta don't mind the cup holders. But iDrive is not a good implementation in its current iteration, especially for $2000.

Good description of what there is not to like from someone who has tried it. Little things can make that kind of technology very frustrating, like the Sirius channel search and which screen the system goes back to after a phone call.

[poldim]

Originally Posted by StewtheBassman

Good description of what there is not to like from someone who has tried it. Little things can make that kind of technology very frustrating, like the Sirius channel search and which screen the system goes back to after a phone call.

If you'd like to see some more of those things, read this post: http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10799

[Lost Rider]

Is this still true?

I know for me after alomost 9 months of use I think the iDrive is great, and am very glad I'm spending the extra $ for it......

[Rob Fincher]

I'm a 63 year-old 325i driver, and I find the i-drive system just great. I have the Business satnav package (not the Professional), and would definitely choose this system again on a new Bimmer. One slight frustration is the date display. Mostly, but not always, the date is displayed at start-up in the bottom left corner of the screen. It then extinguishes and is replaced by status of the entertainment system - eg MP3, CD-01, FOX 101.9 MHz etc. As far as I know, it is not possible to call up the date again until the car is re-started. Frustratingly, the time appears in the bottom right of the screen and in the display between the speedometer and tachometer - a needless duplication. Does anyone know if the date can be recalled when on the move?
My dealer updated the car's software this week - took them 8 hours at BMW's expense. I've noticed a few improvements, mainly in the navigation system, but no changes in the menus or screen displays outside the nav. After reading other postings in this thread I'll now go and check more carefully!
Overall I just love the 325i - it's quiet, has outstanding road manners, sounds just glorious at 6700 rpm (in any gear) yet returns 6.7 litres/100 km at a steady 110 km/h under motorway conditions. The run-flats are Continentals and whilst they are generally smooth, they can be harsh when accelerating hard on uneven surfaces.
But in retrospect - does anyone have an answer to my question about the date display?
Rob

[txusa03]

Originally Posted by StewtheBassman

Jeez, people, come on!!!

The automotive press with unanimity HATE and DESPISE iDrive!!!!

Why don't you owners complain about it??

All I ever read here is how much you use it to control stuff and how easy it is to use.

What do those journalists know that you don't???


(Also, how about those "idiotic" turn signals that are supposed to be so bad....why don't you comaplain about those too?????)

how can I hate something I dont have. More seriously, I can understand why journalist have a bad taste for idrive. Here is why. You own your car and drive it everyday. So you are more familiar with its function and quirks. The journalist on the other hand, has only a few hours in the car, how could you possibly enjoy idrive with only a few hours or just one full day. They don't have time to learn its quirks and tricks and shortcut. So yes they leave with a bad taste for it. Just my 2 cents.

[muzeon]

Eventhough I have driven my car for 2 weeks, I love my iDrive. So glad I decided to opt it when I ordered the car, so many features I can quickly get access to. We did try out the mock up iDrive at the dealer, which completely sucks, but what a difference it makes when I started to use the real thing (of course!).

Does take a little bit of getting used to, but doesn't take long for me. Although they need to upgrade the software or chip to process things faster, esp right after starting up the car.

Also, I'm a visual person, so having a very minimal, yet functional dashboard... I'm all for... don't like all those extra buttons in navs for other cars.

[JSpira]

Originally Posted by txusa03

how can I hate something I dont have. More seriously, I can understand why journalist have a bad taste for idrive. Here is why. You own your car and drive it everyday. So you are more familiar with its function and quirks. The journalist on the other hand, has only a few hours in the car, how could you possibly enjoy idrive with only a few hours or just one full day. They don't have time to learn its quirks and tricks and shortcut. So yes they leave with a bad taste for it. Just my 2 cents.

As a follow-up to that, read my ,,Geekfreude am Fahren`` article in the December issue of the Roundel which this point and others are covered in great detail

[AlecX5]

OK. I've had my car for 3 months or so. Fantastic car. Love everything about it but the bloody iDrive. I really wanted a NAV system so I ordered with iDrive. I have no problems with the NAV. Like that a lot really. What I don't like is running the radio through it. Often there's long pauses before the iDrive "lets" me use it after starting the car. That's annoying. Sometimes it's 30 seconds of it "booting" or whatever. Stupid. Most of the time I just want the radio but I have to wait for the whole iDrive thing to come online. It's slow. Cold weather is also a problem for iDrive. I guess it's just a bit frozen. My next Bimmer will not have iDrive. I'll get a TomTom.

AS

[NFS]

I've had i-drive with nav in my car since sept and previously had a non-nav 530d with i-drive.

I think it's true that the journalists complain about it because they don't have time to get to grips with it.

But .. I also think this illustrates the fact that it is not a very intuitive system. It also has a lot of glitches. Really, you shouldn't need to learn to use something like this, you should just be able to start using it and immediately understand how to control it.

Getting to grips with voice control is quite useful, but how often do you hear 'I'm sorry I don't understand you!!!!!'. Once again the commands are sometimes a bit 'odd'. Like 'audio aux' for the auxilliary connection. Aux isn't even a word - but it's the only way to call up this screen by voice.

Plus the voice control is SLOOOOW - why does it take 5-10 secs to work out what you just said ????

Other glitches - you can normally use your next station buttons to cut short radio traffic announcements - BUT when you are in the phone book list these are used for scrolling - so you can't do it.

When I call up traffic delay info on nav it never shows delays near me ... I have to scroll all the way back through pages and pages of delays that are a hundred miles away. And to make it worse - the force feedback tries to stop me doing it .... arghhh ...

And why is 'information' under 'new destination' for god sakes ??????

Don't misunderstand me - I like the concept and I think it is an improvement over standard controls .. but it's far from perfect.

And while I am at it - why can't I have a simple thumbwheel to control the brightness of the dash - instead of having to mess about with the stalk .... and why doesn't the boot actually open (properly wide open like on the e60) from the remote ..... and why why why why why why can't we have an f-ing button that actually turns of the i-drive screen - not just one that makes it blank ?????????????//

[poldim]

Originally Posted by needforspeed

I've had i-drive with nav in my car since sept and previously had a non-nav 530d with i-drive.

I think it's true that the journalists complain about it because they don't have time to get to grips with it.

But .. I also think this illustrates the fact that it is not a very intuitive system. It also has a lot of glitches. Really, you shouldn't need to learn to use something like this, you should just be able to start using it and immediately understand how to control it.

Getting to grips with voice control is quite useful, but how often do you hear 'I'm sorry I don't understand you!!!!!'. Once again the commands are sometimes a bit 'odd'. Like 'audio aux' for the auxilliary connection. Aux isn't even a word - but it's the only way to call up this screen by voice.

Plus the voice control is SLOOOOW - why does it take 5-10 secs to work out what you just said ????

Other glitches - you can normally use your next station buttons to cut short radio traffic announcements - BUT when you are in the phone book list these are used for scrolling - so you can't do it.

When I call up traffic delay info on nav it never shows delays near me ... I have to scroll all the way back through pages and pages of delays that are a hundred miles away. And to make it worse - the force feedback tries to stop me doing it .... arghhh ...

And why is 'information' under 'new destination' for god sakes ??????

Don't misunderstand me - I like the concept and I think it is an improvement over standard controls .. but it's far from perfect.

And while I am at it - why can't I have a simple thumbwheel to control the brightness of the dash - instead of having to mess about with the stalk .... and why doesn't the boot actually open (properly wide open like on the e60) from the remote ..... and why why why why why why can't we have an f-ing button that actually turns of the i-drive screen - not just one that makes it blank ?????????????//

Good to see someone that isnt completely satisfied with their iDrive.

To answer some questions:

• Personally, I dont there can be such a thing that you just know how to control it. You dont come out of the womb walking and knowing how to browse the web, so it should take you some time to get aquainted with the system
• Voice recognition is a relatively new technology and combined with the limitations they have by the hardware (limited processing), they do a decent job. I've seen better and worse systems, but they still need to keep improving BMW's.
• The slowness pisses me off if I'm in a rush, if I'm not, I don't generally notice it.
• I like the station/phonebook switch. I just wish that it would switch back over to previous screen (usually nav or entertainment in my case).
• Don't have traffic.
• Its information on a potential [new] destination, thus its under new destination.
• I never adjust brightness, but I like the integration because it leaves the interior less cluttered.
• This bothers me as well.
• This bothered me when I first got the car, but then I now look back at it and I cant remember the last time I wanted the screen off while I was driving. Sometimes it is a bit bright while driving at night, but I just turn it down a bit.

A friend of mine was looking at my perspective view and made fun of the car because it didnt differentiate between night and day. It would be kind of nice if the sky turned to stars according to the light sensor.

[SCA]

I am not a fan! The 1st Gen we had in our 2003 745iL was a total PITA. I test drove the new X5 for a few hours a few weeks ago and even though iDrive has supposedly been improved, I still dislike. Being a computer literate person I feel iDrive complicates matters that were easier accomplished via knobs or buttons. BMW AG has repeatedly stated that iDrive was created to eliminate those various knobs and buttons in favor for a cleaned looking dash/interior.

[6SpeedMan]

Why would you want us to complain. That's a first.

[LEDZEP]

Gee, how did I miss this thread? People gathered together bitching and complaining... without me?! Preposterous. After skimming through the thread, and reading some closely (like Stew's), I can see why some of the functionality of iDrive would get on one's nerves. I don't currently have iDrive in either car, so for me it would be a huge plus just to have it.

I can see where having to scroll all over the alphabet to enter text would be tedious at best. However, I also know that a touch screen forces you to take your eyes AND hands off the road (okay, we shouldn't be programming anything while driving, we know that). I think BMW is committed to the haptic controller, and what little I've played with it I like it and find it intuitive. What would really rock is when you are in a screen that needs this type of "floating" input the controller would be come a mouse that allows you to move a pointer freely and push down to select. This would make alpha entries a snap while still not making the leap to touchscreen.

Just my $.02

[6SpeedMan]

I like the floating mouse idea

[mharrigan]

Like everyone I'm not a huge fan of the iDrive interface. I work for a car company that is actively evaluating nav/entertainment/communications systems for our next car. One of the things I have learned is that touch screens seem pretty nice but when you compare them side-by-side with non-touch screens the image quality suffers. The BMW screen is bright and well defined and very immune to reflections. That's because they put a polarized panel at an angle in front of the screen. Every morning I drive due West with the sun shining in through my back window and hitting on the screen yet it is perfectly readable. I doubt that a touch screen would be nearly as good. Maybe, just maybe, what BMW was thinking is that it's more important to provide a screen that is clear, reflection free, bright and precise. I started off wishing for the touch screen that I played with in the Acura TL and now I'm very satisfied with the iDrive screen. The iDrive knob could certainly use some more human interface work.

[poldim]

Originally Posted by LEDZEP

Gee, how did I miss this thread? People gathered together bitching and complaining... without me?! Preposterous. After skimming through the thread, and reading some closely (like Stew's), I can see why some of the functionality of iDrive would get on one's nerves. I don't currently have iDrive in either car, so for me it would be a huge plus just to have it.

I can see where having to scroll all over the alphabet to enter text would be tedious at best. However, I also know that a touch screen forces you to take your eyes AND hands off the road (okay, we shouldn't be programming anything while driving, we know that). I think BMW is committed to the haptic controller, and what little I've played with it I like it and find it intuitive. What would really rock is when you are in a screen that needs this type of "floating" input the controller would be come a mouse that allows you to move a pointer freely and push down to select. This would make alpha entries a snap while still not making the leap to touchscreen.

Just my $.02

I think the mouse like courser would take even more of the drivers attention than touch screen. Additionally, more people would probably have more difficulty stopping at the precise spot above a particular letter as it would involve anticipation of knowing where to stop and reflexes. This may not be a problem for the younger generation that played enough console games, but the older crowed could easily suffer....

[NFS]

Having complained about voice control earlier in this thread I need to make amends.

I read on this forum that you should not start speaking after the beep, but instead wait another 1/2 sec for the speech icon to appear on the i-drive screen.

I've followed this advice and found that voice recognition responds much much faster and is almost always right. Getting the hang of this really helps you workaround some of the failings of i-drive.

[LEDZEP]

Originally Posted by poldim

I think the mouse like courser would take even more of the drivers attention than touch screen. Additionally, more people would probably have more difficulty stopping at the precise spot above a particular letter as it would involve anticipation of knowing where to stop and reflexes. This may not be a problem for the younger generation that played enough console games, but the older crowed could easily suffer....

Could be, but you currently have to use the haptic to scroll through the letters and numbers to enter data anyway. If the haptic were to allow free motion only on selected screens, such as text entry, you could "mouse over" the letter or number you want and press down to select it - then move directly to the next... it would be a lot faster than having to move only left-right and up-down to get to the letters you want.

They could call it Ouiji-Drive!!