Options - Help

[AndrewCowley]

I am wanting to do some 'plug & play' optioning of a 135i for a possible purchase down the track. The BMW Australia web site is hopeless! Is there anywhere that lists the price of the options?

Also I have few other questions...

Do you have to order one of the navigation packages to get i-Drive? Navigation isn't useful to me. What would I get out of the i-Drive?

There are two audio options; Harmon/Kardon and Hi-Fi 8. Which is better?

I can't see any interior trim options (e.g. aluminium, woodgrain, CF etc...). Surely there are such options?

I don't like all black interiors. Wondering if the beige seat colour is the same beige that I used to have in my E46 325i. I liked this color a lot.

Many thanks!

[sbce90]

I think new laws were passed a couple of years back which mean that you can no longer show RRP and options pricing on the car company website. Personally I like i-Drive and the nav as it is built into the car. You can't get idrive without nav, but basically you can control car settings/radio/nav/ipod etc.. through a screen and knob instead of using the BCS stalk and fiddling around.

Harmon/Kardon is better than Hi-Fi. Individual Audio is better still, but not sure of its availability in 1ers.

In the BMW car configurator when you get to the "interior" step, there are tabs on the bottom and you can switch between selecting the leather colour and selecting the trim type. Hope that helped a bit!

[AndrewCowley]

Thanks SBC!

Is there any settings in the i-Drive that aren't otherwise available?

One reason I don't like the Navigation is I reckon it spoils the look of the dash. I think a 'clean' dash without the screen looks better.

So if I went for Navigation & i-Drive there needs to be really good reason!

[sbce90]

Originally Posted by AndrewCowley

Is there any settings in the i-Drive that aren't otherwise available?

Not really.. unless you like to precisely adjust how much airflow you want to your feet/body/upwards.. The screen in the 1ers is a bit tacky, but for me its a lot better integrated in my 3er so I suppose its alright. Bottom line is.. don't want nav - save the dosh and buy a procede as many on here will say.

[banglemangle]

I ticked the 4 x HPFP box.

Seems to have been a wise choice thus far.

[sparoz]

Originally Posted by AndrewCowley

I am wanting to do some 'plug & play' optioning of a 135i for a possible purchase down the track. The BMW Australia web site is hopeless! Is there anywhere that lists the price of the options?

Also I have few other questions...

Do you have to order one of the navigation packages to get i-Drive? Navigation isn't useful to me. What would I get out of the i-Drive?

There are two audio options; Harmon/Kardon and Hi-Fi 8. Which is better?

I can't see any interior trim options (e.g. aluminium, woodgrain, CF etc...). Surely there are such options?

I don't like all black interiors. Wondering if the beige seat colour is the same beige that I used to have in my E46 325i. I liked this color a lot.

edit: oh forgot to mention the orange peel, but if you are not getting a vo 1m, you would be fine .

Many thanks!

Just ring up a dealer they are going to go through it with you . Always push for a price list as well.

iDrive would be useful for the internet/bmw apps for better integration with your phone which is starting from March production. Only Business Nav or Prof Nav gets iDrive.

Harmon/Kardon is the higher spec, and it is better - and sort of reasonable for 2k. You pay 1k for the system, and 1k for integration.

Most interior trim is a no cost option - CF is an Performance Accessory which is quite dear. Otherwise, there are a few wood trim options and aluminium options. You can change it in the interior trim section in the configurator.

Not sure about the beige colour if it's the same to the e46. As it is a different series 1 vs 3 as well as a different year, I am pretty sure they would be slightly different, but really you will have to have a look around. The FY11 also have updated colours too which doesn't look like it is updated on the website yet, like oyster or white.

HPFP option is definitely good, but even bangle's rate of failure has slowed down. It has been a while since he had his fourth. Not saying that nothing else will fail - typical failures are: air con transistor, optical sensor in the steering wheel, central brake light cover, leds (although I think they had a fix, but they replaced them again in my last service), squeaky brakes, electric window.

Design flaw - suspension setup.

but hey, I love the car. and I am replacing it with another 1er.

[Superdaws]

I love my I-Drive, one of a few i guess... I didnt buy it for the Nav really either, more for the integration of my music/phone/radio etc features of the i-drive and its functionality. When i originally ordered the car i didnt option I-Drive. Then i went for a drive in a mates E92 M3 and played with his i-drive and loved it, so went back tot he dealer and added it....

The only way to know if YOU want I-drive is to walk into the dealer and say turn it on!
Even in a 3 series its the same same except you lose the TV tuner in a 1'er.

[MrBlonde]

My understanding is there is nothing you can do with iDrive you can't do through the "radio". Apart from Sat Nav of course!

[Superdaws]

Originally Posted by MrBlonde

My understanding is there is nothing you can do with iDrive you can't do through the "radio". Apart from Sat Nav of course!

Your understanding is correct, but i didnt like the idea of sivving through hundreds of music files with a 2 line display, having voice controlled everything and i really like the gizmos and tech.

[Harlequin]

I love my iDrive... Can't imagine buying one without it...

JM2C...

- Harlequin

[Road Train]

Originally Posted by AndrewCowley

I am wanting to do some 'plug & play' optioning of a 135i for a possible purchase down the track. The BMW Australia web site is hopeless! Is there anywhere that lists the price of the options?!

Having just ordered my new 1 today, I have the lastest options price list. What do you need to know? Or as sparoz points out, go to your local dealer. I'm sure they'll give you one. It's in their best interests to do so.

Originally Posted by AndrewCowley

Thanks SBC!

Is there any settings in the i-Drive that aren't otherwise available?

One reason I don't like the Navigation is I reckon it spoils the look of the dash. I think a 'clean' dash without the screen looks better.

So if I went for Navigation & i-Drive there needs to be really good reason!

Agree.

Originally Posted by sparoz

Just ring up a dealer they are going to go through it with you . Always push for a price list as well.

Harmon/Kardon is the higher spec, and it is better - and sort of reasonable for 2k. You pay 1k for the system, and 1k for integration.

Most interior trim is a no cost option - CF is an Performance Accessory which is quite dear. Otherwise, there are a few wood trim options and aluminium options. You can change it in the interior trim section in the configurator.
.

That's interesting re: the CF interior option, as I asked my dealer today if I could get that, and he told me it could only be optioned on M cars. I would love it if he was wrong.
Once I listened to the Harmon Kardon, there was no turning back. Well worth it.

[AndrewCowley]

Congrats Road Train on placing an order. Did you also listen to the Hi-Fi 8 sound system?

Hey another quick question regarding iPod connectivity. Do each of the 3 sound options offer a normal aux-in where you can simply plug your iPod into the car but then still control things with the iPod itself? Call me old fashioned but I don't like it when you plug and iPod into a car and the iPod locks up forcing you to use the car controls. The iPod is perfect.

[Road Train]

Yes I have heard the Hi Fi 8 sound system, and it is good.
I'm bit of a nutter though when it comes to my sounds so I chose the H/K. You coud easily live without it. Depends how much you're into your music. BTW, my dealer actually threw the H/K option in for free when I asked for it, so try your luck.

[AndrewCowley]

Opening up this thread again... Can anyone please post the price of the 2 navigation options? Thanks.

[AussieAlf]

Hmm can't remember exactly but about $2.5k and $3.5k come to mind for last year. But don't get it for the Naff (oops, sorry Nav) function. It's so poor compared to even today's dedicated portable nav systems and you'll still be stuck with it when the next generation (and perhaps the one after) come out. Then every map update is the cost of two real Nav sytems.

I bought the BMW portable Nav System mounting kit (for the BMW branded Garmin) for less than $100 delivered and a 5" Garmin Nuvi for less than $300. Doesn't give you the neat iPhone interface, though, but I keep mine on shuffle anyway and only use it on country drives where no radio is available.



Cheers,
Alf

[AndrewCowley]

I'd be torn between sat nav (don't want) and i-drive (want). Is i-drive really worth it? If nothing else it fills an otherwise large empty space on the centre console.

[sbce90]

Just tick the box for idrive with business nav. Better to have nav and not really use it than to have not optioned idrive/nav and really want it later on.