iDrive and Voice Recognition SUCKS ASS!!!!

dubiousONE · 08-10-2009, 10:59 PM

How many of you feel that the voice recognition sucks in our E9X? My friends Acura can actually increase/ decrease fan speeds, volume, you can ask it to find the nearest ATM, you can change XM channels. Our's are very limited to what you can ask it to do. Horrible!!

With the amount of money we've spent on our cars, the electronics and/ or software just SUCKS!! Even the iDrive sucks.. it has gotten me LOST almost every time I use it. Horrible!!

Other than that, I love my car, I wouldnt change anything else about it. -=)

I think, BMW needs to work with the Japanese when it comes to electronics and internal instrumentation. The looks are good, but maybe they can work with the Italians on that one.

Imagine that:

Italian Design
BMW Engineering
Japanese Electronics and Instrumentation

Complete package, Maybe?

VTECaddict · 08-10-2009, 11:10 PM

I agree the voice activation is pretty limited (though I have pre-09 iDrive, so its probably even worse?), but some functions are just faster to do manually.

Things like volume change, fan speed change can be done in the fraction of the time by the physical controls versus pressing voice, waiting for the beep, saying the command, waiting for it to recognize the command, it repeating the command, and it performing the command.

Voice control is really only useful for tedious commands like entering an address or if you want to jump to a different menu quickly without having to navigate with the knob.

jopa489 · 08-10-2009, 11:11 PM

Nobody said ergonomics was BMW's forte.

The iDrive works fine for me, don't really have any major complaints. I find all that voice recognition stuff just a novelty anyway. I don't need to tell it to decrease the temperature when there's a knob 2" from my hand.

Admittedly, the navigation system in our F350 is pretty slick. Ford has finally done something right with that setup. The system in my 2006 IS350 was okay too, but prevented you from doing anything unless the car was stopped, which was obnoxious.

roozie2001 · 08-10-2009, 11:35 PM

yah and maybe they can all make a supercar with 400hp for under $50k??!!?

persian54 · 08-10-2009, 11:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roozie2001

yah and maybe they can all make a supercar with 400hp for under $50k??!!?

Vette

or a Pontiac GTO

(though not a 'super car')

335i with fmic jb3 (or procede) exhaust DPs intake etc etc

New Camero is up there

and HP isn't everything.
Lotus will kill our Cars and those listed above and it's under 50k

But yeah the nav is annoying. I like my iPhone better lol TBI.

Voice cmd really sucks

NiVeDh · 08-10-2009, 11:59 PM

Yeah it sucks. Trade your car in for an Acura. Bye.

MrClean · 08-11-2009, 12:16 AM

Open the pod bay doors, Hal.

Rando · 08-11-2009, 12:40 AM

I'm pretty sure one of the recent nav updates screwed up the voice recognition... it used to be almost 100% for me for things like "map", "call <name>", etc... And now it really struggles, even for "map" 50% of the time. It's really random, and very lame.

Has anyone else noticed this?

Thanks!

darkphantom · 08-11-2009, 12:56 AM

meh, the navi on the pre-09 i-drives are pretty useless, so if you have an 09, consider yourself lucky! Don't complain until you've tried the older system. THAT is a pain in the ass.

daniel3ooo · 08-11-2009, 01:03 AM

im not super techy but I really like the iDrive

I wanted it for looks since I think the non-idrive dash just looks really plain and makes the interior look somewhat cheap

I rarely use the voice recognition but the navigation is definitely acceptable....the acura nav in our cars would be pretty sweet

Rando · 08-11-2009, 01:15 AM

The 2007 nav (before the latest SW) was doing recognition of phone book entries far better than even the new 2009 nav... but now, after the SW update, it's the same as the 2009, which is not great at that (i.e., "call <name>")

am_ver · 08-11-2009, 02:09 AM

It is actually quite good compared to the trash I have in the Audi. you can control a lot of things with voice - plus you buy a bimmer for the handling, not for the latest in electronics.

pruettfan · 08-11-2009, 02:36 AM

I agree. I have used the systems in Acura TL's and Infiniti G37's and they are far superior. Of course that is the only feature on those cars that is better than my BMW. Acura's is very impressive and effective.

rc'Z · 08-11-2009, 05:16 AM

Yea, there are about 75 voice commands that it recognizes, that is pretty lame and limited.

Joeb427 · 08-11-2009, 06:23 AM

When I bought the car,my sales was going through the operation of the idrive and said,forget about the voice recognition,don't bother,it doesn't work very well..

SpmnE9zero · 08-11-2009, 06:52 AM

Not a fan of it either

fl_cyclist · 08-11-2009, 06:54 AM

I don't have any problems but the nav could be better. I think I prefer to have a weaker nav package than trade for the crappy handling and styling of the TL though.

Technic · 08-11-2009, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dubiousONE

How many of you feel that the voice recognition sucks in our E9X? My friends Acura can actually increase/ decrease fan speeds, volume, you can ask it to find the nearest ATM, you can change XM channels. Our's are very limited to what you can ask it to do. Horrible!!

With the amount of money we've spent on our cars, the electronics and/ or software just SUCKS!! Even the iDrive sucks.. it has gotten me LOST almost every time I use it. Horrible!!

Other than that, I love my car, I wouldnt change anything else about it. -=)

I think, BMW needs to work with the Japanese when it comes to electronics and internal instrumentation. The looks are good, but maybe they can work with the Italians on that one.

Imagine that:

Italian Design
BMW Engineering
Japanese Electronics and Instrumentation

Complete package, Maybe?

http://www.bmwblog.com/2009/06/08/bm...vation-system/

roadkillrob · 08-11-2009, 07:23 AM

It may not be the best but blows the doors off my Lexus and Toyota Nav's. At least BMW let's you put in the Nav info while moving, Toyota locks it out so you have ot use the voice recognition, but it never recognizes anything at all. To make it even worse, I live in Boston (thankfully without the accent as I am a transplant!) and they way they pronounce town names throws the Nav in circles, so you have to say everything like the computer would read it to get it and half the time that won't work either.

I once spent a trip just seeing how long it would take me to get the info in the Nav as I knew how to get 99% of the way there - about a 15 minute drive. I spent the entire drive trying to voice command in the info and got so close to the destination that I had to pull over and type it! BMW at least did a better job than the Toyota who should really have the leg up on it.

Acura - definitely has one of the better systems for sure!

Joeb427 · 08-11-2009, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadkillrob

It may not be the best but blows the doors off my Lexus and Toyota Nav's. At least BMW let's you put in the Nav info while moving, Toyota locks it out so you have ot use the voice recognition, but it never recognizes anything at all. To make it even worse, I live in Boston (thankfully without the accent as I am a transplant!) and they way they pronounce town names throws the Nav in circles, so you have to say everything like the computer would read it to get it and half the time that won't work either.

I once spent a trip just seeing how long it would take me to get the info in the Nav as I knew how to get 99% of the way there - about a 15 minute drive. I spent the entire drive trying to voice command in the info and got so close to the destination that I had to pull over and type it! BMW at least did a better job than the Toyota who should really have the leg up on it.

Acura - definitely has one of the better systems for sure!

+1!
You can buy a $300 bypass kit(and void warranty) but hated that safety BS with my Lexus purchases.
Ridiculous having to stop to put in imputs.
Toyota's voice recognition did improve for '09.

stubenhocker · 08-11-2009, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NiVeDh

Yeah it sucks. Trade your car in for an Acura. Bye.

+1

PCR · 08-11-2009, 09:00 AM

The thing that bugs me is that the Voice Recognition system for the bluetooth phone was 1000% better in my E39 (and that one ONLY cost me $700). In the old system I can program a name in it (i.e. 'Home') then call it by saying "Name....Home" and it dials 100% of the time.

In this new and 'improved' system, I've sat in my driveway for half an hour trying to get it call the right contact just once. (I even tried w/ a german accent)

The crappy voice recognition system in my cell phone works better.

Talk about a huge step backwards!

Glad to see that I'm not the only one who thinks their VR is a POS.

08-10-2009, 10:59 PM	#1
dubiousONE Second Lieutenant 43 Rep 247 Posts Drives: 2009 E92 335 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: California iTrader: (1)	iDrive and Voice Recognition SUCKS ASS!!!! How many of you feel that the voice recognition sucks in our E9X? My friends Acura can actually increase/ decrease fan speeds, volume, you can ask it to find the nearest ATM, you can change XM channels. Our's are very limited to what you can ask it to do. Horrible!! With the amount of money we've spent on our cars, the electronics and/ or software just SUCKS!! Even the iDrive sucks.. it has gotten me LOST almost every time I use it. Horrible!! Other than that, I love my car, I wouldnt change anything else about it. -=) I think, BMW needs to work with the Japanese when it comes to electronics and internal instrumentation. The looks are good, but maybe they can work with the Italians on that one. Imagine that: Italian Design BMW Engineering Japanese Electronics and Instrumentation Complete package, Maybe?
	Appreciate 0 Tweet Quote

08-10-2009, 11:10 PM	#2
VTECaddict Where'd my VTEC go? 479 Rep 6,067 Posts Drives: 06 330i 6MT Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Seattle, WA iTrader: (4)	I agree the voice activation is pretty limited (though I have pre-09 iDrive, so its probably even worse?), but some functions are just faster to do manually. Things like volume change, fan speed change can be done in the fraction of the time by the physical controls versus pressing voice, waiting for the beep, saying the command, waiting for it to recognize the command, it repeating the command, and it performing the command. Voice control is really only useful for tedious commands like entering an address or if you want to jump to a different menu quickly without having to navigate with the knob. __________________ AW/Terra \| ZSP \| ZPP \| ZCW \| iDrive \| CA Mods: BC BR coilovers \| Blacklines \| M-tech rear \| dual exhaust \| M3 steering wheel \| BMW SSK \| ZHP shift knob \| High-kick CF spoiler \| NBT Retrofit M3 front control arms \| M3 rear guide rods \| Manzo rear toe and camber links \| Monroe rear shock mounts \| Varrstoen ES1 19x9.5+20 Front, 19x11+25 rear
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-10-2009, 11:11 PM	#3
jopa489 Major General 122 Rep 6,594 Posts Drives: Anything with Wheels Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: USA iTrader: (9)	Nobody said ergonomics was BMW's forte. The iDrive works fine for me, don't really have any major complaints. I find all that voice recognition stuff just a novelty anyway. I don't need to tell it to decrease the temperature when there's a knob 2" from my hand. Admittedly, the navigation system in our F350 is pretty slick. Ford has finally done something right with that setup. The system in my 2006 IS350 was okay too, but prevented you from doing anything unless the car was stopped, which was obnoxious. __________________ X7 LCI // Incoming C7 ZR1 ZTK // Sebring + TRX // Hydro + Raptor Gen1 Roush // Tuxedo
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-10-2009, 11:35 PM	#4
roozie2001 Just some guy 49 Rep 1,531 Posts Drives: 2008 White 335i sedan Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Houston, TX iTrader: (4)	yah and maybe they can all make a supercar with 400hp for under $50k??!!? __________________ 2008 BMW 335i/Sedan/Alpine White/Terra/Steptronic/Premium Package/Sports package/Comfort Access/USB/Sirius
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-10-2009, 11:59 PM	#6
NiVeDh Major General 422 Rep 8,004 Posts Drives: '08 E90 335i, '99 E36 M3 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Houston, TX & Atlanta, GA iTrader: (132) Garage List 2008 BMW 335i Sedan [8.66]	Yeah it sucks. Trade your car in for an Acura. Bye.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-11-2009, 12:16 AM	#7
MrClean Lieutenant 21 Rep 437 Posts Drives: 2014 EBII 428i Join Date: May 2008 Location: Shangri LA iTrader: (1)	Open the pod bay doors, Hal.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-11-2009, 12:40 AM	#8
Rando Lieutenant 52 Rep 487 Posts Drives: BMW Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: CA iTrader: (0)	I'm pretty sure one of the recent nav updates screwed up the voice recognition... it used to be almost 100% for me for things like "map", "call <name>", etc... And now it really struggles, even for "map" 50% of the time. It's really random, and very lame. Has anyone else noticed this? Thanks!
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-11-2009, 12:56 AM	#9
darkphantom Banned 595 Rep 5,946 Posts Drives: E93 335i Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: The place for Bimmers iTrader: (4)	meh, the navi on the pre-09 i-drives are pretty useless, so if you have an 09, consider yourself lucky! Don't complain until you've tried the older system. THAT is a pain in the ass.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-11-2009, 01:03 AM	#10
daniel3ooo Private First Class 11 Rep 168 Posts Drives: 07 E92 335i BSM Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	im not super techy but I really like the iDrive I wanted it for looks since I think the non-idrive dash just looks really plain and makes the interior look somewhat cheap I rarely use the voice recognition but the navigation is definitely acceptable....the acura nav in our cars would be pretty sweet __________________
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-11-2009, 01:15 AM	#11
Rando Lieutenant 52 Rep 487 Posts Drives: BMW Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: CA iTrader: (0)	The 2007 nav (before the latest SW) was doing recognition of phone book entries far better than even the new 2009 nav... but now, after the SW update, it's the same as the 2009, which is not great at that (i.e., "call <name>")
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-11-2009, 02:09 AM	#12
am_ver Lieutenant 37 Rep 587 Posts Drives: Audi A6 Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: SF Bay Area (Woodside) iTrader: (2)	It is actually quite good compared to the trash I have in the Audi. you can control a lot of things with voice - plus you buy a bimmer for the handling, not for the latest in electronics. __________________ 2006 A6 3.2 Quattro 2008 e93 335i, 6sp MT, Montego Blue, Saddle, Burl, ZSP, Bluetooth, iDrive, PDC, V1+CD 2007 e92 335i coupe, 6sp MT, Montego, Beige, ZPP, iDrive, PDC 2006 e90 325i, ZPP, iDrive, Arctic, Xenon
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-11-2009, 02:36 AM	#13
pruettfan Brigadier General 1622 Rep 3,402 Posts Drives: 2017 M2, LBB, DCT, Exec Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Chandler, AZ iTrader: (0)	I agree. I have used the systems in Acura TL's and Infiniti G37's and they are far superior. Of course that is the only feature on those cars that is better than my BMW. Acura's is very impressive and effective.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-11-2009, 05:16 AM	#14
rc'Z Captain 13 Rep 821 Posts Drives: 2009 335i Convertible Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Virginia iTrader: (0)	Yea, there are about 75 voice commands that it recognizes, that is pretty lame and limited.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-11-2009, 06:23 AM	#15
Joeb427 BMW CCA Member #420698 17 Rep 720 Posts Drives: '09 335i Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: NJ iTrader: (1)	When I bought the car,my sales was going through the operation of the idrive and said,forget about the voice recognition,don't bother,it doesn't work very well..
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-11-2009, 06:52 AM	#16
SpmnE9zero DENY THE WORLD THAT SURROUNDS YOU 505 Rep 35,580 Posts Drives: JB 33ZERO Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: City of Champions iTrader: (14) Garage List 2006 330xi [0.00]	Not a fan of it either __________________ Eurocharged V5 \| ROW's / CC Delete \| K&N's \| H&R Springs \| Single Fin G.B. Grill \| Mode Carbon Diffuser \| JBSpeed CF Spoiler \| Arkym Style CF Splitter \| CF Mirror Caps \| 5% Tints \| 12mm Spacers \|
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-11-2009, 06:54 AM	#17
fl_cyclist At the Beach or On the Road 0 Rep 99 Posts Drives: Z4 35is Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: S. Fl iTrader: (0) Garage List 2012 z4 35is [0.00]	I don't have any problems but the nav could be better. I think I prefer to have a weaker nav package than trade for the crappy handling and styling of the TL though.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-11-2009, 07:23 AM	#19
roadkillrob Major General 857 Rep 5,446 Posts Drives: 08 335i,22 X3M, 2012 C63 Black Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Boston iTrader: (15)	It may not be the best but blows the doors off my Lexus and Toyota Nav's. At least BMW let's you put in the Nav info while moving, Toyota locks it out so you have ot use the voice recognition, but it never recognizes anything at all. To make it even worse, I live in Boston (thankfully without the accent as I am a transplant!) and they way they pronounce town names throws the Nav in circles, so you have to say everything like the computer would read it to get it and half the time that won't work either. I once spent a trip just seeing how long it would take me to get the info in the Nav as I knew how to get 99% of the way there - about a 15 minute drive. I spent the entire drive trying to voice command in the info and got so close to the destination that I had to pull over and type it! BMW at least did a better job than the Toyota who should really have the leg up on it. Acura - definitely has one of the better systems for sure! __________________ 2022 X3M Brooklyn Grey 2008 E93 335i FBO 2012 Mercedes C63 Black Series Alanite Grey
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-11-2009, 09:00 AM	#22
PCR Private First Class 6 Rep 121 Posts Drives: '09 E90 335i Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: PA iTrader: (0)	The thing that bugs me is that the Voice Recognition system for the bluetooth phone was 1000% better in my E39 (and that one ONLY cost me $700). In the old system I can program a name in it (i.e. 'Home') then call it by saying "Name....Home" and it dials 100% of the time. In this new and 'improved' system, I've sat in my driveway for half an hour trying to get it call the right contact just once. (I even tried w/ a german accent) The crappy voice recognition system in my cell phone works better. Talk about a huge step backwards! Glad to see that I'm not the only one who thinks their VR is a POS.
	Appreciate 0 Quote