[Fiery]

Is there a page to list all the capabilities one can get when having a Professional Radio with iDrive, contrary to a simple iDrive-less Professional Radio car setup?

For example: I've watched some E90 video guides that showed the capabilities of the Professional Radio (without iDrive), and I couldn't see any buttons or features to enable traffic announcements (not TMC). However, on an iDrive version I can see a TP button on the radio, which is supposed to do that. That leads me to a conclusion that you need to order iDrive to get traffic announcements. Maybe it's because the radio has 2 tuners only when you order iDrive?

Background: I've ordered a 325i E90 LCI without iDrive (but with Logic7), but the more I'm browsing the net (and also watching videos, reading PDFs), the more features I discover that the iDrive would provide on top of normal features of different car controls. Like parking ventilation, extended climate control settings, Logic7 surround features, etc. But since I'm living in a country that has no navigation disc, I feel the price premium of the Professional Navigation (over US$4100) a bit steep...

Background #2: I mostly listen to two or three FM radio stations, and I intend to switch from audio CDs to USB MP3 solution.

Can anyone convince me to get iDrive?

[JoeyFiasco]

I wanted someone to convince me a while back. It's not worth it, imo. would those trafic announcements work in your country anyways?

[cstavaru]

Indeed, having iDrive means enabling *many* features that weren't available otherwise. I gave up many things including better sound, comfort access, adaptive headlights etc. in order go get the iDrive, after I realized that alot of the car's capabilities are not available without it. That's why it costs so much...

[Fiery]

Originally Posted by JoeyFiasco

I wanted someone to convince me a while back. It's not worth it, imo. would those trafic announcements work in your country anyways?

They work of course. It works quite well in my current car (an ordinary Japanese box).

[Fiery]

Originally Posted by cstavaru

Indeed, having iDrive means enabling *many* features that weren't available otherwise. I gave up many things including better sound, comfort access, adaptive headlights etc. in order go get the iDrive, after I realized that alot of the car's capabilities are not available without it. That's why it costs so much...

Can you list some examples? I wonder if the list would include traffic announcements I know it also offers parked car ventilation, more sophisticated automatic climate control configuration, longer list of components at service period check, visual parking control, Logic7 surround configuration... What else? -- help me out please

[apw2607]

I would be pretty surprised if TP wasn't available on the regular non i-drive radio. Its a standard part of RDS?

In the USA, they don't use TP at all. In the UK I remember it being used alot? Not sure if they still use it. In fact I remember it being almost annoying as the station often forgets to switch the thing off, to return to whatever you were listening to !!

[cstavaru]

Originally Posted by Fiery

Can you list some examples? I wonder if the list would include traffic announcements I know it also offers parked car ventilation, more sophisticated automatic climate control configuration, longer list of components at service period check, visual parking control, Logic7 surround configuration... What else? -- help me out please

Enhanced trip computer, some car alarm settings, speed limit reach warning...and others which I don't know of because I don't have my car yet

[bsd107]

Originally Posted by Fiery

But since I'm living in a country that has no navigation disc, I feel the price premium of the Professional Navigation (over US$4100) a bit steep...

Are you sure that there is no coverage of roads in your country? I thought that the new Professional Navigation had a single database that covers all of Europe.

Also, have you considered the Business Navigation / iDrive option? We don't get that option in the US, so I'm not familiar with it, but it might offer some of that additional access you are looking for...