[turboblue]

Hi there

Seems I have recently joined the ranks of 3-series drivers - having just acquired a six-month old Le Mans Blue 320d M Sport.

Initial impressions are pretty good - quiet, refined and as rapid as you ever really need on real roads while returning about 45MPG. All in all, not bad...

So, the next job is to sort some pics out. Will get around to that in the next few days, but to be honest it is all pretty standard so far, and I guess you all know what a blue 3-series looks like...

Have seen a few ideas about some mods I might make to the car. Nothing too dramatic, since I quite like it the way it is.

Initial thoughts are to sorting out some sort of sat-nav set up. I didn't opt for the i-drive, having concluded that the factory system wasn't up to much (especially considering the cost).

Have a very elderly Tom-Tom which needs updating, so was wondering, has anyone had any experience of BMW's own built-in Garmin set up?

http://www.bmw.co.uk/bmwuk/accessori...156___,00.html

[hmi1750]

looks very interesting and the perfect mounting location too.. I keep wanting to place the numerous devices, I have borrowed, in the same location.

[BanziBarn]

Glad you like the new car!

That satnav seems like a really good idea. I know you get more than just satnav when you opt for it (Idrive etc), but the prices of built-in systems (from all manufacturers) are really high considering how good a £100 TomTom is!

If I didn't have built-in nav I'd defo go for that BMW unit for the neatness/integration factor.

[AlanQS]

Has anyone gor any photos of how it looks in a 3'er?

[Swiller]

How much is it? I would be inclined to go with phone based sat navs these days. Co pilot etc.

[turboblue]

Yes, the neatness is very appealing. Quite keen not to have a conspicuous mounting left in the car to advertise the presence of a sat nav unit to all the local hoons...

I have found a post from a guy in the states who has fitted a kit to an E90 - and it does look very neat...

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=277785

Price might be the final rub though. I have seen a dealer advertise this (as a special offer!) for £799 fully fitted, which to my mind falls the wrong side of taking the mick...

Spoke to a guy in the parts dept when I picked the car up, and he couldn't find all of the bits of the kit on his computer (meanwhile a long queue of people was building up behind me until I eventually snapped and said "don't worry about it, I'll come back another day").

Suffice to say that while lacking a couple of small clips, the price had passed £450, and BMW quote an hour's labour to fit it. Mind you, the fitting procedure looks pretty straightforward, so if you were feeling industrious, I think you could probably do it yourself.

It's still a lot of money though, so I would be expecting the mother of all navigation units for that...

Hmm, time to prevaricate methinks...

[xenon]

I fitted a Becker unit (about £120) into my e92 and I think it looks as neat as the over-priced BMW solution.

[225_AB]

The I drive is so much more than just sat nav. If I didn't have it I wouldn't pay BMW prices for their gamin but get my own with bluetooth and TMC. Plenty of mounting options.

[creepy coupe]

Originally Posted by xenon

I fitted a Becker unit (about £120) into my e92 and I think it looks as neat as the over-priced BMW solution.

Very tidy Ian

[turboblue]

Yes - that is a very neat job, and at £120 looks much more sensible.

At risk of being cheeky - how conspicuous is the mount when the sat nav is removed...?

You see what I am anxiously trying to avoid is something like this:



Okay this is on a 1-series, but around here that just seems to be asking for someone to stove your window in and go rooting around for the sat-nav...

[xenon]

I'll take a picture when it gets a bit lighter. It's there, obviously, but not as intrusive as the picture you have posted.

[E92BSM10]

they both looks very tidy