[DnA Diesel]

For those of you without the idrive/navi screen in your interior, how do you feel about it? Do you think it makes your interior look less modern or too plain? I know some have said with idrive your car becomes out of date as technology progresses. Others have said idrive makes the car look more rich inside. Thoughts?

Gotta love it when people feel compelled to comment (using their first amendment rights, I suppose) when they weren't asked for their comment, i.e. all the guys with navi who felt compelled to justify why they got it, what navi does, etc...

To answer the OP's questions:

1) I like the car the way it is, clean and functional - especially important since you should be looking at where your going, not somewhere 30º off-axis from where you're going. All the primary instrumentation and controls are ergonomically right where they should be - thanks München.

2) No, I don't think it makes the car look less modern, nor too plain.

I like the interior design elements as they are, without the second hump, which I feel puts to much visual emphasis on a secondary instrumentation/control system.

I now return you back to all the iDrive/navi-equipped guys saying how easy it is to crack the system and update it when the OS or supporting material gets old, etc...

Cheers
D.

[sammk]

If it's about looks and just looks, I feel that iDrive lends some sophistication to the interior, and therefore looks better. I don't have iDrive (wasn't on my shopping list). I wouldn't mind having the functionality but I don't agree with the $$$ premium. When I had the E46, I did a full OE Navigation retrofit. With the E92, I'm not inclined to shell out a couple grand for iDrive.

That said, I've been looking at aftermarket Nav radio options, but I'm yet to see a clean integration with the screen located above the HVAC controls. If I do find one where the HVAC panel does not stick out around the edges I'll pull the trigger...

[KidSupreme]

yes! way to plain with out idrive. I honestly only got the idrive because the interior look a lot better with it!

[Game]

Originally Posted by Frenk

with USB integration you can do it too ... control volume and change track on iDrive

Yeah but I believe thats a $300 mod.

[mxa121]

I was always anti nav then test drove one with nav and loved the way it looked. Now when im searching for cars, the no nav cars look less interesting inside...

[thecadman99]

Every car from Hyundai to Mercedes has a big old nav screen nowadays. It's nothing special. Your car with nav screen is no more impressive than the next guys. I'd much rather use my phone for nav.

[brocklanders]

no i dont miss i drive, nor do i care what my interior looks like, im too busy enjoying the road. my 2013 x5 has i drive without nav, it is nothing special. either i didnt spend enough time with it or it doesnt do anything for me, but i dont care to spend anymore time with it because i would rather dive my manual 2011 335i then play with a monitor.

[rorkor]

Originally Posted by DnA Diesel

Gotta love it when people feel compelled to comment (using their first amendment rights, I suppose) when they weren't asked for their comment, i.e. all the guys with navi who felt compelled to justify why they got it, what navi does, etc...

the interior design elements as they are, without the second hump, which I feel puts to much visual emphasis on a secondary instrumentation/control system.

lol, like how the 335 guys and gals like to post over in the NA threads about how much better they are.

Compelled is the right term though, when we see it referred to as just navi or that it somehow impedes the performance or safety of the car. Lord knows it is better than someone fumbling with their iPhone for tomtom directions while blasting down the highways (I understand a very small faction actually have the proper phone mount and tomtom GPS unit, I will offend you some other way.). All modern BMW's are rolling computers, wether you have a screen or not.

As you guessed, yes I have iDrive and it is great. My 2011 has the best the e9X had to offer, my mother-in-law has a 2007 335i with iDrive and it is horrible because it was a dumbed down version o the 5 & 7 Series system that really was hard to navigate. If I had a choice on a pre LCI car it would be without it. But this thread is preying on the folks that got base model cars or bought used cars that don't know any better.

R.

[aph335i]

Personally I've heard of a lot of issues with the technology package and people always getting them serviced. After warranty that is costly. If you don't need navigation (as I don't) then there's no point in having it.

[wrickem]

If you have idrive, yes, the car looks plain without it.

If you do not have idrive, then no the car does not look plain without it.

[RoundelM3]

No, I think my interior looks great without iDrive and Navi. I use a Garmin 2955 mounted to the left of the instrument hood, near the "A" pillar - far less expensive, easily removed, and is updated via USB cable.

That said, my on-order F30 335i won't have Navi, but they all now have iDrive, and the screen looks a little awkward. I thought at first it was retractable or something, but it's not. I prefer functionality to whizbang gizmos with touch screens (those are better for starship command decks).

[Wrngway]

When I was shopping for my car, finding fold-down rear seats was more important than iDrive and there were far fewer cars with fold down seats.

While I woudn't turn it down, I think the screen integration looks a little odd.

[brocklanders]

someone explain to me what I drive does that non I drive doesn't. as ive mentioned, we have cars with it and without it. I didnt find anything on I drive thats not in the dash computer.

[geko29]

Purposely bought my car without it, installed an iPad mini. Having Pandora, Downcast, and all my music at the ready, plus Waze for navigation and things like Yelp and OpenTable for finding food and other points of interest is awesome. Blows away any factory system IMO.

[bimmer_335]

I think it adds a lot to the interior.... i'd not get it without iDrive.

[roundle]

I don't believe in built-in Nav for a couple of reasons:

*I keep my cars for a while
*The technology is changing/improving too quickly
*A $200 Garmin or TOMTOM offers better NAV features and is easier to update
*Nothing more lame than a perfectly good car with useless technology (e.g. my perfect 1998 328i w/ factory "car phone" or a 2001 740iL with totally-useless Nav).

Just my grumpy old-man opinion...

[nenadbogar]

like it or not each bmw will have it

[spiike32]

Originally Posted by geko29

Purposely bought my car without it, installed an iPad mini. Having Pandora, Downcast, and all my music at the ready, plus Waze for navigation and things like Yelp and OpenTable for finding food and other points of interest is awesome. Blows away any factory system IMO.

edit this "post"

[z4ps]

I Drive is more than just a nav screen.

[kfriceman]

I have no preference, I would have bought my 355i with or without; my came without.

Only regret is 2009 335's no longer came standard with the Logic 7 sound system and only availalbe as packaged with iDrive/Navi option.

-Kevin

[MalibuZ4]

The dashboard without idrive looks really plain. Here in Germany some E90 have just a dashboard without idrive and manual A/C heating controller. This looks for me like the dashboard from a Daewoo Nexia or known in NA as a 1980's Pontiac's Compact car. I rather like the dashboard from the E30 and E46.

[MalibuZ4]

Pontiac Le Mans