I hate i-Drive for two reasons.
1. Put simply, it is terrible. I have driven the 7 before, and I had great difficulty understanding/navigating the menus. (For the record: I am under 30, I do computer programming, and not techophobic.) Perhaps if I drive a 7 myself and drive it everyday, I will eventually memorize where to find everything.
2. The screen needs to sit under some form of a roof, which on the 5, 6, and 7 is another arch. I just hate the idea of having 2 arches on the dash because it looks really dumb.
The 1-series seems to be an improvement in that regard.
I'm sure the new 3-/4- will not be exempt from i-Drive. For this reason I decided to buy the E46 instead.
1. Put simply, it is terrible. I have driven the 7 before, and I had great difficulty understanding/navigating the menus. (For the record: I am under 30, I do computer programming, and not techophobic.) Perhaps if I drive a 7 myself and drive it everyday, I will eventually memorize where to find everything.
2. The screen needs to sit under some form of a roof, which on the 5, 6, and 7 is another arch. I just hate the idea of having 2 arches on the dash because it looks really dumb.
The 1-series seems to be an improvement in that regard.
I'm sure the new 3-/4- will not be exempt from i-Drive. For this reason I decided to buy the E46 instead.
B
Interesting point about buying an E46 to avoid the i-Drive.
The only problem is balancing that argument against a potential drop in residual values when the new Series 3/4 appears.
It's a dilemma likely to face anyone looking to buy a new Coupe in early to mid-2006, always assuming that is the U.K. release date.
The only problem is balancing that argument against a potential drop in residual values when the new Series 3/4 appears.
It's a dilemma likely to face anyone looking to buy a new Coupe in early to mid-2006, always assuming that is the U.K. release date.
Well, after seeing comptuer-rendered and supposedly spy shots of the new 3-/4-series, it only reaffirmed my decision to get a E46. (I know it's all speculation about what the new 4-series will really look like.) And in my case I intend to keep the E46 for many years, so I couldn't care less about residual. Personally I find the E46 the best looking 3-series ever, and I'm one of the minority who prefer the facelifted ('04) model. ![[:)]](/images/smilies/smile.png "Smile [:)]")
Personally, I like the idea of being able to access a bunch of features on the car's computers. If BMW wants the reputation of being a real leader, they would load that shizzy up with all sorts of features...like being able to reset your own oil change through that blasted knob.
They should give you the ability to read those fault codes too. Heck...would it kill them to throw a detailed owner's manual in the computer screen and let you see all the service that's been done (either by you putting in notes...or an authorized dealer's receipts).
My only gripe is that all that level of technicality shouldn't supplant common buttons that make our current 3 series so ergonically friendly. Who wants to twist and push a knob around multiple times to change the radio station?
They should give you the ability to read those fault codes too. Heck...would it kill them to throw a detailed owner's manual in the computer screen and let you see all the service that's been done (either by you putting in notes...or an authorized dealer's receipts).
My only gripe is that all that level of technicality shouldn't supplant common buttons that make our current 3 series so ergonically friendly. Who wants to twist and push a knob around multiple times to change the radio station?
true on some of hte simpler feature, but what I find it interesting is on our other family's 7 series, the 740iL, there are so many buttons and when sitting in the backseat it looks so cluttered to me, then when driving in the 760Li the iDrive system makes sense to me, that instead of having millions of buttons like Jaguars and having the whole thing look cluttered they got it in this small area, true there is a knob but that will be fully refined in the next year or two with better speed and most likely more features
