I like my '08 iDrive a lot, and the knob looks way better than the new one IMO. Fortunately, I don't care for any of the improvements with the '09. The only part that needs practice if finding some features that are not intuitive at all, but that happens even on Hondas (current vehicle location is under the 'icon' menu). The worst thing about BMW is the use of icons for everything without a written definition at the bottom of iDrive; you have to guess, or experiment, and sometimes it throws everything off
. But I like it immensely better than any touchscreen; not only because you don't have to reach at all, but because the screen doesn't look like crap when it's off (smeared fingers all over the place, and you just can't remove them).
Hey, I know where everything is and how to operate everything by now except just couldn't get the damn map to show up without having to program a destination: Is it possible? Got around it by choosing a destination and cancelling the route, but curious about the answer. Thanks.