Would you buy a M3 not equipped with iDrive?

[MJBO]

Originally Posted by Iyzmi

Looks nice. My only gripe is how low it sits in the dash. You really have to take your eyes off the road to see it unlike iDrive which is within glancing distance.

I have a similar Android unit in my daily (2018 Nissan QASHQAI). Replaced the tiny factory colour screen (rear camera, audio and nothing else) and completely integrates with my car. Looks totally factory.

[spazzyfry123]

Originally Posted by Iyzmi

Looks nice. My only gripe is how low it sits in the dash. You really have to take your eyes off the road to see it unlike iDrive which is within glancing distance.

Yes! It is pointless in all honesty. I never use the navigation (use phone if I need it), so it is more of a screen to do other things. I think it looks cleaner than the OEM radio that was in its place and that's really about all it's good for.

Originally Posted by EricSMG

I can't fathom how anyone could base a buying decision on this either way. You drive an M3 for how it drives, not to play with its NAV.

It's such a moot point in a car like this, in my opinion. If I need GPS I'm using my phone, every time, every car. So, I would prefer no NAV simply because it's cleaner looking BUT I would never pass on an otherwise good car because it has NAV. I have NAV and never even think about it. Could care less.

If you wouldn't buy a car without NAV you're a huge diva
If you wouldn't buy a car with NAV you're hung up on shit that doesn't matter

Ehhhh.... I diligently sought out my spec of a car and no NAV was an absolute must. It is not a matter of having the technology, but I much preferred the clean dash. Maybe I AM a diva, but I thought the dash seemed too cluttered and distracting with the additional "hump."

[EricSMG]

Originally Posted by spazzyfry123

Yes! It is pointless in all honesty. I never use the navigation (use phone if I need it), so it is more of a screen to do other things. I think it looks cleaner than the OEM radio that was in its place and that's really about all it's good for.



Ehhhh.... I diligently sought out my spec of a car and no NAV was an absolute must. It is not a matter of having the technology, but I much preferred the clean dash. Maybe I AM a diva, but I thought the dash seemed too cluttered and distracting with the additional "hump."

You don't fall into the diva category. You fall into the "worrying about shit that doesn't matter" category

I'm mostly just giving you a hard time, tongue in cheek. I do agree that the dash is less cluttered without NAV and I would ultimately prefer that, BUT, I can tell you right now that it's simply a non-issue in the real world. I don't even notice the hump.

The hump is splitting hairs, at best.

[Iyzmi]

Originally Posted by EricSMG

You don't fall into the diva category. You fall into the "worrying about shit that doesn't matter" category

I'm mostly just giving you a hard time, tongue in cheek. I do agree that the dash is less cluttered without NAV and I would ultimately prefer that, BUT, I can tell you right now that it's simply a non-issue in the real world. I don't even notice the hump.

The hump is splitting hairs, at best.

Splitting hairs would be refusing to buy an M3 because it doesn't have the rear sunshade option or the heated seat buttons are in a different place than you prefer depending on model year. The iDrive is one of the most prominent design elements of the E9x interior, whether you love it or hate it. It's totally reasonable for that to be a deal breaker if someone feels strongly about the interior design with/without it. Believe it or not, most people take interior and exterior aesthetics and amenities into account when purchasing a sport luxury car.

You don't only drive an M3 because of how it drives. If it looked like a Pontiac Aztec and had the interior of a Mitsubishi Mirage I can assure you most of us wouldn't own one regardless of how well it drives.

[EricSMG]

Originally Posted by Iyzmi

Splitting hairs would be refusing to buy an M3 because it doesn't have the rear sunshade option or the heated seat buttons are in a different place than you prefer depending on model year. The iDrive is one of the most prominent design elements of the E9x interior, whether you love it or hate it. It's totally reasonable for that to be a deal breaker if someone feels strongly about the interior design with/without it. Believe it or not, most people take interior and exterior aesthetics and amenities into account when purchasing a sport luxury car.

You don't only drive an M3 because of how it drives. If it looked like a Pontiac Aztec and had the interior of a Mitsubishi Mirage I can assure you most of us wouldn't own one regardless of how well it drives.

Sorry, but a hump on the dash is splitting hairs. It has a very tiny effect on the overall aesthetics of the interior.

We are agreeing that it affects the looks but we are disagreeing on how much it really matters. And when buying an E9XM today given number of rough/beat/high mileage cars out there, being ultra picky over a little bump on the dash seems a bit shortsighted to me.

I would prefer to not have Nav because A) it looks better and B) I think Nav in a sports car is dumb. But I'm not going to make a big deal out of it and I'm certainly not going to base my buying decision on it - there are FAR more important things to worry about when shopping for a used E90.

But I get that everyone is different, just making conversation

[BayE30]

Originally Posted by MJBO

I'm assuming they're referring to one of these units (pictured is a Dynavin)





Agreed, I think the system in my 2011 E90 is fantastic considering it is practically 10 years old (first CICs being 2008). Especially impressed with the bluetooth audio streaming, crystal clear and connects fast every time.

this seems like a cool option, but for me it looks like a Nissan unit, so the aesthetics ruin it for me.

[spazzyfry123]

Originally Posted by EricSMG

Sorry, but a hump on the dash is splitting hairs. It has a very tiny effect on the overall aesthetics of the interior.

We are agreeing that it affects the looks but we are disagreeing on how much it really matters. And when buying an E9XM today given number of rough/beat/high mileage cars out there, being ultra picky over a little bump on the dash seems a bit shortsighted to me.

I would prefer to not have Nav because A) it looks better and B) I think Nav in a car is dumb. But I'm not going to make a big deal out of it.

Agree to disagree! I like a simple interior and I felt cramped with the extra hump

BUT, I would like to pick up an E92 to turn into a fun HPDE car as a compliment to my E90. For this I would want the extra hump, but to use the space for gauges.

Counter-intuitive?

[wyatth]

I wanted nav in my E46 because the screen made the center stack more appealing, even though it was useless. By the time I bought the car, phone navigation was better, and with my supercharger, the OBC was also useless. But I liked the look of the screen (off) and it made the audio interface a little nicer.

With the E9x, I think the double hump looks much nicer. Some hate it, but I think a single hump makes the interior look bland as hell. The navigation system isn't that bad, but it's so much more than that. Would I consider a car without it? Sure, but I'd discount it right now. Maybe if I knew I was keeping the car for a really long time or building a track car, then I'd be okay without it.

[EricSMG]

Originally Posted by spazzyfry123

Agree to disagree! I like a simple interior and I felt cramped with the extra hump

BUT, I would like to pick up an E92 to turn into a fun HPDE car as a compliment to my E90. For this I would want the extra hump, but to use the space for gauges.

Counter-intuitive?

Oh yeah, gauges would be a super cool use of that dumb hump!

[2pntrsrv]

I have the I - drive in my E93 and to tell you the truth, I could live without it. The interface is pretty dated and I think the dash looks much cleaner without it, not too mention it makes it damn near impossible to place a good cellphone window mount for navigation along with a radar detector without looking cluttered.

The only cool thing IMO are the sub menus for the ///M drive and the ability to check your fluid/service levels and intervals. I'm considering picking up an E90 as a daily and parking the vert for weekend use only and I would be looking for a non I drive car.
Technology is just moving too fast for manufacturers to keep up and it really dates the car.

I am also someone who could care less about the gadgets in a car.
I prefer to listen to the exhaust with the top down over talking on the phone while in the car and enjoy the visceral experience of the drive. I also learned how to drive in a time without blind spot monitors, back up cameras, and Bluetooth phones so maybe I'm just showing my age a bit...

just my .02