Has anyone ordered car without iDrive? Any regrets?

[i001947]

Originally Posted by CrazyIvan

No regrets. Dont have it and dont want it. I prefer not to have a second hump on the dash. Garmin nav works just fine when needed, is more responsive and cheaper to update. As some have already mentioned, I prefer to drive the car, not push the buttons inside.

Yeah, that second bump thing piss me off too.

[aus]

My first one didn't have it and the new one does. I do like having the screen higher up not allows you to keep your eyes on the road better.
If you can't stream music without it, then I'd get it. It's totally cool to be able to stream music coax music on your phone, Pandora or Spotify. And if it was on when you turned off the car, it automatically restarts the next time you get in. If you plug in and use an approved app, you get album art too.

And if you have an iPhone, the car nav will actually get you where you need to go. Even if you use Google maps on a phone, the instructions are spoken over the speakers while the music is dimmed.

.

[TVMA Doc]

Without iDrive don't you lose MDM? It is also much more difficult to change settings via the radio button-at least from my test drives of an M3 without the iDrive compared to my current model.

[TVMA Doc]

Originally Posted by aus

My first one didn't have it and the new one does. I do like having the screen higher up not allows you to keep your eyes on the road better.
If you can't stream music without it, then I'd get it. It's totally cool to be able to stream music coax music on your phone, Pandora or Spotify. And if it was on when you turned off the car, it automatically restarts the next time you get in. If you plug in and use an approved app, you get album art too.

And if you have an iPhone, the car nav will actually get you where you need to go. Even if you use Google maps on a phone, the instructions are spoken over the speakers while the music is dimmed.

.

I'd disagree with the iPhone part. While Apple maps isn't as horrific as it once was, it is still fairly unusable and will most likely get you lost. You'd need to use Google Maps to get anywhere on any sort of consistent basis.

[tom @ eas]

No regrets at all, plan on omitting iDrive from the next build.

[fuddman]

I bought an '11, 6 spd, no i-drive e92 because I wanted as few decision making computers between me and the car as possible. My intention was to keep the car for a long time and that simplicity would, over the long term, yield fewer problems. It's a little early to tell, but, so far, anyway, the car has performed without a problem. Knock on wood!!
I wish I could say the same thing about my DCT, i-drive e93. But, despite exasperating electrical and computer problems, the nav is fun to play with on long drives and the DCT gets noticeably better gas mileage than the 6spd. The car, it seems to me , is unnecessarily, complicated. So much so, that I've given up trying to understand (much less implement) the array of options offered by the transmission and the assortment buttons related thereto.

[aus]

Originally Posted by TVMA Doc

I'd disagree with the iPhone part. While Apple maps isn't as horrific as it once was, it is still fairly unusable and will most likely get you lost. You'd need to use Google Maps to get anywhere on any sort of consistent basis.

We're saying the same thing. I meant the car nav works, while an iPhone will get you lost, or send you in some big figure 8 loop instead of a simple left turn like it do to me 2 weeks ago.

.

[dreamspeed]

I can't imagine buying a M3 without iDrive. In fact after using the iDrive i can't imagine buying ANY car from now on without some sort of good infotainment system.

The navigation is nice to have although not necessary, the indispensable feature is being able to control the music through the navi screen and idrive dial

[Lorde]

Originally Posted by tom @ eas

No regrets at all, plan on omitting iDrive from the next build.

Yeah, but you'll still end up with a screen on the dash if it's an F80/82 M3/4

[Prince_of_Persia]

Definitely get iDrive, you will regret not having it. iDrive is like the monitor of your computer. Just imagine using your computer without a monitor.

[Goat Rodeo]

Originally Posted by Prince_of_Persia

Definitely get iDrive, you will regret not having it. iDrive is like the monitor of your computer. Just imagine using your computer without a monitor.

That's a bad analogy. A monitor is necessary to use a computer. iDrive is not necessary in any way to use a M3. I consider it a distraction.

A M3 does not need navigation nor iDrive. This is supposed to be a driver's car. Option up your wife's 5-series with iDrive and ventilated seats.

I ordered both 2011 and 2013 without iDrive and no regrets. The only thing I don't get is "Sport Plus" throttle which is a negligible benefit.

In terms of navigation, I want a list of directions, at least five in advance, so I can choose the proper route and be able to react to distractions and diversions and still stay on point without "rerouting." iDrive navigation is one of the worst in the business for me in this regard. Can't stand it.

[Prince_of_Persia]

Originally Posted by Goat Rodeo

That's a bad analogy. A monitor is necessary to use a computer. iDrive is not necessary in any way to use a M3. I consider it a distraction.

A M3 does not need navigation nor iDrive. This is supposed to be a driver's car. Option up your wife's 5-series with iDrive and ventilated seats.

I ordered both 2011 and 2013 without iDrive and no regrets. The only thing I don't get is "Sport Plus" throttle which is a negligible benefit.

In terms of navigation, I want a list of directions, at least five in advance, so I can choose the proper route and be able to react to distractions and diversions and still stay on point without "rerouting." iDrive navigation is one of the worst in the business for me in this regard. Can't stand it.

Not at all, you can use computers without monitors. You can have remote access to computers without monitors to find out what is going on. This is pretty common for servers.

[Goat Rodeo]

Originally Posted by Prince_of_Persia

Not at all, you can use computers without monitors. You can have remote access to computers without monitors to find out what is going on. This is pretty common for servers.

Originally Posted by Prince_of_Persia

Just imagine using your computer without a monitor.

So then what was your point?

Note you still need a monitor to use a computer to remotely access another computer.

[Prince_of_Persia]

Originally Posted by Goat Rodeo

So then what was your point?

Note you still need a monitor to use a computer to remotely access another computer.

No, You only need to remotely access it when there is a problem with the server. Most of the WHS servers (something like: http://support-serv.blogspot.ca/) are sold like this and they do not need to have monitor at all.

Anyway this is not a computer thread, but if you want to know more about what is going on in your car, you need the display which is your iDrive (not necessary, but makes your job easier). Plus without iDrive, your car looks so outdated.

This is my opinion, and you can definitely disagree with me.

[zmastaz]

an M3 without I-Drive for a daily driver looks very cheap and 325ish.

Maybe if you are making it into a track car....

[llis]

No regrets. At all. (Had I-Drive on my previous two cars. I know what I'm missing. The I-Drive is long overdue for a major upgrade imho.)

[Cingulus]

I did not get the i-drive and have not missed it. It is true that the resale is hurt, but I plan to keep mine for a long time so not an issues for me. I do have to say that, one of the reasons I got a good price on the car when it was new was because the dealer could not sell it without the i-drive system and other extras.

[Chriskm3]

Originally Posted by WingZeroX5

I came from a non-idrive vehicle and after having a few loaners with them, I can't see myself without it.

For me, I like clean and tasteful looks. Having a phone there for navigation, especially the portable ones, messes up that clean oem style. Everything is integrated into the car in one system.

As far as staring at the screen, there should be nothing to stare at unless you're using the navigation, at least for me. Before I take off, I connect my iphone, put it in the arm rest compartment, put on some tunes, and "display off" command. I have a combox so messages appear and it's read to me.

I see a lot of people with portable navigation suction cup'd to their windshields, BMW or not and it's on majority of the time too. I just hate all the unneccessary wires and cluttered feeling.

+1

[JulieDriving]

Originally Posted by llis

No regrets. At all. (Had I-Drive on my previous two cars. I know what I'm missing. The I-Drive is long overdue for a major upgrade imho.)

+1

80% or more of those on the forum will want the iDrive. It's important to determine what *you* really want.

You will have to live with the decision.

Every day I get in my car and smile when I look at my dash, even though I am in the minority.

What I DO regret is getting my previous car with iDrive even though I didn't really want it.

[motortrend]

Don't care about resale, keeping it. If i did I'd have fox red, carbon leather, DCT and the rear sunshade. 15 years from now iDrive will look dated IMO and non-iDrive looks cleaner.

[Goat Rodeo]

Originally Posted by Prince_of_Persia

No, You only need to remotely access it when there is a problem with the server. Most of the WHS servers (something like: http://support-serv.blogspot.ca/) are sold like this and they do not need to have monitor at all.

You still need a monitor at the end point to interact with a computer. I don't care if you are you are RDPing into a Windows machine to use PuTTY to SSH into some other system to connect to a PDP/11 with a terminal emulator, you need a monitor at the end to see shit.

Unless you are using a braille reader.

I'm making a logical argument, not a technical one.

[Richbot]

Would not have purchased the car if it was not available without idrive