New I-drive interface with refresh

[sayemthree]

more buttons is good - but why put them on the console - put them back on the dash so you take your eyes off the road for more time.

I used to hate i-drive. my wife's 535ixT has it and I have gotten used to it - its ok - in fact ints actually fun to play with......

.....WHILE DRIVING!!!!!!!

[footie]

Originally Posted by gorun

First of all let me start by saying that you belong to an Audi forum, still cant figure out what you are doing here.
Now to the point, BMW was the pioneer for the iDrive system (understand the rotating knob) and it has been patented by them. BMW lets Mercedes and Audi use the system for free I am not sure why that is but they probably want to show to haters like you that the system is revolutionary and they are ready to share it with the other leading car builders.

To point out facts that BMW are coping others does not make me an Audi lover, though I agree that I like their cars and have owned quite a few, the same applies to BMW, Porsche and Lotus among others. We all know that i-Drive was BMW's concept, I wouldn't deny that but I would say that all versions up to now have been poor in both design and function compared to Audi's MMI system. If you think otherwise then it's you who is the fan-boy.

Originally Posted by gorun

X-drive system is totally different in concept to the Audi quattro and superior handling wise and especially in the dry. Saying why did BMW introduce 4x4 models is like saying why does Audi try and move the engine further back to improve weight distribution since BMW has already achieved 50:50.

100% totally disagree that X-Drive is better than Quattro, I have driven both and find Quattro more forgiving and more predictable. Maybe on the track X-Drive is the quicker system but on the road I have no faith in the setup one single bit.

As for Audi moving the engine, I will agree that Audi needed make this move, it's handling isn't an light on it's feet compared to BMW but I don't agree that 50/50 is ideal either, especially for rwd and definitely not for awd.

Originally Posted by gorun

And as far as DSG is concerned it is not an entirely new concept because similar systems have been used in some rally cars of the past. Also I am not 100% on this but my dealer tells me DCT is quite different from DSG.
On the innovations front Audi comes a firm third and if my money had to be on it I would probably say the MB is the leader.

This debate has been discussed before and I am pretty sure that Audi's design was the first to be developed for mass production. Up until recently I would also agree that Mercedes lead the way in innovations but now I am not so sure, both BMW and Audi are up there too. You may feel Audi are a distance third, I myself don't see it that way, in some areas BMW are clear leaders namely engines while Audi are well ahead in both interior design and alloy construction.

Originally Posted by gorun

p.s. there also rumors circulating in the car world that Audi is going to move to RWD just like Alfa Romeo and Honda are about to do with their premium models....

This would be a very bold step by Audi, to drop their trade mark Quattro setup in favour of rwd sounds like a step too far for me to believe.

[zieglerc]

Am I the only person who thinks that iDrive's great the way it is and that this is a mistake? MMI looks like a freaking jumbled mess on the center console. I appreciate BMW's effort to minimize the surface area here but it still looks like it'll be more difficult to use. Who wants to memorize the meaning of a bunch of buttons all crammed in a little trapezoid around a dial? You're going to have to look down to figure it out - probably while driving - and that's ten times worse than glancing at the iDrive display while your hand is comfortably resting on a single knob.

Just my 2 cents...

[sayemthree]

Originally Posted by zieglerc

Am I the only person who thinks that iDrive's great the way it is and that this is a mistake? MMI looks like a freaking jumbled mess on the center console. I appreciate BMW's effort to minimize the surface area here but it still looks like it'll be more difficult to use. Who wants to memorize the meaning of a bunch of buttons all crammed in a little trapezoid around a dial? You're going to have to look down to figure it out - probably while driving - and that's ten times worse than glancing at the iDrive display while your hand is comfortably resting on a single knob.

Just my 2 cents...

I like the i-drive more than I though I would. especially functions that you can custom program, DRL's etc. but it could use a few improvments IMO.

[Hans Delbruck]

Originally Posted by Technic

About this iDrive update, I don't see why this could not be included in the MY2009 M3, as it is as well a 3 Series chassis and uses the same electronics network and devices as the rest of the line up.

Totally agree. I would put money on this being in the '09. The M3 is their flagship 3 series.... they wouldn't continue to use the old system in the M3 if the regular 3 has the new one.

Nope, the '09 M3s will likely have the update, that's my guess.

Which means I should wait for an '09...........

[Big Windy]

Originally Posted by Hans Delbruck

Totally agree. I would put money on this being in the '09. The M3 is their flagship 3 series.... they wouldn't continue to use the old system in the M3 if the regular 3 has the new one.

Nope, the '09 M3s will likely have the update, that's my guess.

Which means I should wait for an '09...........

okay this is what worries me. i agree with you that there is no reason why this couldn't be in the 09'. but then why the hell didn't they just put it in the 08??? it sucks that everyone who just bought a brand new '08 is getting the old system.

[MysticBlue]

Originally Posted by Big Windy

okay this is what worries me. i agree with you that there is no reason why this couldn't be in the 09'. but then why the hell didn't they just put it in the 08??? it sucks that everyone who just bought a brand new '08 is getting the old system.

This is a no win game... You'll drive yourself nuts always worrying about the next great thing in the next model year. This is the way it always is, no different than years past. Every year or two something gets updated or refreshed. Nobody's getting screwed. I would trade a years worth of driving one of the best cars in the world for some small, percieved, incremental improvement. Then it will be one year sooner that I will be able to trade it in for the next great thing. If you keep waiting for next years model because it's rumoured that something is going to be better, you will never get it.

[gorun]

Originally Posted by footie

To point out facts that BMW are coping others does not make me an Audi lover, though I agree that I like their cars and have owned quite a few, the same applies to BMW, Porsche and Lotus among others. We all know that i-Drive was BMW's concept, I wouldn't deny that but I would say that all versions up to now have been poor in both design and function compared to Audi's MMI system. If you think otherwise then it's you who is the fan-boy.

MMI is simply iDrive with shortcut buttons, it kind of defeats the logic behind the original system. BMW are coming out with the buttons I guess mainly because the car mags keep bashing iDrive. After all the system takes some getting used to. I prefer no buttons at all plus the system has been getting progressively faster with new models being introduced.


100% totally disagree that X-Drive is better than Quattro, I have driven both and find Quattro more forgiving and more predictable. Maybe on the track X-Drive is the quicker system but on the road I have no faith in the setup one single bit.

xDrive reacts faster and is rear-biased. Audi has got on the rear bias wagon too recently. From the tests I've seen Quattro gets the thumbs up in snow. I dont like either of them personally. I have an X5 and the general feel of the 4x4 doesn't do it for me. It would be interesting what the new rear active diff in the X6 brings to the game.

You may feel Audi are a distance third, I myself don't see it that way, in some areas BMW are clear leaders namely engines while Audi are well ahead in both interior design and alloy construction.

Interiors is what Audi do best full stop. However, a friend of mine got the new SL63 AMG and I drove it two days ago. I must say the interior is spot on, I guess it needs to be in a car that expensive. BMW has something to learn here.



This would be a very bold step by Audi, to drop their trade mark Quattro setup in favour of rwd sounds like a step too far for me to believe.

Audi would never drop quattro I guess the presumption is that they would offer rwd together with quattro. I can see this being a problem with their torsen system though, I dont know...rumours. I can see my self considering one if they do.

[gorun]

Originally Posted by MysticBlue

This is a no win game... You'll drive yourself nuts always worrying about the next great thing in the next model year. This is the way it always is, no different than years past. Every year or two something gets updated or refreshed. Nobody's getting screwed. I would trade a years worth of driving one of the best cars in the world for some small, percieved, incremental improvement. Then it will be one year sooner that I will be able to trade it in for the next great thing. If you keep waiting for next years model because it's rumoured that something is going to be better, you will never get it.

Holding out for something minor like that is a mistake, I've done it in the past and never again. Just get the car and enjoy it. Plus you are not guaranteed the 09 is going to have the system of you choice.

[Technic]

Originally Posted by Hans Delbruck

Totally agree. I would put money on this being in the '09. The M3 is their flagship 3 series.... they wouldn't continue to use the old system in the M3 if the regular 3 has the new one.

Nope, the '09 M3s will likely have the update, that's my guess.

Which means I should wait for an '09...........

The same thing happened with the E46 M3 and the OEM Nav at introduction... the first year (MY2001) it was the 4:3 screen and the next year (MY2002) it was replaced by a 16:9 screen as every other 3 Series model in the line up.

[Big Windy]

Originally Posted by MysticBlue

This is a no win game... You'll drive yourself nuts always worrying about the next great thing in the next model year. This is the way it always is, no different than years past. Every year or two something gets updated or refreshed. Nobody's getting screwed. I would trade a years worth of driving one of the best cars in the world for some small, percieved, incremental improvement. Then it will be one year sooner that I will be able to trade it in for the next great thing. If you keep waiting for next years model because it's rumoured that something is going to be better, you will never get it.

well said. you are right.

[Leg]

Too many buttons IMO although when on the move, I tend to use voice control more than anything anyway. All I do is make/receive calls and switch between entertainment sources. Rest of the time I'm driving.

I dont get this Audi interiors crap either. Ive just moved from 7 years of Audi's to my first BMW and the materials used in my BMW are just as good as anything Ive seen in the Audis I had. My M3 makes my business partners A5 look like a shed on the interior (albeit mine is the M and his is a well specced 3.0Tdi). I do, because my M is my first BMW, have the advantage of my car's interior being an M3 interior to me rather than 'the same as any 3'er' though as I havent ever been in any 3'er other than an E92 M3.

In fact come to think of it, I've only ever been in one BMW before getting my M3 excluding M3 test drives and that was an 03 plate 5'er.

[the_stranger]

here is a pic from autoblog revealing the new 7 series interior. Looks like the idrive interface remains the same while the buttons and controller have been changed.

[Big Windy]

if the software is the same that is good news if you want to put in a new i-drive knob later. still, it really is all the same stuff whether you have the buttons or not if the interface is still the same.

[Hans Delbruck]

Originally Posted by Technic

The same thing happened with the E46 M3 and the OEM Nav at introduction... the first year (MY2001) it was the 4:3 screen and the next year (MY2002) it was replaced by a 16:9 screen as every other 3 Series model in the line up.

Good point... and it was the same for the E39 M5.

2000 M5's had the old style headlights (no halo rings) and 4:3 Nav.
2001 M5's had new halo-headlights and 16:9 Nav.

The benefit of getting the first year model is that YOU ARE THE FIRST!! But since I am STILL WAITING on a 2008 M-DKG Sedan, I do not get that benefit! So yeah... I think waiting 4 more months (on top of the 4 I would already be waiting for an M-DKG sedan) is what's going to have to happen.....

boooo.

[Zed]

Originally Posted by the_stranger

here is a pic from autoblog revealing the new 7 series interior. Looks like the idrive interface remains the same while the buttons and controller have been changed.

The 70's called, and they want their interior back. One can only hope it looks better in person.

[reinaldo335]

new idrive will come only in facelifted 09 e90 328 & 335

[sayemthree]

WTF! could they put the controller any farther out of the way from the driver????

Originally Posted by the_stranger

here is a pic from autoblog revealing the new 7 series interior. Looks like the idrive interface remains the same while the buttons and controller have been changed.

[Davinhci]

i think it is fine the way it is now, just getting used to it

[rzm3]

all i want is a BACK button! that's all.

one of the very useful shortcuts of iDrive is that you can hold the the controller in one of four directions (left right up down) and iDrive will go into *the last window* of that function. i can see how for someone who does not know that shortcut could find iDrive sometimes annoying as it does not "remember" your last window in the function if you don't use the shortcut.

[marwan]

sorry, but is the new iDrive from the 4 door going to make it to the coupe as well?

[apw2607]

Err ... having the extra buttons around the controller isn't exactly earth shattering. Already inthe USA models we have a MODE button to toggle through the audio sources, and a FM button to go straight to the radio.

Then you can assign 1 of 6 buttons for a particularly function, such as telephone

and then on top of that, you can assign one, or two buttons on the steering wheel to either toggle through the audio sources, or go straight to the telephone address book.

So now we get some extra buttons around the wheel ... is that such a big deal ???