View Single Post
      02-11-2020, 10:36 PM   #10
claykin
Brigadier General
United_States
1579
Rep
4,546
Posts

Drives: various BMW
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Florida

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by VirtualGuitars View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by mffarrell View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by VirtualGuitars View Post
iDrive 7 blows - especially the lite version (no remote start, cooling, etc.}. I had it for 5 days with my loaner car and I couldn't wait to turn it back in.
Please explain?
I suggest you go test drive a car that has it. They gave me a 2020 X5 loaner car which has the new display (which is also 2" larger than what's on the M550i).

The display is cluttered and seems disorganized. If you're used to iDrive 6, then there's a good chance you won't like it either. The instrument cluster is also full of clutter. Way too much information for the real estate. Being in IT, I usually love having the latest & greatest software. Not in this case. Personally I don't understand why they would put navigation inside of the instrument cluster. It looks much better on the display or your head-up display.

Oh, did I mention that it's full of bugs? Also note that you will not get the ability to remote start the vehicle or cool/heat it like you can on the other full versions on some of the other series.

Not trying to be a Debbie downer as this would be a real conflict for me too. Perhaps it wouldn't bother you as much as it has for many others on this forum. My '19 M550i is fast enough for me needs and I think iDrive 6 is much simpler to use which is key when you're driving. The new Personal Assistant is a step in the right direction, but BMW has a long way to go.
As BMW takes steps to integrate more smartphone functionality to iDrive, it becomes easier to find fault with BMWs implementation. IDrive 7 came with a lot of promises, but many (so far) haven't panned out. The BMW Assistant who isn't as smart as V1 of Google Assistant from 3+ years ago..... Remote software update which seems to be a day late and a dollar short..... Downloadable apps, which for the most part are curiously MIA..... Enterprise Email integration which is frustrating at best..... And that too many button taps are needed to accomplish the same thing that can be done in iDrive 6 easily.

And Live Cockpit Pro.....oh my, an LCD littered with some useful and some useless data. Important gauges that became less important than useless data. This thing desperately needs a way to deeply customize for drivers all the way thru gadget geeks. That customization is sorely missing.

BMW will have an impossible time trying to keep up with smartphones. Best bet for them is to keep it simple (more like an evolution of iDrive 6) and continue amazing Carplay and Android Auto (finally starting 7/20) integration. They should offer best in class wireless phone charging, a tray large enough to hold the latest phones, and work when those phone are in a case. And blow some A/C on the phone or add a fan, like my Anker and Samsung chargers offer. Not terribly complicated and customers will appreciate it.

I feel iDrive 7 is BMW responding to Merc and Audi. I've used both of the competitors new systems and IMO they stink. Gosh that new Audi MMI system with dual screens is not only horrible, it's slow and I feel a safety problem as you need to keep looking at the LCD. Audi feels the haptics address the need to look, but they're sorely mistaken.
__________________
2023 840GC | 2021 740i | 2019 X3
Appreciate 2