I can't believe it, but I'm starting to feel at home using iDrive in our long-term 2008 BMW X5 4.8i.
I still don't think it's the best interface out there, but when you're entering a specific address, with a street name and house number, it's quite straightforward to use. I especially like how you can enter each bit of information separately in whatever order you like -- and how you can easily switch between entering a house number and an intersection.
However, I don't know if I'll ever feel at home using the automatic transmission's funky gear selector. Scott Jacobs criticized it previously, but I'm going to have to whine a little more. Specifically, I thought at first I might be too dumb to drive the X5, because I couldn't get it into reverse.
A little RTFM set me on the right path: You have to press the little button on the left side of the shifter to select "R." Yet, it's not a button you would expect to have to press on a frequent basis, since it's small and damped like a radio preset button. Why do I have to press it at all?
Erin Riches, Senior Editor @ 13,677 miles
blueguydotcom says:
07:54 PM, 07/23/08
iDrive is slow. That's my gripe with it. Otherwise it's easy to use and easy to navigate. Could it be better? Yes. But hell, take a look at Windows 3.1 and 95. Don't tell me 95 was the zenith of PC tech...and don't forget they stole from Apple.
bimmerjay says:
09:55 PM, 07/23/08
^^ iDrive has been sped up considerably since your '06 330i. I have a new 335i and with the elimination of haptic feedback + the mid-'07 software upgrade and the hardware changes, it's a world of difference.
sumimasen says:
08:07 AM, 07/24/08
They eliminated haptic feedback?
Doesn't that mean more eyes-off-the-road time and reduced ease of use?
johnmarco says:
10:48 AM, 07/24/08
Erin it looks like you were visiting Hyundai HQ. Am I right?
subytrojan says:
11:47 AM, 07/24/08
You're a sharp one, johnmarco!
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=129812
johnmarco says:
02:51 PM, 07/24/08
Oh I hadn't seen that article. Thanks suby. Hmm, so they're going with "BK" for the internal name. Not cool, but I guess better than "BTK."
bimmerjay says:
08:32 AM, 07/25/08
"They eliminated haptic feedback?
Doesn't that mean more eyes-off-the-road time and reduced ease of use?"
I do miss the ergonomic aspect of it, but it also would cause the system to slow down sometimes so I don't miss that. In place of the variable feedback there are now fixed detents. Even with the feedback you still needed to keep an eye on what you were doing.
mtech8 says:
09:51 PM, 07/25/08
I really don't understand why the shifter is hard to use? In almost all cars, there's usually a button that needs to be pressed to release the lock on the shifter to move it. Same here. Then moving the shifter forwards or backwards puts it in appropriate gear.
iDrive really isn't that bad. Once you learn how to navigate it (really not that hard. Just as complicated as learning how to use a new cellphone), it's really a pleasure to use.
2009 models will get a drastically reworked iDrive. Should quell most current complaints.