BMW ICE 5 years behind?
Discussion
Condi said:
That is a fair point, although in 10 min test drive you are more concerned about how it drives, knocks, rattles etc, than diving into the iDrive system to check the air-con sync'd, especially as it has done in every other car I've owned with split AC. Hardly outrageous to assume that as my mates E90 series has it, and I knew how to do it on a G20 series, the F30 would also have it! Equally, I had thought the car was fitted with iDrive5, not 4, so lesson learnt there.
It is not one particular thing which is important on it's own, more there is a feeling that everything is just behind where I would expect it to be, and for a "premium" brand, it is not quite what I was expecting.
Neither of my E92 nor my wife’s E91 have a sync button. My M140i didn’t either.It is not one particular thing which is important on it's own, more there is a feeling that everything is just behind where I would expect it to be, and for a "premium" brand, it is not quite what I was expecting.
The F30’s I’ve driven lacked the sync button for temperatures that my vRS has had. Oddly my father in laws 2 series active tourer has one.
Electric seats are largely a waste of weight anyway. Unless you're sharing a car how often are you actually moving it and when you do move it I'd rather spend 2 seconds flicking a lever rather than 10s + pressing and holding a button.
My last 2 cars had memory seats, not sure I've ever pressed the buttons after the first day new car poke around.
My last 2 cars had memory seats, not sure I've ever pressed the buttons after the first day new car poke around.
ChocolateFrog said:
Electric seats are largely a waste of weight anyway. Unless you're sharing a car how often are you actually moving it and when you do move it I'd rather spend 2 seconds flicking a lever rather than 10s + pressing and holding a button.
My last 2 cars had memory seats, not sure I've ever pressed the buttons after the first day new car poke around.
I disagree, I find electric seats have far more adjustability in them and it's much easier to adjust on the go. My last 2 cars had memory seats, not sure I've ever pressed the buttons after the first day new car poke around.
I'm also not sure about the sync issue on the climate. It seems like a bit of an omission granted, but does it really matter of the passenger side is different to the drivers side? I don't even know what the passenger side is set to in my car, I only care about the side I'm in.
MikeM6 said:
ChocolateFrog said:
Electric seats are largely a waste of weight anyway. Unless you're sharing a car how often are you actually moving it and when you do move it I'd rather spend 2 seconds flicking a lever rather than 10s + pressing and holding a button.
My last 2 cars had memory seats, not sure I've ever pressed the buttons after the first day new car poke around.
I disagree, I find electric seats have far more adjustability in them and it's much easier to adjust on the go. My last 2 cars had memory seats, not sure I've ever pressed the buttons after the first day new car poke around.
I'm also not sure about the sync issue on the climate. It seems like a bit of an omission granted, but does it really matter of the passenger side is different to the drivers side? I don't even know what the passenger side is set to in my car, I only care about the side I'm in.
The pay off is that the electric seats don’t go as low as the manual versions.
I know BMW tech has had a bit of a hard time on this thread, but having had to drive a Citroen C5 today that’s newer than my 330 and 335 there were features that I missed; it being able to adjust the sensitivity of the auto wipers, the single downward press for one wipe of the windscreen and no obvious resume button for the cruise control.
The entertainment system manages to be less intuitive than CCC despite being 10 years newer.
The entertainment system manages to be less intuitive than CCC despite being 10 years newer.
Ummm I appreciate I coming from a different spectrum here but having an i7 with ultimate pack I can’t conceive any other brand or even space shuttle has more toys or better ICE. Albeit it is one of the ugliest cars on the planet. I mean I walk toward to it and the door opens, I get in and the door closes. The sound system, user interface, theatre screen, drive train colour changing crystal etc etc. I think the point is BMW can do tech, market leading tech but a cost.
Oh, another thing I noticed, why doesn't the "automatic" wiper function remember it's setting??? Every other car does, but BMW does not. I just want to leave it in auto, not have to set it to auto each time I get in the car! Same with the stop/start, but at least other cars tend to be the same and it can be coded out.
Condi said:
Oh, another thing I noticed, why doesn't the "automatic" wiper function remember it's setting??? Every other car does, but BMW does not. I just want to leave it in auto, not have to set it to auto each time I get in the car! Same with the stop/start, but at least other cars tend to be the same and it can be coded out.
That’s proper first world problems since the auto function is activated by the press of a button at the end of the stalk! 
Court_S said:
That’s proper first world problems since the auto function is activated by the press of a button at the end of the stalk!
Yes, but it's indicative of how the user experience hasn't been a priority, and how really simple things have not been put in place to make life as good as it can be for the driver. It's not even a cost thing, just nobody has thought of it! Condi said:
Court_S said:
That’s proper first world problems since the auto function is activated by the press of a button at the end of the stalk!
Yes, but it's indicative of how the user experience hasn't been a priority, and how really simple things have not been put in place to make life as good as it can be for the driver. It's not even a cost thing, just nobody has thought of it! 
Condi said:
Yes, but it's indicative of how the user experience hasn't been a priority, and how really simple things have not been put in place to make life as good as it can be for the driver. It's not even a cost thing, just nobody has thought of it!
Can’t say it’s ever bothered me and I’m a serial buyer. I’ve genuinely never thought twice about that and I never found stop start particularly intrusive in my M140i so never wanted to code that out. BMW dropped the wipers staying on auto because if the wipers are frozen to the glass it rips the rubbers apart.
I love the fact on the F30 you could adjust the speed at which your blows work even in auto mode, back in a 5 series without that and really miss that feature.
It is still auto, so goes up and down, but does allow you to set it a notch higher or lower.
As others have said, you could spec the digital dash, option 6WB from memory when people were coding them in.
I love the fact on the F30 you could adjust the speed at which your blows work even in auto mode, back in a 5 series without that and really miss that feature.
It is still auto, so goes up and down, but does allow you to set it a notch higher or lower.
As others have said, you could spec the digital dash, option 6WB from memory when people were coding them in.
Magnum 475 said:
The 'USB update' process for maps doesn't work - you pay for a map download, follow the instructions, and the car completely refuses to do anything, necessitating yet another visit to the truly useless BMW dealership
It does work. I had issues with it until I discovered the iDrive head unit doesn't like USB 3. It's works flawlessly with a USB 2 stick.rassi said:
All these perceived shortcomings would have been known at the time of buying the car, so what made you buy the car if these features were important for you?
Exactly 
This has to be one of the stupidest threads I've ever seen, but then again, it is Pistonheads. The sensitive little flower should bugger off back to his beloved Audis, where he can rejoice in having to only turn one temperature knob instead of 2. I'm sure his life would improve 38% after being so hard done by by BMW. Jesus wept.Ed.Neumann said:
BMW dropped the wipers staying on auto because if the wipers are frozen to the glass it rips the rubbers apart.
No they didn't - my 2021 3 Series has them staying on auto at all times.It is the first BMW I have had which does this, can't think of a previous generation that did it.
rottenegg said:
Exactly This has to be one of the stupidest threads I've ever seen, but then again, it is Pistonheads. The sensitive little flower should bugger off back to his beloved Audis, where he can rejoice in having to only turn one temperature knob instead of 2. I'm sure his life would improve 38% after being so hard done by by BMW. Jesus wept.
Sensitive little flower? Okay, dear! This has to be one of the stupidest threads I've ever seen, but then again, it is Pistonheads. The sensitive little flower should bugger off back to his beloved Audis, where he can rejoice in having to only turn one temperature knob instead of 2. I'm sure his life would improve 38% after being so hard done by by BMW. Jesus wept.I am just surprised that a brand with a "premium" reputation has given so little thought to how customers actually use their products, and that they are so far behind the competition. Also makes me wonder why so many people buy them, I can only assume it is badge snobbery, because the in car experience leaves a lot to be desired.
Clearly I am not alone, either, go on BMW forums and there are pages and pages of posts about the lack of a sync button!
Condi said:
Oh, another thing I noticed, why doesn't the "automatic" wiper function remember it's setting??? Every other car does, but BMW does not. I just want to leave it in auto, not have to set it to auto each time I get in the car! Same with the stop/start, but at least other cars tend to be the same and it can be coded out.
It is much better this way as you don't find the wipers covering the screen in dust because it was raining 2 weeks ago and you've just driven under a bridge and a bit of water found its way onto the screen, activating the wipers.Condi said:
they are so far behind the competition.
This isn't really true though is it - it's simply a consequence of buying one of the last few years of production of a car. Your 3 Series first appeared in 2011, by 2016 it was old and due replacement which it was in late 2018.The same now applies to Audi - get into a brand new A4 and it is absolutely miles behind the 3 Series. Because it was released in 2016 and still hasn't been replaced and since then there has been a new 3 Series.
Unless two manufacturers release a competing product at exactly the same time, the nature of product lifecycles will mean this will always be the case.
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