BMW ICE 5 years behind?
Discussion
Condi said:
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.
I guess it depends on your priorities in a car. My daily is a 2015 435i M-Sport coupe, in which I've driven over 50,000 miles and I can't say that the outdated pro nav, the climate controls or the automatic wiper control has ever bothered me. It's one of the best cars I've owned because it has a great engine and chassis and I enjoy driving it. I appreciate a 320d doesn't have an inspiring engine, but they do still have good chassis balance and nice controls and I have found them to be considerably more fun than the equivalent Audi which left me cold. Condi said:
Sensitive little flower? Okay, dear!
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!
I think people confuse premium with having lashings of kit, this was never the case with BMW or Mercedes, you could have all the kit but it was extra a Ford Granada Ghia would have everything a 5 series or e class didn't as standard, but the 5 and e class were always the premium cars compared to the Granada, Audi came late to the party and as such have always offered a bit more kit for your money than BMW or Mercedes did as they had to gain market share. 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!
Audi decided that their customer base didn't care where the engine was positioned or what wheels drove the car but they did care about a fancy digital screen and headlight/indicator design so they went down that route, BMW decided to care about other things like not having the engine in the front bumper as an example.
Each to his/her own I say.
Fox- said:
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.
Looking around online it seems they have now removed the button on the end of the stalk and to put them in auto mode you now press the lever up once?
This is also a mechanical up too, so it stays in place.
Hmm? So you now have to remember to turn the auto feature off in winter.
I think I would rather have a reminder, the rain, to turn them on. Personally anyway.
MrBen986 said:
Condi said:
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.
I guess it depends on your priorities in a car. My daily is a 2015 435i M-Sport coupe, in which I've driven over 50,000 miles and I can't say that the outdated pro nav, the climate controls or the automatic wiper control has ever bothered me. It's one of the best cars I've owned because it has a great engine and chassis and I enjoy driving it. I appreciate a 320d doesn't have an inspiring engine, but they do still have good chassis balance and nice controls and I have found them to be considerably more fun than the equivalent Audi which left me cold. But that doesn't really excuse some of the decisions made about the interior. Clearly BMW knew that it was a problem, hence why newer models have most of the issues fixed or changed!
rottenegg said:
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.Fox- said:
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.
This. A 2016 3 series is pretty much at the end of life….the design period started a long time ago.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.
Magnum 475 said:
I was using USB 2.0. It didn't work. BMW finally e-mailed back saying, take it to the dealer who will build you a USB stick that works. The dealer posted me out a USB stick. It didn't work. The iDrive sits there trying to read the stick for 30 seconds or so, then the screen flashes briefly, then it goes back to trying to read the stick. Dealer visit now booked to fix the iDrive system, as they think it must be faulty. I'm coming to the conclusion that it's not faulty, just as crap as every other part of the car's electronics.
It must be faulty, as I never had a single issue with the same system in the years I had it. I had a map updates subscription and updated it twice a year and it never failed once.If yours won't do that and you are confident you're using the correct hardware then surely there is a fault?
Condi said:
Arguably, but they only introduced it in 2012, and continued to produce the 4 series F34 until 2020! A 2016 model is thus only half way through the production life.
But that’s because the 4 series is a bastardised 3 series…Your actual car, a 320d was towards the end of its life. 2016 is a facelift model which was replaced in 2018.
The design of your interior dates back to 2010, I guess. The Audi that you had before was designed later…it’s no surprise that the tech / functionality is better. As already pointed out, the successor to your car moves the game on and because the design is newer it makes the A4 feel old. The next A4 will make the 3 series feel old and so the cycle will continue.
Court_S said:
Your actual car, a 320d was towards the end of its life. 2016 is a facelift model which was replaced in 2018.
Arguably, arguably not. The F30 was released in the UK in 2012 and continued to be sold until mid 2019 (and for another year in F34 guise). A 2016 car is maybe more towards the end of it's life than the beginning, but I wouldn't agree it was late model car. Condi said:
Arguably, arguably not. The F30 was released in the UK in 2012 and continued to be sold until mid 2019 (and for another year in F34 guise). A 2016 car is maybe more towards the end of it's life than the beginning, but I wouldn't agree it was late model car.
Production started in late 2011 and ended in 2018. A 2016 is in the last two years of production and regardless, it's still a car which was introduced in 2011. I take your point about the 4 Series, but all this does is highlight how a 2019 or 2020 4 Series is an even worse purchase if you're concerned about how up to date the car is.
There were also a number of different versions of the navigation system and which one you have will also impact on how dated the car feels.
To add to the cluster-f
k of things BMW don't think it sensible to include, today I found out folding rear seats were an option! What the juddering fk? On a car designed to be the ideal family mobile, why the hell did they think folding rear seats needed to be an option?! It's been standard on every car I've owned in 20 years, but oooooh no, not the 3 series... not the car designed for families!
FFS, it's a fking joke. Can't take my mountain bike anywhere now, especially when away for days at a time, can't pick up lengths of timber from B+Q, struggled to bring some gardening tools back from a mates place earlier as the boot had to be strapped down. I think this maybe one "option" too far, time to look for something new. As well as the car drives, if I want something entirely impractical but good to drive, I wouldn't have bought a fking 4 door 3 series.
k of things BMW don't think it sensible to include, today I found out folding rear seats were an option! What the juddering fk? On a car designed to be the ideal family mobile, why the hell did they think folding rear seats needed to be an option?! It's been standard on every car I've owned in 20 years, but oooooh no, not the 3 series... not the car designed for families! FFS, it's a f
king joke. Can't take my mountain bike anywhere now, especially when away for days at a time, can't pick up lengths of timber from B+Q, struggled to bring some gardening tools back from a mates place earlier as the boot had to be strapped down. I think this maybe one "option" too far, time to look for something new. As well as the car drives, if I want something entirely impractical but good to drive, I wouldn't have bought a fking 4 door 3 series. 
d_a_n1979 said:
Mind the door doesn't hit you in the back of the head on your way out... Tatty bye
Sorry, have I burst your little BMW fan boi bubble by pointing out all the things you expect but don't get? Or that you could spend £15k on a Focus and have all the things which BMW charge you extra for? If not, I don't really understand your attitude. I'm simply pointing things out which any reasonable person would expect to find on a £30k "premium" car.... 
Condi said:
d_a_n1979 said:
Mind the door doesn't hit you in the back of the head on your way out... Tatty bye
Sorry, have I burst your little BMW fan boi bubble by pointing out all the things you expect but don't get? Or that you could spend £15k on a Focus and have all the things which BMW charge you extra for? If not, I don't really understand your attitude. I'm simply pointing things out which any reasonable person would expect to find on a £30k "premium" car.... S'not hard!
Anyways as said... Ta'ra love
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