E92 335I - Do I really need iDrive?

[FraserLFA]

All,

Just after some opinions.

I'm currently looking for an E92 335i M-Sport with a manual gearbox and iDrive, which turns out are rarer than rocking horse....

Based on my budget, my choices are currently:

335i, manual, m-sport, but no iDrive

or

330i, manual, m-sport, with iDrive


I really didn't get on with the paddles in the auto (Normally I'm OK with them but I didn't like the push/pull thing.)

So it's a choice between iDrive or turbo's.

What do I miss out on if I don't get iDrive? Other than Sat-Nav, what's the big deal?

What would you do?

[Smuler]

Make your decision on car performance. My choice would be 335i but some will prefer N/a engine in 330i. I like having pro nav in mine, but that apart I drive is just info unless you need I drive for use of a phone, but even then it wouldn't influence my choice. For example I have a 1400£ BMW individual audio system in mine. I hardly turn it on I bought mine used as you probably guessed.

[Welshbeef]

Absolutely get idrive (well Business or Pro Nav) its a full interface with the car.

I'm on my second BMW now and have always gone for Pro nav Bluetooth online connected drive etc

It will make more when you come to sell it too. Buy the right spec otherwise you'll shift it sooner than you would otherwise intend.

[Mr Tidy]

I've never had I-drive so never missed it.
My Z4C doesn't even have the stereo controls on the steering wheel, but I can reach the volume control on the stereo so it doesn't really matter to me.
If I wanted Bluetooth I could get a Parrot and I have a Garmin and a map so I cannot get too lost!
As far as I am concerned it depends if you want to actually drive it or just sit and play with it!
And whether you want to keep spending money to keep the Nav maps up to date when ultimately they will soon be using obsolete software with outdated functionality, at which point they surely become worthless anyway!
But then I am a bit analogue!;)

[f1nn]

I personally would not buy one without Idrive/pro Nav etc.

[Welshbeef]

f1nn said:

I personally would not buy one without Idrive/pro Nav etc.

And with so little in it price wise used its madness not to hunt one down.

[Crackie]

When looking for my E92 335i I only considered cars without iDrive. imho the centre binnacle looks like a poorly integrated afterthought which makes the cabin feel a little claustrophobic; glass sunroof was a far more important option for me.

[inline6]

I would choose a 335i over a 330i for the performance. The most useful features of the idrive would be satnav and bluetooth which can easily be added as aftermarket items at a relatively small price.

[Mr Tidy]

Welshbeef said:

f1nn said:

I personally would not buy one without Idrive/pro Nav etc.

And with so little in it price wise used its madness not to hunt one down.

Why, if there is so little in it now there will be even less in it in the future when it is outdated technology - cars may last 10+ years but this sort of stuff is surely obsolete in 3 years max. anyway?

[Welshbeef]

inline6 said:

I would choose a 335i over a 330i for the performance. The most useful features of the idrive would be satnav and bluetooth which can easily be added as aftermarket items at a relatively small price.

I have to say the dash without the idrive (ProNav) looks cheap IMHO and eos mean that the original owner went cheap on what would be a £40k car couldn't spend the £2k more for the things which make ownership even nicer. (Has he skimped on anything else in his ownership like std unleaded not premium unleaded... Has he only used supermarket fuel not Shell or BP? Is it OEM service parts or cheap pattern parts..)




Clearly tongue in cheek but it does make you think -- plus at this age the difference in cost to buy them is a few tanks of fuel bonkers not to get it even if you leave it turned off.

[f1nn]

Mr Tidy said:

Why, if there is so little in it now there will be even less in it in the future when it is outdated technology - cars may last 10+ years but this sort of stuff is surely obsolete in 3 years max. anyway?

It's not the Nav though is it...and I agree things move on, but it's the control interface with rest of the cars systems why I consider it essential.

In addition, E90 dashes look st without the screen.

[Mr Tidy]

Maybe, but if it is hard to find it surely isn't a deal-breaker - I would happily go for one with any combination of HK stereo / tilt/slide sunroof / Xenons / heated leather ahead of i-drive.

[Welshbeef]

Mr Tidy said:

Why, if there is so little in it now there will be even less in it in the future when it is outdated technology - cars may last 10+ years but this sort of stuff is surely obsolete in 3 years max. anyway?

New/fully updated maps is £10 - plus the ones with Hard drive your onto a winner.

Tech will never be obsolete will it as its built into the car and unless GPS mapping satilites are destroyed by Putin then it will simply work just fine. My uncle has a PC from 1995 ish his word/excel/outlook all work perfectly fine.

[f1nn]

Mr Tidy said:

Maybe, but if it is hard to find it surely isn't a deal-breaker - I would happily go for one with any combination of HK stereo / tilt/slide sunroof / Xenons / heated leather ahead of i-drive.

It's up to you of course as its your money, and it sounds like you have made your mind up....

I recently purchased an E90 330d, and would have not considered a car without Pro Nav/Idrive, the rest as you say would be nice but not essential.

[bennyboydurham]

Not essential but idrive puts all the stereo/heating/comms functionality in one place and is neater than sticking crap to your windscreen and trailing cables to parrot devices etc. As said, so many cars with it, you'd be daft to not get one.

[inline6]

I think the main issue for me would be the choice between 330i and 335i as they are very different cars in terms of power delivery and tune-ability. Definitely agree dash looks so much better with idrive and will help residuals but 335i will be a better drive.

[inline6]

I must admit I gave up looking for a 330i manual with idrive myself and bought a e60 530i msport as the idrive is standard. Do the right thing OP and buy a 335i With idrive

[cerb4.5lee]

Interesting topic and I have had a E90 330d/330i without idrive and also had a E92 M3 with pro nav(good sized screen) and a E61 520d with business nav(tiny screen)and also got a 640d with pro nav(good sized screen) but I can honestly say that the sat nav is/was hopeless in all of them so I don't really understand the importance of it to be fair.

I do appreciate the extra functions you get with it which are a benefit as others have said but the sat nav itself is poor and it only frustrates most of the time and I am possibly the only person that actually prefers the cleaner dash layout on the E9x series without the nav then.

So for me the idrive is a nice to have but its far from a deal breaker.

[Mr Tidy]

bennyboydurham said:

Not essential but idrive puts all the stereo/heating/comms functionality in one place and is neater than sticking crap to your windscreen and trailing cables to parrot devices etc. As said, so many cars with it, you'd be daft to not get one.

I thought I was in a different generation until I saw this - Parrot devices have been wireless for some years now! Luddite!!

[cerb4.5lee]

inline6 said:

I think the main issue for me would be the choice between 330i and 335i as they are very different cars in terms of power delivery and tune-ability.

This is a good point and I love the N52 in the 330i big time for its sweet revving nature and smoothness but it does lack power which the 335i puts right but you then arguably lose a little character maybe so its a tougher choice between the two.

I respect both cars and often wish I had gone with the 335i instead because I know I would enjoy the extra power but I still appreciate the 330i for its engine even though it isn't that quick.