ConnectedDrive
Discussion
just bought a F30 3-series and had a bit of a play around with the ConnectedDrive things, mainly because after I looked at the online portal a few times it started offering me £1 trials for the different services.
Keen to know what peoples' thoughts are, because the jury is out for me.
Keen to know what peoples' thoughts are, because the jury is out for me.
- Music streaming - seemed OK but never really used it in anger as it kept asking me for a login and I really can't be bothered with logging in using the stupid wheel every time i get in the car
- Live traffic - barely seemed better than the standard RDS service. Would only really be useful if it told you about major delays in sufficient time to actually do something about them. I found it informed me of delays along my route only after some driving time, even though the delays existed for longer than that. The only noticeable difference was it offered to change the navigation route when it spotted a delay.
- Online - didn't use it... seems a bit pointless on balance
- concierge - maybe the only one i might actually find valuable but didn't find reason to use it within the month
I use RTTI and BMW Online, along with ConnectedDrive Services in my 2015 530d.
RTTI: Once you understand how it works and what it does, I find this very useful. I might be wrong but my experience of how it works is that the colour coding and traffic flow information relates to current traffic flow with no prediction about how it might get better or worse in the future. So this means if you set off on a 5 hour trip and there is a 1 hour delay 3 hours up the road, it shows +60 minutes. Once you get there, there may or may not be a delay, but it'll update as you go. So, its a guide to how things currently look. Google, on the other hand, predicts how things might be when you get there.
So sometimes this means RTTI is way off and Google is right, as it correctly predicts what happens during things like peak hours etc. however in the event of major disruption RTTI is more useful - if you set off and it says +120 minutes or something you know something ahead is majorly wrong, whereas Google might be hoping it'll get better and not reporting it as being quite as serious. If its a closure due to an accident or something this is unhelpful from Google.
To my immense frustration our 2018 Mini with Pro Nav does not have RTTI and only has TMC. It's diabolical and might as well not be there, its a constant source of annoyance that the Mini hasn't got proper RTTI.
BMW Online: I like having weather, fuel price info etc. It's a gimmick but I like gimmicks.
ConnectedDrive services: Remote unlock, flash lights, locate car from phone. A cool gimmick.
Only ever used Concierge a few times, useful but not worth paying for.
RTTI: Once you understand how it works and what it does, I find this very useful. I might be wrong but my experience of how it works is that the colour coding and traffic flow information relates to current traffic flow with no prediction about how it might get better or worse in the future. So this means if you set off on a 5 hour trip and there is a 1 hour delay 3 hours up the road, it shows +60 minutes. Once you get there, there may or may not be a delay, but it'll update as you go. So, its a guide to how things currently look. Google, on the other hand, predicts how things might be when you get there.
So sometimes this means RTTI is way off and Google is right, as it correctly predicts what happens during things like peak hours etc. however in the event of major disruption RTTI is more useful - if you set off and it says +120 minutes or something you know something ahead is majorly wrong, whereas Google might be hoping it'll get better and not reporting it as being quite as serious. If its a closure due to an accident or something this is unhelpful from Google.
To my immense frustration our 2018 Mini with Pro Nav does not have RTTI and only has TMC. It's diabolical and might as well not be there, its a constant source of annoyance that the Mini hasn't got proper RTTI.
BMW Online: I like having weather, fuel price info etc. It's a gimmick but I like gimmicks.
ConnectedDrive services: Remote unlock, flash lights, locate car from phone. A cool gimmick.
Only ever used Concierge a few times, useful but not worth paying for.
My previous car was BMW standard Business nav and the current one is Professional and the RTTI is a great improvement, especially for sudden changes in the traffic due to accidents etc. I also get on-line UK map updates and download-to-a-USB European updates included, which is useful. I'd agree that Google Maps and viaMichelin app are often as good or better but of course, you need a signal and that can be a problem. You may also be paying high data roaming charges abroad as well, so there's sometimes an advantage to being coverage-independent. Plus my ProNav had effectively three screens available which I use to display a perspective direction-of-travel view, a N-Oriented map and a junction diagram (in the instrument cluster) so that sometimes has the edge. I suppose it all depends but I would concede that car vs mobile app nav is functionally close.
I have found the remote locking function useful when I've been in a meeting and really couldn't remember whether I'd locked the car or not, parked in some distant NCP. More reassuring than anything.
I have found the remote locking function useful when I've been in a meeting and really couldn't remember whether I'd locked the car or not, parked in some distant NCP. More reassuring than anything.
Blown2CV said:
it doesn't seem to colourise on mine. I have a 2014 car though.
Your subscription has probably expired - comes with the car for 3 years subscription free, then you need to pay for it. Beware though, the cost of the annual subscription for early models (my wife previously had a 62 plate F31 with professional nav) is extortionate - something like £150 pa., whereas it's only about £40 for my 63 plate 420d. Not sure which models accept the cheaper subscription. stewart rix said:
Blown2CV said:
it doesn't seem to colourise on mine. I have a 2014 car though.
Your subscription has probably expired - comes with the car for 3 years subscription free, then you need to pay for it. Beware though, the cost of the annual subscription for early models (my wife previously had a 62 plate F31 with professional nav) is extortionate - something like £150 pa., whereas it's only about £40 for my 63 plate 420d. Not sure which models accept the cheaper subscription. stewart rix said:
I find the live traffic (coloured green/orange/red along major roads for traffic flow) is really useful and often rely on it to pin point problems before getting stuck in them.
I find that when it colours red, it is usually still slow moving, and therefore not worth a detour. It does not discriminate very well between heavy, slow moving traffic, and stooped traffic. So I just low on when I see a red line.Pica-Pica said:
stewart rix said:
I find the live traffic (coloured green/orange/red along major roads for traffic flow) is really useful and often rely on it to pin point problems before getting stuck in them.
I find that when it colours red, it is usually still slow moving, and therefore not worth a detour. It does not discriminate very well between heavy, slow moving traffic, and stooped traffic. So I just low on when I see a red line.
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