ewrrod
08-30-2007, 12:02 PM
I recently took delivery of my 2007 X5 4.8i. For the past 3+ weeks of ownership, I’ve been having trouble with the response time and accuracy of the iDrive System (Navigation, Entertainment, Climate). Overall the iDrive concept itself is acceptable (frankly I’d prefer touch-screen but the overall system is a major improvement over the previous one in my 2003 X5 4.6is). My issue is with the iDrive wheel performance and how it correlates to the onscreen display. When turning the wheel, as oppose to spinning freely, one feels a “clicking”. To me, each “click” should indicates a single uniform movement on the display. To my disappointment, this is not always the case. I have had numerous instances where the system has not responded to the turns or “clicks” of the iDrive wheel and in some cases, it has even briefly switch direction of onscreen movement. This occurs in all modes (ie. Navigation, Radio, Climate...etc).
The iDrive has been place in a convenient area for the drivers to manipulate while focusing on driving. The “clicks”, I believe were initially intended to give the driver a tactile response to movement on the screen. Based on this idea, I’m fairly certain that within a short period of time, a driver would barely have to take his or her eyes off the road to navigate the onscreen display. However now, with the unreliable movements of the display I find myself constantly taking my eyes of the road and looking at the screen in order to correcting for delays and inaccurate movement. I’ve used the “iDrive” in a 2007 Mercedes 550 and it responds as it should, each click of the wheel corresponds to a movement onscreen, so I know it’s possible. I am also a computer user and know that if I move my mouse a certain distance, it corresponds to a specific distance on the screen. Imagine if when you moved you mouse, there was a delay, or the cursor distance did not consistently correspond to your mouse movement or it move in the opposite direction. How efficient, not to mention annoying, would that be. The point I am attempting to make here is that the lag-time and inaccurate response in the iDrive System is at the very least disappointing and if used while driving VERY detrimental.
As I mentioned in a previous posting on this forum, I took my X5 into the dealer to see if there was a solution to this and to my dismay, I was informed that this is simply the way it is.
I have to say that Overall, I am very happy with my X5. There are just a few significant problems that needed to be resolved prior to this models release and I would have assumed this to be one of them. Sadly, it makes me believe that BMW brushed it aside to be dealt with at a later date.
I apologize for the poor grammar and the ranting and I thank you for reading. If anyone has similar experiences and can better articulate or explain what I’ve attempted above, I’d greatly appreciate your input.
Best Wishes and Safe Driving to All.
-ROD
The iDrive has been place in a convenient area for the drivers to manipulate while focusing on driving. The “clicks”, I believe were initially intended to give the driver a tactile response to movement on the screen. Based on this idea, I’m fairly certain that within a short period of time, a driver would barely have to take his or her eyes off the road to navigate the onscreen display. However now, with the unreliable movements of the display I find myself constantly taking my eyes of the road and looking at the screen in order to correcting for delays and inaccurate movement. I’ve used the “iDrive” in a 2007 Mercedes 550 and it responds as it should, each click of the wheel corresponds to a movement onscreen, so I know it’s possible. I am also a computer user and know that if I move my mouse a certain distance, it corresponds to a specific distance on the screen. Imagine if when you moved you mouse, there was a delay, or the cursor distance did not consistently correspond to your mouse movement or it move in the opposite direction. How efficient, not to mention annoying, would that be. The point I am attempting to make here is that the lag-time and inaccurate response in the iDrive System is at the very least disappointing and if used while driving VERY detrimental.
As I mentioned in a previous posting on this forum, I took my X5 into the dealer to see if there was a solution to this and to my dismay, I was informed that this is simply the way it is.
I have to say that Overall, I am very happy with my X5. There are just a few significant problems that needed to be resolved prior to this models release and I would have assumed this to be one of them. Sadly, it makes me believe that BMW brushed it aside to be dealt with at a later date.
I apologize for the poor grammar and the ranting and I thank you for reading. If anyone has similar experiences and can better articulate or explain what I’ve attempted above, I’d greatly appreciate your input.
Best Wishes and Safe Driving to All.
-ROD