Retrofitting Surround View

[bmwhoo]

Just picked up an X5 for my wife yesterday (special order) and, after getting it home, my wife realized that she actually really did want those surround view cameras. Are there any cost effective solutions here or are we SOL?

Somehow, this is ruining an otherwise really well spec'd car for her...

[MattBianco]

Originally Posted by bmwhoo

Just picked up an X5 for my wife yesterday (special order) and, after getting it home, my wife realized that she actually really did want those surround view cameras. Are there any cost effective solutions here or are we SOL?

Somehow, this is ruining an otherwise really well spec'd car for her...

This is my second F15 X5. I explored above on the first (returned to the dealer as it did not have surround cameras my wife wanted). Dealer could not retrofit. Anything is possible. My guess is cost will be $3-5k plus having to code the car and re-code after every software update as the updates are VIN specific and may override what you do.

At minimum, you will need:

- front camera which is fitted in the hood, not the grill (like the new X5M)
- Side cameras in the mirrors, which also means new mirrors
- button and trim pieces for the additional button in the center console
- wiring
- coding

If it is a deal killer for your wife, I can tell you the cost of selling it back and ordering another is much less. Also, many States offer a 3-7 day return rule for new car purchases.

[jugdish]

I had surround view on my previous car.... Frankly, I didn't use it very often at all, even when parking in the city. It was a nicety, not a necessity. The rear view camera is far more useful in everyday driving and what I would consider a necessity, especially with the sonar parking sensors. BMW has the best integrated parking sensors that not only give an audible alert, but a visual to assist in judging distance.

Save yourself the $5k, enjoy the car, and move up to new technology in a few years.

[artem123]

Originally Posted by jugdish

I had surround view on my previous car.... Frankly, I didn't use it very often at all, even when parking in the city. It was a nicety, not a necessity. The rear view camera is far more useful in everyday driving and what I would consider a necessity, especially with the sonar parking sensors. BMW has the best integrated parking sensors that not only give an audible alert, but a visual to assist in judging distance.

Save yourself the $5k, enjoy the car, and move up to new technology in a few years.

Interestingly, parking sensors on my X15 is one of the few things i dislike compare to my previous ride. I used to own Touareg and parking sensors worked much better then on my X5...

[Kzang]

I use and prefer the surround view when parking beside curbs and parallel parking. It helps reduce the possibility of curb rash...

[bmwhoo]

Originally Posted by Kzang

I use and prefer the surround view when parking beside curbs and parallel parking. It helps reduce the possibility of curb rash...

Yup. This is exactly why she wants it...I don't think it's a deal killer and the costs above are cost prohibitive. Plus, I agree with what's said above in terms of the rear view camera. That plus the side view mirrors does it for me...hopefully she can get used to it...cause I ain't taking that shit back. Too much hassle for a first world problem.

[realsgy]

A properly adjusted right side mirror will let her see the right rear wheel when the mirror folds down in reverse. Makes parking so much easier.