Do you really like the new dashboard?

[snowboarder]

Seriously? Why?
The oversized screen sticking out is simply a terrible design.
Not only it's ugly, but it's affected by sun glare as it's exposed
with no protection.
The whole hand writing recognition is just plain stupid.
I really wish BMW sticked to their roots and kept designing great cars,
instead of following the crowd of giant touch screens and electric
steering...

[chrisny]

Do you have one? Glare has never been an issue in ours, nor in my F30 with a similar screen. The resolution is fantastic and most people in this millennium prefer a bigger screen with lots of useful information on it.

The handwriting, while not used often, is actually pretty simple and helpful to, you know, keep your eyes on the road.

FYI, the screen is not a touch screen. Only the iDrive controller is and you don't have to use the handwriting function, it's just there if you want to.

Electric steering is a whole other debate, not going there. But it's the way of the future, no matter how much you wish BMW stuck to their roots

[ShahiniBmw]

Originally Posted by chrisny

Do you have one? Glare has never been an issue in ours, nor in my F30 with a similar screen. The resolution is fantastic and most people in this millennium prefer a bigger screen with lots of useful information on it.

The handwriting, while not used often, is actually pretty simple and helpful to, you know, keep your eyes on the road.

FYI, the screen is not a touch screen. Only the iDrive controller is and you don't have to use the handwriting function, it's just there if you want to.

Electric steering is a whole other debate, not going there. But it's the way of the future, no matter how much you wish BMW stuck to their roots

Preach it brothaaaaa lol I agree with u

[Zipforia]

Originally Posted by snowboarder

Seriously? Why?
The oversized screen sticking out is simply a terrible design.
Not only it's ugly, but it's affected by sun glare as it's exposed
with no protection.
The whole hand writing recognition is just plain stupid.
I really wish BMW sticked to their roots and kept designing great cars,
instead of following the crowd of giant touch screens and electric
steering...

I agree with you in that the screen does appear to be "sticking out" from the dash. When I first saw it, I was looking for a switch to make it go back down. But that's where we part ways.

The 10" screen is FANTASTIC! It, what so ever, does not get washed out by the sun. I admit, it was a concern. But it is very bright and clear. Like Chrisny said, the resolution is great. I, too, dislike touch screens. And I'm glad this isn't.

The handwriting recognition isn't perfect. But, it's a great feature that does lessen my eyes being on the screen and more on the road, where it matters. For that alone, I think its a great STANDARD feature.

And, again, have to +1 Chrisny regarding steering.

Z.

[acey81]

I hear ya! And while on the subject of new technology, why the hell do Apple keep making "phones" out with just a giant screen? I mean it glares in the sun, you get a ridicules amount of fingerprints on it and it breaks if you drop it. Whats wrong with a normal phone like the Nokia 6610? Bring back 1996 damnit!

[originalgoods13]

Does not bother me one bit.

I work for IT and it is always the generation gap and technology envy that we have problems with, but keeps me employed.

[BMWMN1971]

First time I saw the screen it looked like someone designed the car and completely forgot they had to incorporate a LCD screen. Since they did not have a place to put it they decided to stick in where it is. It looked like a bad design. However, after buying the car I got used to it and love the quality of the screen. Yes, it would be nice to press a button and have it disappear but it is the way it is. I believe this is a new trend as I saw the new Mercedes coming out with the same screen in the same position.

Question: what is this handwriting recognition feature? Am I missing something or it is just another optional BMW has hidden and you only get if you buy a special package that nobody knows it?

[USAusi]

The top of the iDrive controller is a touchpad. It is a standard feature in the new X5. Basically any time the iDrive is in a text pr number input mode, you can draw letters or numbers on top of the controller instead of selecting them on the screen. I believe it also has a zoom function on map displays by "pinching in or out" as you do on a touchscreen device like an iPad.

[chrisny]

Another point about the screen. I had the screen that folded down in a Mercedes C300 once. I literally never closed it except when it closed itself when car was shut off (and no one was there to see it anyway). BUT, it did occasionally fail to open, leaving me with no screen at all and some loss of functionality altogether as a result.

It's nicer than the old screen by far. And now that I've had both, I prefer the "stuck to the dash" over "won't open" lol

[jbwitt]

I love the screen. It's the best screen and user interface I've ever seen in a car. I agree that when I first saw it, it looked slightly afterthought-ish with the placement. But it doesn't bother me. I use the touchpad often, and it works great.

[Shaw]

Screen's design reason (stick out):
1- Modular engineering vs. built in: if something goes wacky with your nav system...they won't have to gut out the whole dash to get it out & fix it...
2- by doing so, they've created more in-cabin space by reducing the dash size...

it's not all the bad once you get used to it...
My new 3 series is the same...the first time I saw the new 3 series, I didn't like it either...but having two BMW's previously with built in display:
you need to look lower to see the screen in a built in type...and it takes your eye off driving...whereas the stick out version keeps your head angeled at almost the same level as to your driving sight...

By the way, if we are to worry too much on the design aspects, then I suggest there are bigger priorities such as having a 3 series and a 4 series Gran Coupe! that are clones!!! WTF is the design team in Munich doing??? smokin' pot?!
...my 2 cents...

[Sedan_Clan]

I like the new interior, but can't get on with the front at all.

[snowboarder]

Originally Posted by chrisny

Do you have one? Glare has never been an issue in ours,

you clearly don't live in Southern California or Florida.

[Zipforia]

I live in Southern California. Did you read my post?

Z.

[chrisny]

Originally Posted by snowboarder

you clearly don't live in Southern California or Florida.

The sun never shines anywhere else?

Do you have an F15 and have been having issues with glare or are you just making assumptions?

[Roundown]

Originally Posted by Shaw

Screen's design reason (stick out):

2- by doing so, they've created more in-cabin space by reducing the dash size...

...my 2 cents...

Completely agree- I love the dash design and have never had any issues with glare. Much better than the old 'double-hump' dash set-up.

[jbwitt]

Originally Posted by snowboarder

you clearly don't live in Southern California or Florida.

And I live in southern Florida. No glare issues.

[kip1]

I like it and the screen, I only have issues with the car not having full LCD instrument panel, otherwise pretty good job incl. the LED ornament lights. I cannot coment on glare as the sun comes up only for a few hours, when it isnt snowing and I have only spent about a week driving different X5s. I would have, however, expcted the car to have a touch screen...

[chrisny]

Originally Posted by kip1

I would have, however, expcted the car to have a touch screen...

I have no facts to back this up, I'll say that up front, but it seems to me that touch screens are the worst things to happen to cars since texting. No button to feel for means more time your eyes are not focused on the road. I've had BMW's, Audi's, Mercedes, Infiniti, and have to say, for all the hits BMW's iDrive has taken, I find it the most intuitive and least intrusive of all of them. I rarely have to even look at the dash let alone reach for it and get finger prints all over my fancy high res screen

I like my touch screen iPhone, iPad and other gadgets. But I'm not operating a 6600lb steam roller when I have to look at them to do almost everything.

[kip1]

Originally Posted by chrisny

I have no facts to back this up, I'll say that up front, but it seems to me that touch screens are the worst things to happen to cars since texting. No button to feel for means more time your eyes are not focused on the road. I've had BMW's, Audi's, Mercedes, Infiniti, and have to say, for all the hits BMW's iDrive has taken, I find it the most intuitive and least intrusive of all of them. I rarely have to even look at the dash let alone reach for it and get finger prints all over my fancy high res screen

True, but all of the touch screens I have used MB, Porsche etc. have a backup system, so you dont need to use it, but sometimes it is faster like dialling a number.

[chrisny]

Originally Posted by kip1

True, but all of the touch screens I have used MB, Porsche etc. have a backup system, so you dont need to use it, but sometimes it is faster like dialling a number.

Fair enough. But I don't trust the 99% of drivers on the road that are idiots and wouldn't use the back-up systems lol. So now instead they're looking down at their texts AND radio stations.

[ADGrant]

Originally Posted by kip1

I like it and the screen, I only have issues with the car not having full LCD instrument panel, otherwise pretty good job incl. the LED ornament lights. I cannot coment on glare as the sun comes up only for a few hours, when it isnt snowing and I have only spent about a week driving different X5s. I would have, however, expcted the car to have a touch screen...

BMW got that right at least. Not sure about the "popup" style of the screen but the image quality is fantastic (better than any other system I have seen) and the iDrive controller is way better than the touch screen on all the competitors I have recently test driven.

Such a shame about the steering though.