New Car Questions

[nicros]

Hi all! Just picked up a lightly used (6500 miles) 2017 X5 xDrive50i, loaded with M Sport package and Executive package. Wow, great car! Thoroughly enjoying it so far, but I do have some questions...

1. Is there a way to program or use the iDrive control touchpad for volume control? Seems bizarre to me to use it to write letters but not use simple gestures like skip track, volume up/down etc.
2. What's the best mileage anyone has gotten from an xDrive50i in full Eco Pro mode?
3. What's the difference, if any, between the sport mode you enter when moving the stick to the left, vs. the sport or sport+ modes using the toggle switch on the left side of the console?
4. In Eco Pro mode, when I hit the brakes it says 'charging battery'. What battery? Is that the normal starting battery or is there some hybrid thing going on here?
5. The fact that there's no prev/next track buttons on the steering or on the console (like my old Q5) is disappointing. I would LOVE to program the M Steering wheel so that the + and - buttons on the right side of the wheel are previous and next tracks rather than volume... and the spinner between those +/- buttons would adjust volume. Any way to do this that anyone knows of?

Thanks!

[Maverik259]

So Did you just start an entire second thread to ask the same thing you just asked here about the steering wheel buttons? Lol

And welcome. Yes great car. When you say loaded what else besides the executive package?

[nicros]

Well I figured after I posted this it was more of a programming question so I also asked there. Car specs/packages:
Space Gray Metallic
Black Dakota Leather
Cold Weather Package
Driver Assistance Plus
Executive Package
M Sport Package (469M wheels)
3rd Row Seats

And then a ton of stuff that looks like it was just included (CarPlay, LED Fog Lights, Park Distance Control, Rearview Cameras etc.)

So fun to drive!

[rhite95]

Welcome !!

I love driving it more and more everyday ...

[nicros]

Originally Posted by rhite95

Welcome !!

I love driving it more and more everyday ...

Thank you!

Any thoughts on the questions?

[sj22]

Originally Posted by nicros

Hi all! Just picked up a lightly used (6500 miles) 2017 X5 xDrive50i, loaded with M Sport package and Executive package. Wow, great car! Thoroughly enjoying it so far, but I do have some questions...

1. Is there a way to program or use the iDrive control touchpad for volume control? Seems bizarre to me to use it to write letters but not use simple gestures like skip track, volume up/down etc.
2. What's the best mileage anyone has gotten from an xDrive50i in full Eco Pro mode?
3. What's the difference, if any, between the sport mode you enter when moving the stick to the left, vs. the sport or sport+ modes using the toggle switch on the left side of the console?
4. In Eco Pro mode, when I hit the brakes it says 'charging battery'. What battery? Is that the normal starting battery or is there some hybrid thing going on here?
5. The fact that there's no prev/next track buttons on the steering or on the console (like my old Q5) is disappointing. I would LOVE to program the M Steering wheel so that the + and - buttons on the right side of the wheel are previous and next tracks rather than volume... and the spinner between those +/- buttons would adjust volume. Any way to do this that anyone knows of?

Thanks!

1. No, I find it easier to use the steering buttons for volume
2. Will depend a lot on where you drive, I get 20mpg approx in city if I am very careful.

4. It uses the braking to charge the car's battery so gas isnt used to maintain battery voltage.
5. I suspect the m steering has those disadvantages, the routine steering has the spinner. No way to recode them.

[Flying Ace]

I'm going to answer this question in depth here:

4. In Eco Pro mode, when I hit the brakes it says 'charging battery'. What battery? Is that the normal starting battery or is there some hybrid thing going on here?

The battery in question is the car's AGM battery, the only battery you have that runs everything electrical in the car. This is a pretty important meter for you to monitor during your ownership. It's part of BMW's efficient dynamics systems. The car decouples the alternator during acceleration. During coasting and light breaking, the alternator and brakes (I believe current generation efficient dynamics have regen breaking) then kicks in charges the battery.

This along with other reasons is why the AGM battery in our cars tend to go bad earlier in ownership depending on your driving habits. When you can, make sure your car charges during coasting or light breaking scenarios, and this meter is the best way to know when you're recharging.

Why SHOULD you care? B/c this battery costs $550 or so to replace and would need to be recoded. So it isn't as easy as showing up at a Napa or Autozone.

Ask me how I know...

[Wardman]

#5 - the M steering wheel does not have the roller wheel, that when in pandora or a radio station allows you to go forward or back (or chose a different song)? My complaint is that when using the roller, it does not change the station setting on the large screen as you role it vs looking at the small screen between the mph and tac. Can that be coded?

[Rotzy]

Originally Posted by nicros

3. What's the difference, if any, between the sport mode you enter when moving the stick to the left, vs. the sport or sport+ modes using the toggle switch on the left side of the console?

Thanks!

Welcome to the X5 family.

Good discussion here.

http://f15.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1362173

[IndyJer]

Originally Posted by sahiljain22

5. I suspect the m steering has those disadvantages, the routine steering has the spinner. No way to recode them.

M steering wheel has the same functions as non M wheel. Use the scroll wheel up or down to move through songs/stations, press the wheel to select.

As you scroll, selections will show up on HUD if you have it, or on dash if you don't have HUD.

[Florida-X3]

Originally Posted by IndyJer

M steering wheel has the same functions as non M wheel. Use the scroll wheel up or down to move through songs/stations, press the wheel to select.

As you scroll, selections will show up on HUD if you have it, or on dash if you don't have HUD.

The one downside to the scrolling wheel for me is, I almost exclusively listen to my USB connected (dedicated) iPod on shuffle. If you press the next track button down by the volume knob, shuffle is maintained. If you use the steering wheel scroll wheel it instantly converts to alphabetical.

[IndyJer]

Originally Posted by Florida-X5

The one downside to the scrolling wheel for me is, I almost exclusively listen to my USB connected (dedicated) iPod on shuffle. If you press the next track button down by the volume knob, shuffle is maintained. If you use the steering wheel scroll wheel it instantly converts to alphabetical.

Interesting, mine doesn't work that way. If I select shuffle playback from the iDrive it stays in shuffle when I use the scroll wheel to change tracks. Maybe you have selected shuffle on your iPod and not through iDrive?

[Florida-X3]

Originally Posted by IndyJer

Interesting, mine doesn't work that way. If I select shuffle playback from the iDrive it stays in shuffle when I use the scroll wheel to change tracks. Maybe you have selected shuffle on your iPod and not through iDrive?

Yes, I select shuffle on the iPod .... please tell me how to do it via iDrive!

[Wardman]

Originally Posted by Florida-X5

Yes, I select shuffle on the iPod .... please tell me how to do it via iDrive!

Pretty sure you select the ipod (external device) on the screen, then push big circular wheel to the right - check the box that says shuffle in the list of additional options.

[Florida-X3]

Originally Posted by Wardman

Pretty sure you select the ipod (external device) on the screen, then push big circular wheel to the right - check the box that says shuffle in the list of additional options.

Thank you, that did the trick!

[Kr0m3assass1n]

Originally Posted by Florida-X5

Thank you, that did the trick!

Also can be done by hitting the Options button on iDrive when Media screen is selected and playing your music.

Sometimes my car doesn't maintain Random mode so I have to do this too.

[crackerjack15]

#3 - I don't believe there is any difference, except that when you use the shifter to select sport mode, you can see what gear you are in and you can convert to manual operation by pushing forward or backwards. When I want sport mode, it seems easier to me to just kick the shifter to the left.

[Rotzy]

Originally Posted by crackerjack15

#3 - I don't believe there is any difference, except that when you use the shifter to select sport mode, you can see what gear you are in and you can convert to manual operation by pushing forward or backwards. When I want sport mode, it seems easier to me to just kick the shifter to the left.

But moving the shifter left into sport mode still doesn't change throttle response, steering weight, suspension settings, etc. It's a transmission only function. It changes shift points and firms up the shifting.

[IndyJer]

Originally Posted by Rotzy

But moving the shifter left into sport mode still doesn't change throttle response, steering weight, suspension settings, etc. It's a transmission only function. It changes shift points and firms up the shifting.

This is correct. Shifter to left only changes transmission shift points. It even does this if drive selector is already in sport mode. Try it... drive down road in comfort and put drive selector in sport mode, car will downshift and revs will increase. Now move shifter to the left, car will rev up even more.

Selecting sport with drive selector also adjusts throttle response, steering weight, and suspension (if chassis is selected in your iDrive settings for sport mode)

[Rotzy]

For even more proof, try the following:

While in on the highway with your foot stationary on the accelerator:

Move the shift lever left into sport mode. Notice how the transmission downshifts, but you do not accelerate? This is because it has no impact on throttle mapping.

Now, with your foot still stationary on the accelerator:

Use the drive selector and the next mode up. Notice how the vehicle accelerates? This is because moving up a mode (from eco pro -> Comfort -> Sport -> Sport+) remaps the throttle response to a more aggressive setting with each successive mode.