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      03-28-2013, 10:47 PM   #3
Grovsnus
Flight Lieutenant ≛
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Drives: Le Mans blue X1 35i
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: CT

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Twix View Post
They call the controls in this thing complicated?
To be honest, some of them are more complicated than functional.

- To play bluetooth audio, don't go to CD/Multimedia->Bluetooth (audio), but CD/Multimedia->External Devices. The former is for selecting WHICH bluetooth phone, and the latter for selecting THAT you want to use bluetooth audio. WTF?

- The previous/next up/down selector on the steering wheel works the opposite of any other system. How about putting the letters "NEXT" on one of them?

- How many twists and clicks to turn off stereo and/or digital stereo for a weak radio channel? Removing physical buttons doesn't make things easier if you have to wade through boatloads of menus to do the same.

- You can't import audio from the USB port on the console; you have to use the one in the glove box.

- The cruise control moves in four directions plus a button, and you need to memorize it, cause it is obscured by the wheel while driving. And it snags when what you really want is blink right. I wish I could pull that useless POS right off.

- You can't just say "drive home", but have to go through three menus before your driving directions activate. Even worse if it's not home.

- Speaking of the navigation system, when there are categories or subcategories with just one option, why do you have to go through an extra screen where you have to confirm just that one choice?

- Hold the trunk key down for too short, and it doesn't open. Hold it for too long, and the car alarm goes off.

- With "comfort entry", shotgun passengers are likely to place their thumb where it locks the car. If you have to educate your passengers, it's too complicated.

- But the ultimate WTF must be the procedure for resetting the compass. You'd think it could just get the data from the GPS, right? No, the procedure is so cumbersome that I bet none of you have done it. Unless your dealer did it, it probably still shows German compass directions, uncalibrated.

All that said, it's no worse than most cars. It's just that usability isn't all that high on the list for BMW for anything not directly impacting driving. Even though I have seen worse, it could certainly be better.

As for Consumer Reports, I don't think they're old men. I think they're primarily women in their thirties, more interested in how it transports kids and call friends on the phone than how it drives and performs.

Last edited by Grovsnus; 03-28-2013 at 10:54 PM..
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