Setting the record straight: we review the New York Times review of iDrive

[Jonathan Spira]

BMW introduced the fourth generation of its oft-criticized iDrive cockpit controller system in the 2009 3 Series this fall. The New York Times' review of the latest version of iDrive this week sees the latest version as a marked improvement over previous iterations, but the reviewer gets several facts wrong in comparing the new-and-improved iDrive to its predecessors.

The latest version of iDrive in the new 7 Series

As a public service, here are five key points where the Great Gray Lady got it wrong, with full clarification.

NEW YORK TIMES: Earlier iDrives were so slow to respond that changing any setting was best performed while the car was parked.

We say: While pre-4.0 iDrive systems set no speed records, this is simply not correct. While the Gen 1 iDrive (as introduced in September 2001 in the 2002 E65/E66 7 Series) was a bit of a laggard, it was also built on a platform that was discarded fairly quickly. Even this system was fast enough to be used when driving; its complex menu structure, however, did slow the driver down—but that is clearly not what The Times had in mind.

Starting with Generation 2 (introduced in the 2004 E60/E61 5 Series), iDrive, while not setting speed records, could not be characterized as slow, either. Subsequent software upgrades provided some improvement in speed, and the Gen 3 iDrive (introduced in March 2007) could even be considered snappy. [Not if that's the iDrive in the 335i it can't!—SC]

NYT: [An] 80-gigabyte hard drive . . . lets iDrive switch more quickly between functions and controls.

Us: The hard drive speeds up navigation and other functions but has nothing to do with the speed with which iDrive switches between “functions and controls.”

NYT: There’s a connector for the music player in the armrest.

Us: Not an iDrive feature, this was an option (6FL) that was introduced in several models as of March 2007 production.

NYT: You can speak city and street names to plot a route or say the name of a contact to dial a Bluetooth-connected cell phone.

Us: Speaking city and street names has been an iDrive function for several years; speaking names of contacts in a mobile phone has been available since at least iDrive 2.0 with the introduction of the CCC (Car Communication Computer)-based iDrive.

NYT: For example, they [BMW Owners] can change programs that previously only dealers could adjust, like the automatic door-lock settings, as well as check information like the tire pressure.

Us: Personal Profiles (which allow owners to set things like door locks) were introduced in September 2005 in the 2006 3 Series . Tire-pressure monitoring via iDrive has been available in various guises for several years as well.

For a complete history of iDrive, see BMW iDrive 6 years in: The world’s best cockpit controller?. For a test drive (including videos) of the newest version of iDrive, see exclusive iDrive report.—Jonathan Spira, technology editor, bmwcca.org

[bcweir]

I think the New York Times should stick to their usual political tirades and celebrity fluff, and leave the car reviews to experts.