Looks killer - yes I admit i would have liked low-profile tires but still prefer the ride of the 16" (and the price)

anyway off for a cruise -- ciao!

 

Congrats!

 

picture, picture, picture!

 

Okay

First impressions of my new 520i

the non-metallic black is amazing... set with the black/titanium interior it looks sharp.

it does have a shark-fin - must house the gps antenna as i have not any phone options (which sucks)

the power of the 2.2l is more than sufficient on the move: a satisfying growl downshift and off she goes... power is so far only an issue from the start when flooring it just doesn't quite move it off as nice as I would like (but i knew that to be the case from the get-go)

moonroof is lovely - and amazingly quiet wide-open at 85mph

85 feels like 50, by the way

didn't have the right roads/traffic to really play with the auto transmission but the sports suspension does a nice job holding tight thru the roundabouts and on motorway ramps.. hugs quite nicely

business nav works extremely well, far better than the destinator/navtech on my laptop

- -- - which raises a question, to Cidair and anyone else with a nav system here in the UK: i don't get TMC... when I try to select it i am told 'no reception' -- located in the SE i assumed that if TMC was available anywhere then it would be here! (TP on the radio works fine)
So, if you have nav and are in the UK, do you get TMC (does it show TMC beside TP in the status line on the screen?)
Thanks

the basic (professional radio) stereo system is, imo, more than adequate, considering I am in a car... at home I have a NAD/b&w so I do understand quality sound but, for me, in a car this is quite sufficient - and the totally out of the way CD changer is quite slick as well

Another question for the UK folk: do you have ashtray & cigar lighters (2) in the back seat, as well as a lighter outlet both somewhere in the front passenger area and in the boot? These were indicated as standard across the line in the brochure but I have a single lighter in the ashtray only!


anyway, that is it for now -- may update impressions later if you wish, and in the meantime would love to know more about UK-spec TMC and 12v outlets!

cheers

 

aka 50oi today!!

picture maybe tomorrow, but all i have to work with is the camera on a t68i as i am an analog photographer kind of guy...

further to the TMC query: is the TMC signal available widely or only based on proximity to the motorway (although today at a motorway rest stop i was told 'no reception' when i tried to turn it on!)

according to a quick search, 8000miles of UK motorways are covered, so one would suspect that the m40 (location of rest-stop) and the m25 (6 miles from my house) would be included???

 

I am in the UK, and also only have a single adapter in the front ashtray, and also one in the boot, (its should be just inside the boot rim near the floor)

I also expected more points.

 

The brochure (UK) stated clearly otherwise re: power drops... have you asked your dealer about it?

 

Congrats,
My 520 is due soon. I will post pics a.s.a.p.. My spec is Titanium grey, manual, 17" double spoke alloys, sports steering wheel.
Mark-Yorkshire

 

re the CD

Both the 6-disc'er and the pro.radio/nav cd/dvd drive will play mp3s burned AS AUDIO files (not native MP3)

the changer will never play native mp3
the DVD drive does NOT play MP3 files - at least not from the cheap white-reflective CDs i have upon which to burn but might work with those with a bluish-tint

i say it MIGHT work because, when i delve into the first (and only accessible, to my knowledge) service menu within the idrive, the version info provided, whilst bloody confusing, does mention MP3, several times, in the listings on the screen

but who knows - it also mentions TMC, as does the DVD (bmw 2004-1) but the TMC doesn't seem to be working.

 

Hi,
How do you get the iDrive version info??