I am pretty sure it's virtually impossible to retrofit as you'll require a whole new fascia behind the dashboard. The cost would be so inhibiting that it would be cheaper to buy a newer car with HUD fitted.

 

I think there is even a different windscreen needed so it could be pricey....

 

Thats right ,the price of my cracked windscreen was quoted to me at ?785 by my BMW dealer ! Good job it was replaced under warranty.

 

Odd then that HUD - such a great drivers aid - isnt available on the two seater sports car in the range the z4? nor the three series, nor the 1 series - all cars that easily could break ?30-?40,000 in price if you wanted them to. Or is it something aimed at just 5 and 7 series owners as they know they like their toys?

I don't object to people spending money on the options they want for their car, in fact i positively would encourage it. What i do object to is the mentality that oh you have to have this option for resale, which is not necessarily true. Particularly, as we have debated before a ?2400 NAV option might add ?1000 to the resale value if sold say within three years - even less at say 5 years.

"it seems you consider everyone who orders options you don't rate ( eg Nav) to be a mug who wastes their cash." not true - if someone wants NAV or wants HUD, then by all means go for it, i merely defend those of us who don't buy those particular options from the 'OMG, how can you even survive without them?' mentality that appears.

And yes you're spot on with your options. The sticker price of my 535d M sport was around ?40000 and yet the final bill would have been around ?47000 if i'd paid sticker price for the car. But they were ?7000 of options i truely wanted. Not ?7000 of options that might help it sell a bit quicker come resale OR that get a popular vote on some forum.

What i dont do though is come on to forums and say 'oh i simply couldnt live without 19 inch rims' or 'i bought my 535d because it makes the 5 series so much more a drivers car' which is the sort of opinion that is being attached to HUD and NAV, etc. Those were options i wanted, but i certainly wouldnt look upon someone who didnt chose my particular options with the abject horror that seems to happen on here when you dont buy some particular option or other.

"The thread was about whether HUD is worth the money.The vast majority of people who have it think it is." and the vast majority of people who dont have it DONT think it is - exactly why options shouldnt be down to a popularity contest.

To the OP, if you're interested in it, check out a car that has it, test drive it, see what you think. With your new BMW being the drivers car that it is, i'm sure you'll love it no matter what spec you settle on.

 

Heated thread! I live in very sunny climate and wear polorized sunglasses 80% of my time behind the wheel. If this did not render HUD useless, I would buy the option. I cannot see the the LED on a 3 series either.

Maybe BMW will find a solution to this problem by my f10 order in 2010.

 

An HUD would definitely be of less value with the diesel, I hadn't considered the implications of that. The Z4 would be a different story for me.

But then there's the price They do seriously overcharge for it, even at $1,000 here in the U.S. But the UK price works out to about $1,800. I don't see myself paying that much.

Here in the U.S. GM offers an HUD on a few models for $350, or about ?175. That's a price at which I wouldn't think twice.

 

Anyone try to retrofit HUD? I would guess it could be done fairly easily and you could use the existing dash. I ask because I bought a used M5 and the HUD was not in the car. I knew I wanted it but could not help from buying the car anyway.

 

I think the general consensus here over the years has been that the HUD retrofit would be way too expensive -- you can't use the existing dash, windshield, etc.

 

The dash would need to be cut obviously but the trim piece would cover the hole. The windshield could be handled with a section of window tint in the viewing area. So in that case it should just be the HUD display, trim pieces, bolts, etc and maybe a dealer program. There may also be a switch to turn it on and off by the lights but I am not sure. Has anyone priced the HUD display?

 

Ahh, well if I was going for Nav and i could add HUD for ?175, then yeah, cool, even if it were ?500 over here, then hmmm, maybe, but ?900 has to be taking the P! :thumbsdown: