Hey everyone -

I need some opinions here. I've been going back and forth in my head about what to do. I really don't care for my smaller 6' screen, without navi and no iPod connection in my new (to me) 2006 550i I just bought.

So I've been looking at the CCC retrofit and the CIC retrofit options. I love how the CIC looks, but it is obviously much more expensive. That said, I am on the fence about whether or not it's worth it.

Plus I'm really worried about any electrical repairs or problems I might run in to and having to deal with BMW after having done one of these retrofits. I only have a 3rd party warranty already, instead of a BMW warranty, so I'm apprehensive to make any electrical changes that could cause problems.

I know many of yous guys have either thought about it or already completed a retrofit, so you must have gone through the same thing I'm going through.. Any advice/thoughts/opinions are greatly appreciated!

Here's a shot of the car I took last night

 

I've installed the CIC retrofit on my 06' as well. I did it with along with the Combox and 6NR package from member Patrys (info@bimmer-tech.net). Is it worth it? I like it, but unfortunately, I don't drive the car that far so I haven't used the NAV much. I'm a gadget slut so to me it's great. I like hooking it up to my phone for music and especially stream Pandora when driving to areas you can't get radio reception but want to listen to other music not on your phone.
About the NAV?....ehh...The turn by turn sucks.

 

My opinion is if you plan to keep your car for a number of years it might be worth considering the CIC retrofit. For me it was too expensive for the realistic time I would be using it (I am already lookng at replacements), and my car came with CCC Nav, so the additional cost wasn't worth the features to me. I have AUX input, so I can play music from my phone and ipod, and thanks to Simon I also have traffic info enabled, so there isn't much that CIC would offer me.

 

I also just got my 550i a month ago, and it is an 08 with the CCC system with NAV and traffic and iPod and aux.

Yes the CIC is so pretty and I was drooling over it, but like Pjinca said above, the pretty UI does not justify its price for me.... for now. If I was to drop this kind of money on the car, without a doubt it'd be for a limited slip.

 

if you want something that will give no issues with BMW go with the CCC because its an approved system for your car if retrofitted correctly.

The CIC will cause you more issues with BMW and garages especially if you cannot code yourself but the CIC is still OK.
Combox is completely out of the question with the E60. However I think the CIC is incomplete without the Combox.

Again if you decide to keep your car for a long time go with the CIC, the CCC has had its time in the sun, infact the CIC is showing its age too. dont expect to get any of your investment back when you sell the car so you are doing this simply for yourself.

 

bruce_miranda, balbs on this thread said he did the CIC retrofit with the combox, so when you say it's completely out of the question, I'm not sure what you mean.

As far as the CCC option, that sounds a lot more reasonable. Can I retrofit the CCC version to come with an iPod or AUX option?

I had a similar thought process here as pjinca and oro, except I'm coming from the opposite side. I have the pre-CCC set up, so if I was going to spend money to upgrade to the CCC, might as well at least consider the CIC, since it looks so damn nice. Not sure I'd be browsing the internet while in the car, but being able to watch DVD's when the car's in park is nice (for me). And I'm comfortable saying what's mostly unspoken: impressing passengers that get in the car is important to me. Not to mention that I'd like to enjoy what I see while I drive the car.

I know this is a matter of opinion here, and it's based on what I decide, so I'm just looking for what other people think, exactly like what you guys have been telling me! So much appreciated.

If anyone else has a thought, please share...

 

Yes, you can retrofit the CCC to come with iPod or AUX. Both only require cables pinned into the square plug at the back of the unit, both can be had with a CCC unit, screen, and probably programming for less than the cost of the CIC unit and screen itself. I would contact modmynav.com (member here) about the DVD playing (called Video in motion) and maybe even a Denison gateway for this. Again, all the options I listed can be had for less than the price of the CIC unit and screen alone, plus you will have it all installed and working cheaper.
Like I said, if I planned to keep my E60 another 5-6 years, I might look harder at the CIC retrofit. However, since I plan on getting something newer by the end of this year it's not really worth it to me. It's already getting to the point where a CPO 2010-2012 5 series (that would come with CIC) are much more affordable, so I would use the money from the retrofit on a down payment on a newer car, easier and I would have a newer car.

 

FYI....If you decide to go CCC, I can set you up with almost all the parts you need as i have upgraded to CIC and have all the old items (including ipod interface) left over. It's easy to put in and coding is pretty straight forward to. CCC should not void any warranties as it is factory original.

 

I'm interested in your parts.

 

The E60 was never released with the Combox. So none of the garages will ever be able to code your car once you put that in. Also to make the Combox work on the E60 the CIC is flashed with the E90 software and that makes it completely unrecognisable by the systems.

If you are going down the path of the CIC I would recommend that you learn some coding yourself or have someone close by who can do it.