Rudy

I think the article linked in post #1 is fairly accurate in it's assessment of iDrive. Keep in mind that they are referring to the original iDrive that was introduced in the 7 Series. The iDrive that we all know and love is not the same system -- ours is revised and refined. Also, keep in mind that the article isn't slamming iDrive as a concept, it's describing how it was received by the consumer back when it was introduced.

We have to admit that the original iDrive was pretty much a disaster for BMW. They had to buy back many 7 Series cars (never a good thing) due to customer complaints (not journalist complaints) and the overall perception was that iDrive was too complex, etc. The journalists jumped on the bandwagon and, unfortunately, perception became reality. I personally know a long-time BMW 7 Series owner who gave back his iDrive equipped car and left the marque. He now feels that he'll never buy another BMW if it has iDrive. It's not a matter of whether the guy was tech savvy or not (he's not) and it's not a matter of whether the guy gave it enough time to learn how to use it. It's simply a matter of consumer perception. Just like the "new Coke" disaster, this perception hurt BMW in sales and to this day, clueless journalists still bash iDrive because of what happened in the beginning.

I give BMW a tremendous amount of credit for not only being bold enough to be the first to offer this sort of interface but also for sticking with the concept and not bailing out of it went things got ugly. Most of us agree that it's the way to go forward as cars become more complex and more digital. Obviously, the other manufacturers agree -- they're all moving that direction as well. As much as I like iDrive, I have to agree that it can be refined even more. I've spent some extended time in the new S-Class and there are things they've done that are better than BMW but there are clearly some things they've done that are worse...

Will the consumer ever get past the perception that iDrive sucks? Yes, in time. Will my friend ever go back to driving a 7? Probably, since the alternatives from other manufacturers are going to have similar controls, etc. The problem is that BMW lost that customer for a car or two (maybe 6-10 years.) Multiply that over many more people who've either left the marque or decided not to buy the marque and you have a disaster from a business standpoint -- exactly what the article is referring to.

markt540i

I like I-drive on my 550 and have no problem with operating it. It did not take long to get used to it. However, the I-drive in my Dad's 750 is not as easy for me to operate and is frustrating to me. It is significantly different than the I-drive in the 5 series. I suppose more time with it would make it easier to use, but it has been frustrating to go from my car to his and try to use it.

JetBlack5OC

idrive is just fine. Thats why BMW keep putting them in all their new cars. How hard is it to turn and push a knob to navigate a screen. Its a joke that people just don't get it.