[stvding]

Originally Posted by Ramos

Couldn't be further from the truth but change for the sake of change is not a good thing.

Never will be a more satisfying combo than watching a mechanical needle sweep a round analog tachometer all the way to redline before clak clak you slam your own manual gear lever into the next gear!

Call me old fashioned all you want, I call myself a purest.

Then you will have very hard time finding analog gauge nowadays in a premium market. Maybe a 320i base. Definitely not higher models. So, accept? I guess? Or buy old car.

[NormanConquest]

Call me old school, not a fan of the digital screens
I like the combo my car currently has the dash has analog and the overhead screen on the windshield is digital

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by joshuastein55

There's a whole bunch of widget/app like thinks you can customize next to the tachometer. I saw a video where they changed it from torque/power ratings, to a g force meter, music, eco settings, etc. even if its less customizable than the MBUX or MMI system, its still has more to offer than BMW's current digital gauges, which can't even display maps in the dash.

Hell the current ones can't even display actual gauge things like true water temp, oil temp, voltage etc

[py0413]

If those buttons aren't touch sensed, that's the only thing I'd care about this update.

[JRobUSC]

Originally Posted by farns2345

Saw the new digital display in use in a car wow review of the new x5 and it looks so much worse than the digital displays in Audi and Merc. I was waiting to have an opinion until I saw it in use and now it's confirmed. I can't believe BMW brought this to market. Aside from bmw ditching round dials (why?) it looks so cluttered and unintuitive. I don't understand how they can make something as good as "idrive" and this is what they do for a digital display. I really think the digital display alone will make people chose a different brand.

Would that be this CarWow review? The one that said the new X5 was the best all-around BMW on the market?

Yeah, I wonder how many people will choose a different brand based entirely on their impression of the instrument cluster in a review in which they said the vehicle overall was BMW’s best and best in segment. Anyone that wants to leave the brand over a review that said it was the best BMW and best in class, don’t let the door hit you

[BLACK HAWK DOWN]

Pass!

[NormanConquest]

How did they f up putting the indicator of where the fuel cap is located so badly. It been the standard for 50+ years.

[Dog Face Pony Soldier]

Looking closely it appears that COMFORT and ECOPRO modes have a needle graphic for speed and rpm*... Yet SPORT doesn't really have a much of a needle at all. This feels backwards from what I'd expect. Maybe the in-person experience is different?

*edit: ECOPRO gauge on right side appears to be a fuel consumption indicator.

[DCG]

Regarding what's in front of the steering wheel.

As a Designer I feel thing should be clean, simple, classic yet modern and up-to-date with high definition. Less is more sometimes, you don't want to overwhelm the driver with too much visual information in front of them. You want to focus on the road ahead and incoming traffic as you want other fellow road goers to do the same.

While riding my motorcycle I see nothing but distracted drivers constantly and they are a total danger.

I think BMW keeps their dashboard very clean and simple. I see what other manufacturers are doing and it is just information overload with tons and tons of buttons everywhere and they just look totally over done and totally confusing.

With that said I think the cockpit looks pretty darn cool overall.

There is definitely a fine line of what is just too much for drivers of different ages and generations to take on while they should be simply focusing on the task ahead and that means driving.


We just recently test drove a 2019 X4 with the new large HD touchscreen, it worked amazingly easy. That will be a nice addition and I think everyone will like that now that young and older generations are use to their touchscreen mobile devices.

Regarding the jester control, we only use it to raise and lower and to shut the radio off. The gesture control sensor is in the rearview mirror projecting down. So if it's not working for you make sure your hand is directly below the rearview mirror I don't think people are aware of where they should be placing there hand. But it is definitely cool and a unique feature. I personally would like to see voice activation. Just like I'm dictating this into my iPhone.

[Mani59]

It looks too cluttered plus I don't like how the rev counter goes up in the opposite direction.

Shame there is no option for the old needle type dials.

[Romo]

Originally Posted by M5ZRH

Looks nice but:
"purist layout, with intuitive structure and operation" ???
1. there seems to be an overload of information ie count the number of individual data points shown in the display: is this puristic ?
2. the anticlockwise rev counter is intuitive ? what is the logic ?... form should follow function and this design is just to clear up the space in the middle and not follow natural human cognitive perception
3. in the blue eco mode the mpg reading is -clockwise- ie 90mpg the best result... ?
4. If you look at the rest of the dashboard you will have a variety of -different- movements to execute which are not homogeneous, nor intuitive ie push, pull, rotate clockwise, anticlockwise, rotate vertically, and the different buttons have a different texture... so where is the purist, intuitive structure and operation ?
BMW has always been recognized for the superior human / machine interaction but here it is perplexing...

Exactly my thoughts as well !!

Pure information overload with things going on who have nothing to do with driving. If I would have an entertainment centre I would stay at home personally.

The rev counter is just not form follows function !! Nobody can look this way, just not our biology.

It is way to much, to restless, to fuzzy, to nervous, to restless.

No BMW, you have missed it completely, you wanted to be modern, dramatic bad it has become.



I`m 52 before someone asks

Let me tell the youngster overhere; BMW has been the leading car manufacturer who did build the finest cockpits in the past, clear, ergonomical, in every aspect way ahead of its time.
Those days are certainly gone, it is not the driving what counts, it is apple carplay, the cup storage for you coca cola etc etc

A cockpit is about driving, about oil temp, about reading a rev counter clock wise, about situational awareness (Like a fighter jet)
Not blurring al kind of stuf in to it with no driving interaction what so ever.

Yes you may cal me an old grumpy guy, I do not care, this cockpit can not deserve that name in a 1000 years.

[shaytun]

Originally Posted by stvding

How old are you?

I agree. These screens are a lot of gimmicks. You can do what you want but there should at least be the option of a central tach on any digital screen if you claim the car is a performance automobile. Not sure if it's an option on these. Nothing beats a central analogue tach. Think Ferrari.

[BM dnobagaV]

Originally Posted by Ramos

Am I the only one who doesn't care for this and just wants my plain old analog Speedo and tach??

You are not alone. I say that as a young gentleman, as well

[nublu2u]

Dear BMW...........nope.

What’s worse than a irregular shaped speedo with a floating needle, yip, a irregular shaped rev counter with floating needle that goes CCW. Horrible.

If it’s a fully digital then hopefully it’s easy enough to produce a new version (you know, circular, simple, add clutter if you want it) however, if it is a new 'design language' we're scoofed.

[nozydog]

Originally Posted by Ramos

Am I the only one who doesn't care for this and just wants my plain old analog Speedo and tach??

this is just a load of marketing BS and I think the digital cluster will be a cost option on the G20 which I certainly won’t be paying for. All I want is the car to drive properly

Drove an Audi TT and hated their all digital ‘virual’ Display... felt I was in an amusement arcade playing a video driving game!

[ADS-UK]

Can I have my virtual cockpit with the basic info? Don't care about any of the fancy maps, music, etc. I'd rather have those on my centre console and HUD.

That said I love how the new centre console looks like. Seems like an improvement from iDrive 6.0.

[530iDriver]

Originally Posted by stvding

Now 3 series have better and newer interior design than premium 5 and 7 series. Nice job BMW!

Define better.

[530iDriver]

Originally Posted by stvding

How old are you?

And you sound like you are 12 years old perhaps?

[530iDriver]

Originally Posted by stvding

Then you will have very hard time finding analog gauge nowadays in a premium market. Maybe a 320i base. Definitely not higher models. So, accept? I guess? Or buy old car.

You seem to have a strange infatuation with 320s...

[hinckley]

Originally Posted by joshuastein55

There's a whole bunch of widget/app like thinks you can customize next to the tachometer. I saw a video where they changed it from torque/power ratings, to a g force meter, music, eco settings, etc. even if its less customizable than the MBUX or MMI system, its still has more to offer than BMW's current digital gauges, which can't even display maps in the dash.

I've seen that video now and there appears to be 2 of 12 inches of display dedicated to user definable fields. That's just nuts. I'm a 60 year old guy. Been in the tech business all my life. I love tech, but not tech for tech's sake.

For those of you who've said that you "love the look", look past the pretty picture. Is this usable tech? Can anyone really tell me that that "map" that takes up over half of the real estate is helpful in any way? Can it replace the beautiful iDrive nav graphics in the central display? It can't for me. So why's it there? How do I benefit? BMW designed those odd mirrored gauges to open up this huge central display area. And then does zero with it. Prime real estate. Right in front of the driver.

Again, for those of you that like this, please take a look at Audi's and Merc's implementation. There may be aspects that you don't like (I know some don't like Audi's large central map), but that's just the point of those displays . . . there are several options to get the information you want in the format that you want it. That's what a good user interface is all about. I'm just amazed that the company that brings us iDrive can fail in such a big way (and for a second time) with a digital dash display.

Rant over.

[10"]

Skip.

[bm3nyc]

Cluster looking good!