BMW E90 Satnav

J1nxy · 11 Sep 2009 at 22:14

paradigm said:
The later discs are far better IMO. Not sure if it changes the iDrive nav in the same way it changes the older nav like in the e46, but updating the software and map disc was one of the best things I've done to the car.

The iDrive is an independent update to the Nav disc, the DVD is just maps, POI and TMC info. The dealers have to flash the whole unit which takes hours to get new software onto it. Mine was flashed this week with the latest update as it'd hung a couple of times.

Thats the dash from my 07 car, the bottom slot is the Nav DVD drive but you can also put a MP3 DVD/CD in there and listen to that if your not using the NAV DVD at the time. Just appears in the Entertainment menu as DVD drive.

The NAV DVD is obtained from a BMW dealer and costs about £120 for the latest one.

mr tommo · 11 Sep 2009 at 22:22

I had a tomtom 710 which cost a fair bit when it first came out. Then I bought my Z4 with its 6 year old Sat nav where I cant even perform a post code search...but... I've not used my tomtom for the last 10 months since buying my car. Its just so much less hassle to have it all built in.

Dandle · 11 Sep 2009 at 22:23

[TW]Fox;14864780 said:
Really? TomTom is regarded as one of the best, suprised that you find the BMW system 'way better'?

I'd prefer it, but only because its better intergrated?

It isn't way better its the same as mine, TomTom is easier and has a better interface. The built in nav is a bit clunky to use and the major downside is no 7 digit postcode search. Like you though I think its better because of the way everything intergrates around iDrive.

Sukh said:
Why don't built in Nav utilise 7 digit post code?

Its to do with the licensing of the postcode database and the cost of it from the post office. There are hacked BMW nav discs that have the 7 digit postcode search enabled but they still aren't as easy to use as TomTom etc. as you have to search the postcode as a POI or the like.

Django x2 · 11 Sep 2009 at 23:23

I had my idrive flashed a month or two back. Took almost 48 hours and had to be done remotely by BMW uk. :confused:

Much much snappier now though.

Westyfield2 · 12 Sep 2009 at 00:24

[TW]Fox;14864780 said:
Really? TomTom is regarded as one of the best, suprised that you find the BMW system 'way better'?

I'd prefer it, but only because its better intergrated?

To be fair; I haven't used TomToms much, mainly used Garmins.

It's the way it's integrated, voice-input etc that I really like. Also it gets a satellite lock moreless instantly instead of spending a while, and still works in carparks (guess that's having the ariel outside the car helping).

And the there's the 'send to car' from Google Maps on your Computer! Literally get in the car, go to the right bit on iDrive and accept it as destination. So much easier than entering the address on a touchscreen or even the iDrive knob.

Main downsides I'd say is the way you can't make the map fullscreen (that's changed on the new HDD ones though) and that you can't get it to alert you that your approaching a POI, so have to rely on having a quick glance at it see the Speed Camera icons.

Sukh · 12 Sep 2009 at 01:39

Dandle said:
Its to do with the licensing of the postcode database and the cost of it from the post office. There are hacked BMW nav discs that have the 7 digit postcode search enabled but they still aren't as easy to use as TomTom etc. as you have to search the postcode as a POI or the like.

How come these £50 GPS units can do it, but a £1000 option on an audi doesn't, surely licensing cannot be that much extra?

Tom|Nbk · 12 Sep 2009 at 02:18

Lucero said:
I had my idrive flashed a month or two back. Took almost 48 hours and had to be done remotely by BMW uk.

Much much snappier now though.

O.o , cool.

J1nxy · 12 Sep 2009 at 07:17

Westyfield2 said:
Main downsides I'd say is the way you can't make the map fullscreen (that's changed on the new HDD ones though) and that you can't get it to alert you that your approaching a POI, so have to rely on having a quick glance at it see the Speed Camera icons.

Don't you find the map big enough in either the assist window or the main screen? I usually run mine with entertainment in the main larger area and then have either perspective or arrow view on the assist side.

Shame about the POI but they are mainly there for navigating to, so can understand why it doesn't alert on them...I'd guess it'll appear in the future as it wasn't standard on the hand held devices either until relatively recently.

Dangerous Dave · 12 Sep 2009 at 11:22

I always find integrated units slightly behind the input interfaces for route destinations of TomTom etc however they look a lot better and the new VW/BMW units can take routes from google maps which make it a lot easier. I have the new touch screen hard drive based VW RNS510 unit and it is superb and very quick at routes as the maps are on the HD.

I am running the 2009-2 BMW disk with speed cameras as the VW maps are not as uptodate like the BMW navigation the only two things that need added are full postcode search and an audio alert approaching POI so it alerts you to speed cameras. I can't see how that can be hard to do with a firmware update.

JAzz · 12 Sep 2009 at 12:27

On the whole it is decent and it does make the dash look better. Considering what you pay for it I'd say it should be better though.

Sukh said:
How come these £50 GPS units can do it, but a £1000 option on an audi doesn't, surely licensing cannot be that much extra?

Because the car manufacturers know they can get away without putting it on?

Anyway you can buy a disc for the BMW which adds the post code option. You need to go through a few options to get there but it works pretty well I find. http://www.eurosatnav.com/ That is where I bought mine from, pretty nice guy to deal with as well.

J1nxy · 12 Sep 2009 at 19:14

JAzz said:
Anyway you can buy a disc for the BMW which adds the post code option. You need to go through a few options to get there but it works pretty well I find. http://www.eurosatnav.com/ That is where I bought mine from, pretty nice guy to deal with as well.

Isn't that disc somewhat on the "dodgy" side?

Westyfield2 · 12 Sep 2009 at 19:57

JAzz said:
On the whole it is decent and it does make the dash look better. Considering what you pay for it I'd say it should be better though.

Because the car manufacturers know they can get away without putting it on?

Anyway you can buy a disc for the BMW which adds the post code option. You need to go through a few options to get there but it works pretty well I find. http://www.eurosatnav.com/ That is where I bought mine from, pretty nice guy to deal with as well.

You bought a pirate hacked disc... why? If you don't want to pay BMW (Navteq) for it then download the DVD yourself and do the hacks yourself... rather than paying someone who's just selling you a pirate copy.

mjt · 12 Sep 2009 at 20:01

the BMW dealer gave us hacked discs for free on our E39

gotta love belgium

Dave L · 21 Sep 2009 at 21:42

I found the 'dodgy' Nav DVD's made the DVD drive sound very busy, like the pickup was being constantly indexed over the disc.

With my OEM pressed nav disc it is quiet.

Agree that the iDrive system is great and a must-have but I don't find the navigation that good. My TomTom is easier to use and is 100% accurate.

[DOD]Asprilla · 21 Sep 2009 at 23:02

The 5 digit code thing annoys me and I find it a pain in the bum, but having recently used it in France it's certainly a lot better in on the Continent than in the UK. I was nearly late for a wedding near Bristol at a country house because it didn't have a street or a house number and without the full post code it couldn't find it.

I find the routing pretty good, but if you disagree it does spend a long time telling to to perform a legal u-turn, although it does sound like it's asking you to make an illegal u-turn.