[darkphantom]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

In what vehicle? If you're talking about IDrive, it takes a competent individual 10 minutes to figure out the basics of the system, and mere seconds to access what you need once you are familiar with it. Sure, there are a few things that you will discover along the way (..after some probing into the system), but the main screen is self explanatory.

that was exaggerated a bit for those that didn't catch it...all I'm saying is I'd rather touch the screen and get to my destination rather than fumbling around with the clunky i-drive... thats all...
flame suit on.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by PaPaGz

of course i understand exactly what your saying. Im an auto enthusiast...i respect all cars for their abilities. Hell I'm on so many forums it saddens me that I do nothing w/ my life hahaha just kidding. But I just haven't seen such fanboy attitudes concentrated in one place ya know? Obviously every forum will have the arrogant prick who will think that b/c they drive a bmw, audi, mbz or w/e they are better than others or that b/c the car is faster than this they have a bigger e-penis or something. I dno...I just hope to see it dissipate soon. I mean yes 335 is fast, its sexy, great motor etc...
but hey I can get that from a B5 S4 or a vette or something.
/rant

Sadly, I don't see it dissipating anytime soon. Ah well, that's the life on the forums.

P.S. You're not the only one who spends wayyyyyyyyyyy too much time on automotive forums.

Originally Posted by darkphantom

that was exaggerated a bit for those that didn't catch it...all I'm saying is I'd rather touch the screen and get to my destination rather than fumbling around with the clunky i-drive... thats all...
flame suit on.

No flame suit needed when discussing such things w/ me bro. I do have a question though, what is it about the IDrive interface that you dislike? Or are you just in love w/ the touch-screen goodness in the G37? When using the dial in the G37, it's even more cumbersome than any IDrive interface that I have encountered.

[TwiBlueG35]

I agree 335i coupe drives and runs better than G37. However, as far as the automobile electronics go, hehe, I try not to make you 3-series owners mad, the Japanese are the experts. They are more user friendly, looks better, and more reliable. I-drive is not a good system. No matter how you defend it, it is not as user friendly as the Japanese way-one button equals one function. Sure, you could learn it in like 20 minutes and master it in like two hours if you are smart, but no matter how familiar you are with the system, you just can not do what you want to do as fast as the ones in Lexus, Infiniti, or even a Mazda. For example, in a Japanese car I can set an AM radio station into the "1" button by pressing the "1" button for more than a second and hear the beeps and that's it. But how do you set the station into the BMW's I-Drive? Oh my god it took so many steps. Are they necessary? NO. Now the A-Z alphabets screen of the BMW's navigation system is not in the same page, so you need to flip through pages to pick the alphabets you need, what about the Japanese? All 26 alphabets in the same screen so it is easy to find. Don't deny it when I say touch screen is the most direct way to input stuff, much easier than playing with the twist plus press I-Drive button. I have used 5-series's navigation system, it is a lot of hassle to enter addresses, takes much longer time. My previous car was a 2003 Infiniti G35 sedan, yeah the interior materials are like crap, BUT, its buttons on the steering wheel or center console are very user friendly, very logical. You don't need to read the user manual and know what to do. If you want to repeat a song or a CD disc, you just hit the "repeat" button two or three times, respectively. How hard could it be? I say very easy. I-Drive is not a difficult system to learn, it is very easy to understand and just allow you to do the stuff step by step, like a computer. But I say if you could do one thing by pressing one button, you don't need to do the step by step stuff in the first place, especially when you need to concentrate on driving. Actually the I-Drive in E92 is a modified one and some functions have been simplified already, if you have tried the E60 5-series, you know what the heck is going on.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by TwiBlueG35

I have used 5-series's navigation system, it is a lot of hassle to enter addresses, takes much longer time.

I will agree with you on this point. It was easier to enter addresses into the previous generation BMW NAV. There have been a few occasions in which the IDrive has irritated me while attempting to input an address.

[John 070]

I was just at the library.....hard to imagine they still exist with the web. But I looked at R&T, and comapring the 335 coupe with the G37, there isn't a single stat in which the G37 beat the 335. Not one, be it braking, acceleration, trap speed, even fuel economy. But some still love the slogan that the king is dead, yeah, because it overheated in that particular test. This is a BMW forum, so for the life of me, I don't understand why this thread isn't moved to an other cars category. Anyway, the G37 is what it is. But rest assured, it does not beat a 335 in any category on paper, in things that are measurable. So I guess the G37 owner can keep saying how smart he was in saving money, how electronically gizmoed he is superior, whatever he wants. But at the end of the day, does he have a rechargeable flashlight charging in his glove box?

[Sedan_Clan]

It's funny....

...Riverside Infiniti has "The King is Dead" plastered all over the showroom. I laughed when I saw it. I play dumb whenever I enter a BMW competitors' showroom (..of course!), but I was surprised that the salesman didn't try to use that as a primary selling tool. It was mentioned though.

[GAM3OVR85]

Originally Posted by TwiBlueG35

335i coupe > G37 > 328i coupe. This is what I truely think.

I totally RESPECT ur openion. But I chose 07 bmw 328i coupe over a FULLY EQUIPPED 08 infiniti G37 when i say fully equipped thats means with every package u can get. I chose bmw cuz i was looking for performance, and looks, the G37 just have options, and it doesn't look that nice.
Whats ur options going to do when u get smoked by a 335i.

[E90ice]

Originally Posted by darkphantom

oh and i'm sure it took you less than a min to figure it out mrs. smarty pants...

Seriously, iDrive is not the greatest out there, but it does have some nice features and it took me less than 5 min to master it.

[Mace]

Originally Posted by TwiBlueG35

I agree 335i coupe drives and runs better than G37. However, as far as the automobile electronics go, hehe, I try not to make you 3-series owners mad, the Japanese are the experts. They are more user friendly, looks better, and more reliable. I-drive is not a good system. No matter how you defend it, it is not as user friendly as the Japanese way-one button equals one function. Sure, you could learn it in like 20 minutes and master it in like two hours if you are smart, but no matter how familiar you are with the system, you just can not do what you want to do as fast as the ones in Lexus, Infiniti, or even a Mazda. For example, in a Japanese car I can set an AM radio station into the "1" button by pressing the "1" button for more than a second and hear the beeps and that's it. But how do you set the station into the BMW's I-Drive? Oh my god it took so many steps. Are they necessary? NO. Now the A-Z alphabets screen of the BMW's navigation system is not in the same page, so you need to flip through pages to pick the alphabets you need, what about the Japanese? All 26 alphabets in the same screen so it is easy to find. Don't deny it when I say touch screen is the most direct way to input stuff, much easier than playing with the twist plus press I-Drive button. I have used 5-series's navigation system, it is a lot of hassle to enter addresses, takes much longer time. My previous car was a 2003 Infiniti G35 sedan, yeah the interior materials are like crap, BUT, its buttons on the steering wheel or center console are very user friendly, very logical. You don't need to read the user manual and know what to do. If you want to repeat a song or a CD disc, you just hit the "repeat" button two or three times, respectively. How hard could it be? I say very easy. I-Drive is not a difficult system to learn, it is very easy to understand and just allow you to do the stuff step by step, like a computer. But I say if you could do one thing by pressing one button, you don't need to do the step by step stuff in the first place, especially when you need to concentrate on driving. Actually the I-Drive in E92 is a modified one and some functions have been simplified already, if you have tried the E60 5-series, you know what the heck is going on.

There are a few things that I agree with but, in the end it's just opinion and preference. All of these cars have some problems with ergonomics and advanced electronics.

I also have an '05 G35 with Nav. The "toggle" control is a PITA and why the hell is it mounted on the RIGHT side of the Nav system where it's harder to reach? (same thing with climate and volume control, all three primary controls are on the right side of the console away from the driver. Entering addresses is basackwards (street then address #). It takes way too long to enter addresses through all its menues (unless it's in the address book). Try toggling the map around to identify streets and sometimes it jumps two miles at a wack then other times a quarter inch. Also, since all cars can now tell if there's a passenger in the right seat, why doesn't the system allow full control when there is a passenger?

I've tried out the new Infiniti Nav also in an '08 G35. The touch screen is a very good feature but it's set an inch or so into the dash so your hand blocks some of the screen and you can't see where your touching...not all the time but particularly when selecting something on the right. All the new icons on the display makes it hard to read in the city. At least they finally moved the radio and climate controls to the left side of the console. The new nav dial control is an improvement over the toggle but if the car is moving then your hand bounces around because there's no place to rest it. You can put a couple of fingers on the surrounding surface to steady your hand but then you end up inadvertantly pushing one of the short cut buttons. Both the dial and screen are far enough away from the driver that you have to lean forward to reach them which can be uncomfortable when entering control sequences. The extra "short cut" buttons on the G35 are nice but they're at an angle and can be hard to see unless you're sitting with the seatback almost straight up.

I'm not condeming or advocating one or the other, they both have their advantages and disadvantages. The bottom line is just that no company that I'm aware of has solved the ergonomic issues of incorporating such a complex control system in a car. I do have a suggestion for the car companies though. Aircraft companies have been wrestling with the same issues of electronic displays, nested menus and control systems since the early 70's and have had the same types of problems. Maybe the car companies should hire some cockpit designers to help them out.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by Mace

There are a few things that I agree with but, in the end it's just opinion and preference. All of these cars have some problems with ergonomics and advanced electronics.

I also have an '05 G35 with Nav. The "toggle" control is a PITA and why the hell is it mounted on the RIGHT side of the Nav system where it's harder to reach? (same thing with climate and volume control, all three primary controls are on the right side of the console away from the driver. Entering addresses is basackwards (street then address #). It takes way too long to enter addresses through all its menues (unless it's in the address book). Try toggling the map around to identify streets and sometimes it jumps two miles at a wack then other times a quarter inch. Also, since all cars can now tell if there's a passenger in the right seat, why doesn't the system allow full control when there is a passenger?

I've tried out the new Infiniti Nav also in an '08 G35. The touch screen is a very good feature but it's set an inch or so into the dash so your hand blocks some of the screen and you can't see where your touching...not all the time but particularly when selecting something on the right. All the new icons on the display makes it hard to read in the city. At least they finally moved the radio and climate controls to the left side of the console. The new nav dial control is an improvement over the toggle but if the car is moving then your hand bounces around because there's no place to rest it. You can put a couple of fingers on the surrounding surface to steady your hand but then you end up inadvertantly pushing one of the short cut buttons. Both the dial and screen are far enough away from the driver that you have to lean forward to reach them which can be uncomfortable when entering control sequences. The extra "short cut" buttons on the G35 are nice but they're at an angle and can be hard to see unless you're sitting with the seatback almost straight up.

I'm not condeming or advocating one or the other, they both have their advantages and disadvantages. The bottom line is just that no company that I'm aware of has solved the ergonomic issues of incorporating such a complex control system in a car. I do have a suggestion for the car companies though. Aircraft companies have been wrestling with the same issues of electronic displays, nested menus and control systems since the early 70's and have had the same types of problems. Maybe the car companies should hire some cockpit designers to help them out.

Great post!

[tomegun]

Here are some things that can be applied to other products:

When the competition always says they are trying to beat or compete with XYZ it is because XYZ is the best.


Hyundai compares their cars with Accords and Camrys because...
David Duvall, then Sergio Garcia, then Justin Leonard were compared to Tiger because...
Vizio compares their TVs to Sony, Samsung and Toshiba because...
Get my point? Who says they want to be like an inferior product?

All the Infiniti Fanboys need to stop fooling themselves. The number one reason they choose Infiniti over BMW is price. If the price of the two cars were the same with the options and functionality they have right now, most of them who are on the fence would choose BMW immediately. I tried very hard to convince myself that I would be happy with a G35, but it didn't work. I left the dealership saying it is a nice car and then got excited just looking into the windows of the BMWs when the dealership was closed. I looked at BMWs when I lived in Vegas, DC and now Mississippi. This is what I was shooting for and this is what I got.
I would probably get a 2008 fully-loaded Accord before I would get a G35 at this point. I have a 96 and I still love that car. IMO, the new Accords look pretty good. I saw one today in silver. If we weren't going to buy more rental properties, I would convince my wife to get one and then have the option to drive a new Accord or a 335 - she telecommutes so she doesn't drive much.

[John 070]

Food for thought--why do so many G35 drivers join a BMW forum? How many BMW drivers who have never owned an Infiniti would join an Infiniti forum? And why would that be?

[JacobT]

I have tried both. The G37 does have some nice feature. But when you compare the engine power, 335i is a lot more fun to drive with. I'm a more performance oriented person, after test drove the 335i, I gave up on the G37 immediately even though it's about $6k cheaper

[Mace]

Originally Posted by John 070

Food for thought--why do so many G35 drivers join a BMW forum?

At least some of us join because we have a 335i coupe on order

[GAM3OVR85]

Originally Posted by Mace

At least some of us join because we have a 335i coupe on order

Another Question: Why do u guys (G35 owners) switch from a G35 to a 335i ?
Mace, i can guaranty u that u will love it. Congrats

[Mace]

Originally Posted by MTL Bimmer

Another Question: Why do u guys (G35 owners) switch from a G35 to a 335i ?
Mace, i can guaranty u that u will love it. Congrats

Like others have mentioned, I got the G35 because is was comparable to the older generation 3 series but with more power and much cheaper. While no local BMW dealer was willing to discuss anything below MSRP my deal with Infiniti was invoice plus $1k so the savings was even more than a straight MSRP-MSRP comparison would suggest and the difference in payments was about $200. BTW, I've really liked having the G35. If there's anything I don't like about it, it's the POS Turanza tires (non-RFT). I've had lots of strange sounds and wear patterns even though I've rotated them religiously. Based on that I'm not real happy that the RFT Turanza's seem to be standard on the 335 coupe.

Things changed when the E92 came out and I decided on Euro Delivery.

[Stinger44]

Originally Posted by MTL Bimmer

I totally RESPECT ur openion. But I chose 07 bmw 328i coupe over a FULLY EQUIPPED 08 infiniti G37 when i say fully equipped thats means with every package u can get. I chose bmw cuz i was looking for performance, and looks, the G37 just have options, and it doesn't look that nice.
Whats ur options going to do when u get smoked by a 335i.

Got news for you fellow BMW owner (I'll have my bimmer in Jan 08), I'll smoke your 07 328i ass in my 03 G35 coupe anyday.

[Stinger44]

Originally Posted by MTL Bimmer

Another Question: Why do u guys (G35 owners) switch from a G35 to a 335i ?
Mace, i can guaranty u that u will love it. Congrats

I'm another one that has one on order. I wasn't happy with the looks of the G37 and decided to try a 335i. We'll see how happy I am with that decision in a few months.

[GAM3OVR85]

Originally Posted by Stinger44

Got news for you fellow BMW owner (I'll have my bimmer in Jan 08), I'll smoke your 07 328i ass in my 03 G35 coupe anyday.

I don't want to start sh*t, because this is not the way we do it in a bmw forum. And i think i compered the g37 getting smoked by a 335i, i didn't say anything about 328i smoking a g35/g37.
Anyways bro... congrats on ur new bmw 335i.

[Sedan_Clan]

Welcome to all future BMW drivers. The darkside will overtake you. Muahahahaha!

[norcalEastbay328i]

2 diff cars and 2 diff type of buyers in my eyes

[Dr_Dirt]

Originally Posted by GAMEOVR

CF aka Compact Flash.. I'm guessing its like a flash drive you can bring and pull out to store data on the hard drive of the car. They sell them on newegg or any computer store fairly cheap and hold up to 1gig (if not more now) of data.. so between music, pics and all that good stuff...

Leave it to the Japanese to put obsolete hardware like the CF card slot in a car.
The USB port in the BMW is way more functional.