[AiredaleDad]

Ok Folks. I am at a point where I can still make changes to my order since the build has not started. My current order does NOT have DAPP. However I am deciding if it's worth it for me to add it. I would like to hear Pros and Cons from people who have it. Do you use it? Is it more of a pain in the ass than a benefit? Does it work well in the EU? Spain in particular.

I really, really love driving, Hence my purchasing a (almost) fully decked out 540i X-Drive). And to me, (Right Now) the only real benefit I can see, would be to use it if I am extremely tired and not paying attention to the road. In that case I should not be driving anyway. And from what I understand the safety features of the car would stop me anyway and I would have to pull over. Not driving and being actively in control of the car bores me to tears. Needless to say, I am not a very good passenger. This car is going to be my baby for the foreseeable future. It's not a lease, and it's not a "Company Car". I am buying it because I want to Drive it. The ONLY reason I would get the DAPP is probably to make it more attractive in the future if I should ever sell it, and someone looking for a used Bimmer 540i X-Drive would make that their deciding factor between buying mine or another, or justifying a higher price from them.

So please be honest in recommending to me if it's worth my time, and money to pay for something I will likely NEVER use, other than to show off (Here, hold my beer and watch this!) or if I was going to drive from coast-to coast in the US, or Spain to Italy and Switzerland in the EU.

[LVBMW]

I can’t speak to its functionality abroad, but I definitely would not go without it. You absolutely still need to pay attention to the road (it has hidden cameras that check if you are looking at the road or are distracted). It makes tedious driving easier. The hands free ability up to 80 mph is amazing as is the automated lane change feature. It simply reduces your workload similar to autopilot in a commercial aircraft. Of course pilots must still be alert and monitoring the equipment. Same with DAPP. It’s a great system and a very minor cost in the grand scheme of things.

[PsychDoc]

I have never understood why anyone would spend ~$75k on something characterized (rightly or wrongly) as "the ultimate driving machine" only to plop themselves down in the "driver's" seat and have the car drive itself while the "driver" sits there nervously, hands at the ready, poised to take control of the vehicle should anything go wrong. It seems utterly absurd to me and is a "feature" I wouldn't spend $0.02 on.

I figure if I wanted to be driven rather than drive, I'd buy an old Lincoln Continental and hire a driver.

[LVBMW]

Originally Posted by PsychDoc

I have never understood why anyone would spend ~$75k on something characterized (rightly or wrongly) as "the ultimate driving machine" only to plop themselves down in the "driver's" seat and have the car drive itself while the "driver" sits there nervously, hands at the ready, poised to take control of the vehicle should anything go wrong. It seems utterly absurd to me and is a "feature I wouldn't spend $0.02 on.

I figure if I wanted to be driven rather than drive, I'd buy an old Lincoln Continental and hire a driver.

It is not a Tesla and makes no claims about the car driving itself. It reduces your workload. I’m guessing you never use cruise control then? DAPP is a very sophisticated version of that. In slow or stop and go traffic, for example, it maintains your distance from the car in front of you and keeps the car moving as the traffic moves. It makes traffic jams much less stressful. And that’s just one example. But to each their own of course.

[AiredaleDad]

Originally Posted by PsychDoc

I have never understood why anyone would spend ~$75k on something characterized (rightly or wrongly) as "the ultimate driving machine" only to plop themselves down in the "driver's" seat and have the car drive itself while the "driver" sits there nervously, hands at the ready, poised to take control of the vehicle should anything go wrong. It seems utterly absurd to me and is a "feature I wouldn't spend $0.02 on.

I figure if I wanted to be driven rather than drive, I'd buy an old Lincoln Continental and hire a driver.

Thanks Doc. My feelings exactly. I would be a nervous wreck worried if something screwed up and suddenly the car swerved when I didn't want it to. Some people here have even mentioned it malfunctioning after a software update. I'd rather have my hands on the wheel and use the adaptive cruise Control.

[stormchaser]

Agree with LVBMW above 100%. I do lots of highway driving and DAP has made me less tired, especially adaptive cruise which works great. It's a feature that brought me to BMW as their system works better than most other brands. To the comment above "Do you use cruise control" explains it well. If you never use cruise control on the highway I would skip buying it. The lane keep assist on DAP works great too and in my opinion, makes me a safer driver on the motorway as well. Disclosure: I am 63 so driver safety features are a bit more important to me also.

[AiredaleDad]

Originally Posted by stormchaser

Agree with LVBMW above 100%. I do lots of highway driving and DAP has made me less tired, especially adaptive cruise which works great. It's a feature that brought me to BMW as their system works better than most other brands. To the comment above "Do you use cruise control" explains it well. If you never use cruise control on the highway I would skip buying it. The lane keep assist on DAP works great too and in my opinion, makes me a safer driver on the motorway as well. Disclosure: I am 63 so driver safety features are a bit more important to me also.

ACC Stop & Go + Active Driving Assistant
In addition to Active Driving Assistant contents the Distance Control permanently maintains your desired speed and the distance from the vehicle in front, brakes your BMW if needed and drives off again just as automatically. As a useful addition, the Steering Assistant keeps your BMW in the middle of the lane through active steering interventions. Enjoy more relaxed travel especially on longer journeys.


According to the statement above, that is straight off the Premium Package, and Executive Package listed features. I will already have "Adaptive Cruise Control", as well as "Lane Keeping" since I have the Premium Package. So I shouldn't need DAPP for those 2 functions. And yes, I do use Cruise Control all the time. But to maintain Speed and Distance, not steer my car or change lanes. At 80-85 MPH, I would feel LESS safe taking both of my hands off the wheel, just because I can. I would probably be more paranoid of every time the car turned the wheel without me doing it because I would be worried it will either under or over steer, then slam on the brakes. So my hands would be hovering under the wheel ready to snag control back. I also don't think it works in the EU where I currently live. I will be here at least another 2 years, if not more before I go back to the states.

Ok, so I'm not trying to shut you down or deny you YOUR valid reasons for having it. And I'm sorry if it sounds like it. I personally just need to justify to myself if I have a legitimate need for it or not. $2000 is not gonna break the bank to ANYONE buying a $69-79K+ car. I don't want to buy something just because I can. I am absolutely Never likely to use it. It would be like buying a Snowmobile and extreme cold weather gear while living in Miami, because I might decide go to Maine in the winter someday. It makes me afraid if I never use it, I will someday want to just to make sure it works, and it will fail due to it never being used, and some component failing. I have seen it in my career. Don't want to see it in my car.

[jha96]

Originally Posted by PsychDoc

I have never understood why anyone would spend ~$75k on something characterized (rightly or wrongly) as "the ultimate driving machine" only to plop themselves down in the "driver's" seat and have the car drive itself while the "driver" sits there nervously, hands at the ready, poised to take control of the vehicle should anything go wrong. It seems utterly absurd to me and is a "feature" I wouldn't spend $0.02 on.

I figure if I wanted to be driven rather than drive, I'd buy an old Lincoln Continental and hire a driver.

This is a bad take. Doesn't matter what you are driving, being in stop and go traffic on the highway is never fun. My G60 lacks this feature and ACC, regret not paying more attention to that before I bought the car.

[AiredaleDad]

Originally Posted by jha96

This is a bad take. Doesn't matter what you are driving, being in stop and go traffic on the highway is never fun. My G60 lacks this feature and ACC, regret not paying more attention to that before I bought the car.

I feel your pain. With my current vehicles they pre-date Adaptive Cruise Control. But with ACC Stop & Go + Active Driving Assistant I feel the only thing I would be lacking is the ability to take my hands off the wheel, and I have to change lanes myself instead of the car doing it by itself. And as long as I am holding the wheel, the car will still keep itself in the middle of the lanes on the highway (Basically Steering Itself), and maintain distance control in traffic. It even says: "Distance Control permanently maintains your desired speed and the distance from the vehicle in front, brakes your BMW if needed and drives off again just as automatically. As a useful addition, the Steering Assistant keeps your BMW in the middle of the lane through active steering interventions. Enjoy more relaxed travel especially on longer journeys."

So if I am following the statement correctly, the only thing it won't do is allow me to remove my hands from the steering wheel for more than a few seconds, or change lanes for me by looking at the side view mirror when it tells me it wants to change lanes.

Also "The BMW Active Driving Assistant is switched on automatically as soon as you start driving. The system features sensors that can anticipate a potential collision and will audibly alert the driver. If you are slow to respond, the system will take the necessary steps to help you avoid an accident."

Is there any BMW "Expert here that can please tell me the REAL difference? Not just your opinion. What exactly is the difference between ACC Stop & Go + Active Driving Assistant and DAPP? Because ACC stands for "Adaptive Cruise Control" and Stop& Go means it will slow all the way to a stop in traffic, and go again when the traffic moves.

I have the Premium Package. It comes with ACC Stop & Go + Active Driving Assistance. So realistically, I don't need DAPP for Adaptive Cruise Control, and I don't need DAPP for Lane Keeping, and I don't need DAPP for collision avoidance, AND I don't plan on the car self-Driving on the freeway, changing lanes by itself, and I prefer to have my hand(s) on the steering wheel. What do I really get EXTRA for my $2000.00 that I don't get with ACC Stop & Go + Active Driving Assistance? Anyone?

Because so far what I found was: "The active driving assist has adaptive cruise and lane keep. The driving assist pro adds highway assist (hands free up to 85 MPH on selected highways / countries), auto lane change, and 3D visualization of the surrounding cars.

Ok, so to me (And feel free to point out where I am wrong) it looks like if I keep my hands on the wheel, change my own lanes, and look out the windshield to "3D Visualize the surrounding cars", I'm good. My car will still maintain distance, stop in traffic, keep in my lane, and pretty much still self drive. Granted I still might not see a deer in the dark in the country. But the car will and it should still stop or avoid it.

[drlonline]

My i5 eDrive40 came with DAPP when I bought it off the dealer's lot. Frankly, I doubt I would have included it if I had ordered the car because I love driving and wouldn't have considered it a necessary option. Having had the car now for 3 months, I have to say I love this feature. It does take some of the stress out of driving in slow bumper to bumper commutes and is relaxing on open freeways. One thing I really like is the ability to take my eyes off the road for a couple seconds when wanting to use the touch display without worry of drifting out of my lane.

[pixelcort]

Assuming you at least feel comfortable with it, why not use it in stop-and-go, saving some of your energy to use and enjoy driving even more later on when traffic clears up?

[stormchaser]

If you only need the adaptive cruise I think you would be fine without the 2K package. However, for lane keep assist the standard package BMW provides WITHOUT ordering DAP is only fair on how centered it will keep you. The only way to feel relatively safe being centered (Better camera) is with the DAP. I am not sure why BMW provides a lesser product calling it lane assist when it is far superior with the package. I personally think all cars should come standard with these features and I believe in the EU is a new requirement.

[Scrapula]

We passed up a car because it didn’t have DAPP. That said, I never use it. Kyle Connor has a review of the basic system. Look it up. After watching it, I realized I would have been perfectly happy without it. I really just need adaptive cruise control with lane keep assist. I’m fine keeping a hand on the steering wheel.

Things seem to be moving in the self driving direction, so maybe it’s better for resale value. But, it probably wouldn’t add $2,000 more.

[mike@x-ph.com]

i would certainly get the the driving assistance package

[G35c6MT]

Absolutely get it. Affects resale value. Is useful in bad traffic. I’m a driver. My other car is a mid 90s manual transmission. I drive my BMW like I stole it and I still use DAPP when it makes sense.

[ToddRGuy]

I think it's safe to say that most people who purchase vehicles from BMW likely enjoy driving. For me, a vehicle without DAPP was a non-starter. I love to drive, but I also love technology. When I'm doing distance trips and want to lessen my workload, I often find myself engaging lane keeping and ACC on my Audi, so getting this with even more enhanced features on the BMW is exciting.

The same is true when I'm in the air. I'm an instrument rated private pilot who loves airplanes and general aviation. Autopilot and enhanced aviation features allow me to devote myself to other tasks while I'm flying (e.g. reviewing navigation charts, looking at approach plates, drinking some water, having a snack) while not having to worry about maintaining altitude, drifting a few degrees off course, etc.

I haven't used DAPP yet (as my car hasn't been built yet) but I've watched many videos and believe I'll find its enhanced features useful. Will I use it to drive 5 miles to the grocery store? Unlikely. Or a trip through a State-route with fun twisties? No way. Will I use it on a 200-mile Interstate cruise? Absolutely. In bad, bumper to bumper traffic? Indeed.

The additional safety enhancements it brings to lessen driver workload and keep you fresh seems beneficial. I've read countless studies on human mental fatigue, and our ability to focus over extended periods of time. It was a significant interest when I worked in an area of healthcare that involved medical quality assurance. You would be surprised how much your driving skills deteriorate over long distance periods.

Just like, any other set of enhancements you can equip your modern car with, I do not believe that having or not having DAPP makes you any more or less of an auto enthusiast. As others have mentioned, it all comes down to personal preference and your comfort level with newer technology.

[desalvorw]

I use DAP on the highway whenever I can and it really just calms down my nerves and keeps me relaxed. I live in Hampton Roads in VA and we have a ton of transplants from all over the country due to the high military presence. I love using DAP. It’s seamless and will let you know if it needs you at any point. Active Lane Change (head turn to side mirror to change lanes) works really well, when you’re using BMW maps and it knows the route well. There is one interchange in my area that’s fairly new and the car wants to get off into the East exit onto the other highway versus the West exit .5 miles away.

[wagonallterrain]

I drive 300 miles on highway every two weeks. For me, it significantly reduced driving fatigue and makes the drive a lot easier. Frankly, there is really nothing exciting you can do on most of the highway anyways.

I wouldn't get any car without "self driving" function now, especially with the EV.

[Ossian]

Depends on your typical driving patterns. I had the most advanced assists available when I bought my 2018 G30, and I never used them -- because they were terrible. The BMW system has come a LONG way since then. I appreciate it for stop and go freeway traffic for sure. This spring, we did a road trip to Colorado in my wife's X5, and the Pro was fantastic on the open highway. It took me maybe 30 minutes to get used to it, but once I was accustomed, I found that it genuinely reduced fatigue, which is a major benefit during 8 hour + days of driving. You may not have deep regrets if you pass on it, but I added it on without a second thought when I configured my i5.

[mjr24]

Originally Posted by PsychDoc

I have never understood why anyone would spend ~$75k on something characterized (rightly or wrongly) as "the ultimate driving machine" only to plop themselves down in the "driver's" seat and have the car drive itself while the "driver" sits there nervously, hands at the ready, poised to take control of the vehicle should anything go wrong. It seems utterly absurd to me and is a "feature" I wouldn't spend $0.02 on.

I figure if I wanted to be driven rather than drive, I'd buy an old Lincoln Continental and hire a driver.

Yeah I’m with you here…..I’ve had several BMWs without it. My M8 has it now and I forget I even have it because it’s just not a feature I really use. I prefer to be in control I guess. It’s a novelty to me….I used it a couple times and it just seems like a PIA unless you are one of those people who goes the speed limit all the time and drives all highway miles. That just isn’t me.

[DaveAMN]

I’m a convert… won’t buy a car without it going forward. I never use driving assist systems around town but I regularly take longer drives of about 300-600 miles of open freeway to visit family. I also would’ve loved having this system when I was still working, with hour-long commutes each way in stop-and-go city traffic. The system is a game changer in ways I didn’t fully appreciate until I had it, since like many on here I love to drive my own car. It’s simply more relaxing (after you get past the initial nervousness of giving up control to a computer) on long drives. I was surprised at how much less tired I was after several hours on the road because I really never thought of driving as an especially tiring activity other than boredom at times. Also, I don’t feel like I ever take my eyes off the road but on the other hand, let’s face it, we’re all distracted drivers at least to some extent… maybe we mess with the radio from time to time, maybe stare at the map a little too long, glance at an alert on our phones or carplay. It’s nice to able search for a gas station or restaurant while keeping maybe a little less attention on the road for a few seconds at a time. I also got stuck in about 45 minutes of stop and go traffic driving through the Chicago area recently and it was super nice to to let the car take over for a while.

Having said all that, I could see not wanting to spend $2k on a system that might only get used a few times a year, but I like having it and I suspect I will find myself using it more and more around town over time. I also agree that regular adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist is pretty close to the same thing. It’s not hard to keep a thumb on the wheel and get most of the benefit of this system.

[AiredaleDad]

Ok. I think I'm convinced. Just sent an e-mail to the Broker to add it. Not because I will use it much (If at all), but because of the resale and long trips I may just use it. I don't want to find myself wishing I had it next year or when I get back to the US. I am thinking of shipping to Charleston and driving cross-country to Seattle.