[thev]

Here is the nav interface below, in Eco Pro mode (the instrument cluster map display is widest in that mode):


Photo 1 below: Instrument cluster display showing

• (top) Arrow for next turn, distance to next turn, next street name
• (top) Arrow for following turn, distance to following turn and following street name (only shown if following turn is close)
• (bottom) Bus lane + highlighted lane in which you need to be for turn + total lanes of the road + graphical representation of distance to next turn (white line to the right of the lanes)

Photo 2 below: Main center console display showing:

• (top left) Distance to destination and time to destination
• (top right) Arrival time at destination
• (bottom) Current street name

Photo 3 below: Instrument cluster display showing

• (top) Arrow for next turn, distance to next turn
• (bottom) Highlighted lanes in which you need to be for next turn + total lanes of the road + graphical representation of distance to next turn (white line to the right of the lanes)
• (bottom) Highlited lanes in which you need to position yourself for upcoming turn + etc etc

Combining both of these, you have all the info you need to navigate. I love Google Maps BUT the problem is Google Maps doesn't know your charge level and cannot calculate a charging route for you when driving beyond your range. Google Maps (+ Apple Maps) won't automatically route you to Ionity or to Electrify America when your charge is low and won't tell you how long to spend at the charging station before continuing. When you do a short trip, it is of course perfectly fine to use.

Both systems have their advantages and disadvantages but I disagree that "there is no turn by turn" indication in BMW Nav and that it's a severe regression from iDrive 7.

Also, this is just a personal thing but I don't understand how people can use the upcoming street name to navigate in the city. Granted, my eyesight is not the best but usually street name signs are super small and far away (at least in my country, they're on buildings not next to the road) and I absolutely cannot rely on reading them to get around town. The instrument cluster display map in car-forward orientation is much more useful in letting me know which street to take.

 

[BW13]

Huh?

I get street names on my instrument cluster all the time. I get lane recommendations whenever I'm on a freeway.
I think you either need to check your settings, or something's wrong with the map data in your area.

I don't have the HUD, but I can't imagine they'd remove content when you do.

You get street names when you're within .5 miles. Other navs give you the upcoming directions (usually 3) regardless of how far away they are. It's good for planning. Not sure why this is so hard to get, it's ok to admit that BMW could do this better.

 

[thev]

Well yeah anything could be better. Like I said, it's personal. I understand that you'd like to have the street names further away .5 miles out, and I'm not happy that you don't. I personally have never seen a nav with 3 upcoming directions, and I find that asking for 3 upcoming directions contradicts the complaint that the cluster nav screen is "too cluttered". Nevertheless, I freely admit BMW could improve their software in general and the nav in particular.

To be honest, I'm quite disappointed with BMW handling their software side for various other reasons as well.

On my end, I just wanted to show that it's not totally bad, and you can definitely manage to navigate well with what's currently offered.

 

[rollermonkey]

I get three turn cards in the instrument cluster
, though. Anyways, here’s the next two turns with street names from this morning:

I think the navigation system has been fantastic, and I much prefer this over my Garmins in the G35 or the infotainment screen in my Model3.

 

[rollermonkey]

You get street names when you're within .5 miles. Other navs give you the upcoming directions (usually 3) regardless of how far away they are. It's good for planning. Not sure why this is so hard to get, it's ok to admit that BMW could do this better.

I get three turn cards on my screen all the time. I don’t know why you don’t. Mess with the settings, because the car can do what you are asking. Just not on the center screen.

 

[dojoman]

I get three turn cards on my screen all the time. I don’t know why you don’t. Mess with the settings, because the car can do what you are asking. Just not on the center screen.

I don’t see the street names either only when getting close to turn. I get arrow and distance.

 

[A_Camera]

Here is the nav interface below, in Eco Pro mode (the instrument cluster map display is widest in that mode):


Photo 1 below: Instrument cluster display showing

• (top) Arrow for next turn, distance to next turn, next street name
• (top) Arrow for following turn, distance to following turn and following street name (only shown if following turn is close)
• (bottom) Bus lane + highlighted lane in which you need to be for turn + total lanes of the road + graphical representation of distance to next turn (white line to the right of the lanes)

View attachment 22616


Photo 2 below: Main center console display showing:

• (top left) Distance to destination and time to destination
• (top right) Arrival time at destination
• (bottom) Current street name

View attachment 22625



Photo 3 below: Instrument cluster display showing

• (top) Arrow for next turn, distance to next turn
• (bottom) Highlighted lanes in which you need to be for next turn + total lanes of the road + graphical representation of distance to next turn (white line to the right of the lanes)
• (bottom) Highlited lanes in which you need to position yourself for upcoming turn + etc etc

View attachment 22624

Combining both of these, you have all the info you need to navigate. I love Google Maps BUT the problem is Google Maps doesn't know your charge level and cannot calculate a charging route for you when driving beyond your range. Google Maps (+ Apple Maps) won't automatically route you to Ionity or to Electrify America when your charge is low and won't tell you how long to spend at the charging station before continuing. When you do a short trip, it is of course perfectly fine to use.

Both systems have their advantages and disadvantages but I disagree that "there is no turn by turn" indication in BMW Nav and that it's a severe regression from iDrive 7.

Also, this is just a personal thing but I don't understand how people can use the upcoming street name to navigate in the city. Granted, my eyesight is not the best but usually street name signs are super small and far away (at least in my country, they're on buildings not next to the road) and I absolutely cannot rely on reading them to get around town. The instrument cluster display map in car-forward orientation is much more useful in letting me know which street to take.

Thank you. That's much better than the cluttered display, this is basically the same I have today in the 330e, except for the missing distance flag and the map scale in the center display. I can live without that, though at least the map scale would be very useful to see. Anyway, maybe this is not the final version, BMW may update this later if enough people complain. There is really no reason to leave those items out.

 

[A_Camera]

Totally agree. In the city I need to know the upcoming street name also. So, I don’t use BMW maps at all now but I am glad that Apple Maps works so well in the car and also displays on the heads up. Apple Maps had a very rough start years ago, but I honestly think it’s the best now. I love that it will verbally tell you things like “go past these lights then at the next set turn left”, instead of “turn left now”. It’s become the passenger navigator I have been longing for, and it doesn’t take naps

...but what do you do with that information in real life? I mean, normally when I drive I have no idea of the street name I am driving on, most of the times I can't read street name signs anyway, so I can't check if the car turned me to the right street or not. As a pilot, I learned to trust the instruments, and all I want from the car is to guide me to my destination. Of course, I know you can't drive blindfolded, so I can't trust a car as much as I can trust a plane, but upcoming street names have no value to me, as long as the guiding system is doing it's job right and doesn't guide me into cul-de-sac or any obstacle.

When car navigation was new (back at the end of 1990's for me) I also needed the upcoming street names because the GPS was unreliable and it could send me off to the wrong street so I had to check every advice the GPS gave me, and on long trips I even had paper maps with me just in case... but today I dare say that 99% of the time it is completely reliable, at least my BMW, which includes live update of traffic and road works, closed roads and many other things also.

 

[smatanovic]

Thank you. Then I agree with the OP, I can't for my life understand why BMW left that out. As I said, I don't like the pictures ssh showed, the instrument cluster is cluttered. It's a very poor HMI design in my opinion, a serious step back from the iDrive7.

As I understand it, BMW add and remove features based on data feedback from usage.

Anyway, maybe this is not the final version, BMW may update this later if enough people complain. There is really no reason to leave those items out.

BMW usually designs software based on what people use, collected through on-board telemetry. Maybe their data shows that most people don't use their nav systems this way?

 

[BW13]

How would they possibly know that? A window with turn by turn would be passive. Every other nav system including Apple and Google do this.

 

[A_Camera]

As I understand it, BMW add and remove features based on data feedback from usage.

BMW usually designs software based on what people use, collected through on-board telemetry. Maybe their data shows that most people don't use their nav systems this way?

There is no way they can know that sort of detail. User feedback is one thing, but how people actually use their nav system is hopefully not monitored automatically.

Anyway, all you lucky i4 drivers, come on, write a feedback to BMW about this. I cant complain yet, since I am still waiting for my car.

 

[A_Camera]

I get three turn cards in the instrument cluster
, though. Anyways, here’s the next two turns with street names from this morning:

View attachment 22635

I think the navigation system has been fantastic, and I much prefer this over my Garmins in the G35 or the infotainment screen in my Model3.

To me, that's too much information on the wrong place. It covers the most important thing, the turn you soon must take.

 

[smatanovic]

There is no way they can know that sort of detail. User feedback is one thing, but how people actually use their nav system is hopefully not monitored automatically.

It most definitely is. I suggest you read the privacy and EULA statements for the telematics systems in the car.

 

[newevguy]

...but what do you do with that information in real life? I mean, normally when I drive I have no idea of the street name I am driving on, most of the times I can't read street name signs anyway, so I can't check if the car turned me to the right street or not. As a pilot, I learned to trust the instruments, and all I want from the car is to guide me to my destination. Of course, I know you can't drive blindfolded, so I can't trust a car as much as I can trust a plane, but upcoming street names have no value to me, as long as the guiding system is doing it's job right and doesn't guide me into cul-de-sac or any obstacle.

When car navigation was new (back at the end of 1990's for me) I also needed the upcoming street names because the GPS was unreliable and it could send me off to the wrong street so I had to check every advice the GPS gave me, and on long trips I even had paper maps with me just in case... but today I dare say that 99% of the time it is completely reliable, at least my BMW, which includes live update of traffic and road works, closed roads and many other things also.

I use it because in the city the roads are often close together and “turn right in .1 miles” isn’t nearly as helpful as if it has “on Main Street” at the end of it. Sounds like the roads may not be labeled well outside of the US but here they mostly are, so it’s helpful. Secondly on the interstate it’s nice to know exactly what exit I’m taking because again there may be several within a mile or less.

 

[rollermonkey]

I feel like nobody has the same nav system as I do, because I keep seeing people say what it doesn't do, but that mine definitely does, or that something isn't visible, when I can see the thing, even without glasses.

 

[thev]

I feel like nobody has the same nav system as I do, because I keep seeing people say what it doesn't do, but that mine definitely does, or that something isn't visible, when I can see the thing, even without glasses.

What people are saying is that all those things you see on the info cluster screen, they want them on the central screen.

I agree with you however that it's more useful to have them behind the steering wheel.

 

[A_Camera]

I use it because in the city the roads are often close together and “turn right in .1 miles” isn’t nearly as helpful as if it has “on Main Street” at the end of it. Sounds like the roads may not be labeled well outside of the US but here they mostly are, so it’s helpful. Secondly on the interstate it’s nice to know exactly what exit I’m taking because again there may be several within a mile or less.

All I want to know in cities is that it's the next right / left and the distance. Street names are not important, only that it's the next upcoming crossing or not. Even if the street names are clearly visible, reading the names takes away your attention from the main task you have, which is driving safely. Name signs can be poorly lit, twisted, run over, dirty and so on, and I am sure that happens also in the US. Trying to read them from a driving car is basically impossible, especially in dark, fog, snow or rain. So what do you do when you can't read the street names? Don't take the turn, or stop, get out and check closer...? I trust the navigation system, if it tells me to turn right at the next street, I turn right. Otherwise there is no point of navigation guidance and it does not lower your work load, quite the opposite, if you have to check street names through reading street signs outside your car.

...but as shown in several images, you still get the street names in the instrument cluster. Though, it can be too much information also, especially if it is covering more important information, like the map in the instrument cluster. I don't like the current implementation, but hopefully it will improve before I get my car, if not then I'll learn to live with it.

Regarding highway driving, yes, exit numbers are important. especially in complex situations, but again, it is my understanding that it is still there in the instrument cluster also.

As for guidance and street names, have you tried the vocal guidance? At least the Swedish version of my current iDrive 7 is pretty well implemented, compared to other cars I have used, and in fact it has two settings if I am not wrong, a simplified guidance and a full guidance. I am using the simplified because that gives me just enough information. While not perfect in every aspects, it is very good in my opinion and I always use it to reduce workload especially when I expect to end up in complex traffic situations. Try that, it definitely tells you street names and everything you need.

 

[A_Camera]

I feel like nobody has the same nav system as I do, because I keep seeing people say what it doesn't do, but that mine definitely does, or that something isn't visible, when I can see the thing, even without glasses.

Perhaps they didn't configure the car right...? Perhaps the default is not what you see but what they see, and they didn't change the settings.

 

[rollermonkey]

What people are saying is that all those things you see on the info cluster screen, they want them on the central screen.

I agree with you however that it's more useful to have them behind the steering wheel.

So, it boils down to something like 'the champagne being served in the conservatory is inadequate, because they wanted it in the sunroom'?
🧐🧐

Perhaps they didn't configure the car right...? Perhaps the default is not what you see but what they see, and they didn't change the settings.

I feel like I have nothing particularly special? PAP, yes, but not DAPP and no HUD.

 

[cruzer666]

I prefer 3D junction view in the instrument cluster.