# E90 interior vs E46 interior



## swchang (Oct 5, 2003)

Andrew*Debbie said:


> *There is no temprature gauge.*


Maybe they'll build that into the OBC display? :dunno:


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## swchang (Oct 5, 2003)

TD said:


> I just so happen to have such a pic (pardon the headrest). Being an E36 owner (x2), I always thought the E46 dash was NOT driver centric but instead quite flat.


No manual HVAC?


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## swchang (Oct 5, 2003)

robg said:


> -removal of nearly all radio buttons when the nav is specified. Since they have to make an e90 radio w/ the buttons, why not just use the same one on the cars w/ the nav. Doing so would greatly improve the usability of the interior and would help cut down most of the remaining i-drive criticism. I do give them credit for finally including a fully-functional climate control w/ i-drive (Previous version would not let you set the fan speed or air drection without delving inot i-drive). Gratned, this is a common-sense decision that a monkey could've made-- but still, I'll give them credit.
> 
> All that being said, the non-idrive interior and exterior aren't quite bad enough to make me not buy the car-- if the price is right and it drives well. If the competition is still what it is today when I replace my e46, i'd probably grudgingly buy it. I would not be very excited about it though. I'm praying that Lexus or Honda can get their act together.


What if the radio presets and seeking were available via steering wheel controls? Would that be acceptable?

Lexus and Acura?


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## bmw325 (Dec 19, 2001)

swchang said:


> What if the radio presets and seeking were available via steering wheel controls? Would that be acceptable?
> 
> Lexus and Acura?


I'd still much rather just have regular buttons on the radio for
1-6 presets and CD changer operation
Audio source
basic tone adjustment
fader/balance

Basically, the same amount of functionality that an e46 headunit has. I really don't see why they're so stubborn about doing this on i-drive cars. Its not like they're doing anything useful w/ the empty space on the radio/cd players in i-drive cars. It would seriously reduce the amount of complaints significantly.

Yeah- I guess I should've said Lexus or Acura. Although if they introduce the car I'm looking for as a Toyota or HOnda, that's fine with me.


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## andy_thomas (Oct 7, 2002)

Andrew*Debbie said:


> *There is no temprature gauge.* Still has the MPG swingometer. Hard to see in this shot, but clear in the leaked brochure. I'd prefer a temp-gauge in place of the consumption gauge. Fuel consumption could move to the nav-screen.


That would require a separate cluster for your market then, which isn't a good idea (extra cost). If you care deeply about gas mileage - as I do, at SIX dollars per (US) gallon - it's very useful. Watching the swingometer head for 10 mpg oblivion - that's 40p/75c per mile, just in fuel - invariably provokes me into backing off.

Also yoru solution would require every car to have a navigation screen, and the majority won't, especially if it can only be used with iDrive...!


> Even the miserable Ford Explorer I rented this weekend had a coolant temp gauge.


I do agree with you that BMW's gauge count is poor for a "driver's" car. Audis and Peugeots have more gauges. It would not be difficult to include digital gauges, or one multifunction readout, for oil temp, water temp and oil pressure; Alpina has come up with a few ingenious solutions in the past, in the face of factory intransigence.


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## Desertnate (Mar 11, 2002)

Something with the new E90 interior just doesn't work for me.

For the E36/46 there was an elegant simplicity. They were graceful, sweeping and angled toward the driver. In the E46 I prefer the way it is all one piece. The upper dash flows seamlessly into the center console. 

The E90 to me is flat, with lots of pieces, lines and angles. The HVAC and audio should be together. Don't get me started on I-Drive. In my eyes all the angles lines and flat surfaces added to the two piece console look cheap. If they throw in the same meterials used in the E60, Z4 and X3 the cheapness will be compounded in my eyes.

I'm a simple efficient man. I like my car interiors to be simple, graceful and effiecient. The E90 just doesn't do it for me.  

I will also miss the temp guage. My old '91 Jeep had full WORKING instrumentation, but my E46 and now it looks like the E90 won't either. :thumbdwn:

Final parting shot...I don't care for the display between the speedo/tach. I realize VW/Audi take this approach, but when driving a Passat I didn't car for that location. I would prefer a display below the guages ala Volvo style.


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## mrbelk (Dec 5, 2003)

swchang said:


> Maybe they'll build that into the OBC display? :dunno:


Not sure, but it looks like the E90 tach may have the same ring around it that allows for the "variable" redline like in the E60. If you ask me, that's the same as an "applied" temp gauge, where the redline adjusts to the operating temp of the motor. When the engine temp goes out of the nominal range, the variable redline gets lower. It's the same data, just presented differently.

Having said that, I would _love_ it if BMW would put some sort of virtual gauge set in the iDrive screen that showed all of the relevant data like oil temp and pressure, coolant temp, and voltage.

-MrB


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## swchang (Oct 5, 2003)

robg said:


> I'd still much rather just have regular buttons on the radio for
> 1-6 presets and CD changer operation
> Audio source
> basic tone adjustment
> ...


I agree with you, but I would add a seek button (the "< >" on the E46). I wouldn't care that much about fader/balance/treble/bass because I don't adjust it that often, although I wouldn't mind it there just for tradition's sake. I think if I had mostly the same functionality via the steering wheel controls I wouldn't be too upset either, but having the buttons on the center console like normal would be best.



robg said:


> Yeah- I guess I should've said Lexus or Acura. Although if they introduce the car I'm looking for as a Toyota or HOnda, that's fine with me.


Heh, just a :stickpoke.


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## Andrew*Debbie (Jul 2, 2004)

andy_thomas said:


> That would require a separate cluster for your market then, which isn't a good idea (extra cost). If you care deeply about gas mileage - as I do, at SIX dollars per (US) gallon - it's very useful. Watching the swingometer head for 10 mpg oblivion - that's 40p/75c per mile, just in fuel - invariably provokes me into backing off.
> 
> Also yoru solution would require every car to have a navigation screen, and the majority won't, especially if it can only be used with iDrive...!
> 
> I do agree with you that BMW's gauge count is poor for a "driver's" car. Audis and Peugeots have more gauges. It would not be difficult to include digital gauges, or one multifunction readout, for oil temp, water temp and oil pressure; Alpina has come up with a few ingenious solutions in the past, in the face of factory intransigence.


A 325 is an economy car compared to what most people drive over here. :dunno:

BMW already does make a separte MPH clusters for our market. Besides, the M3 gets an oil temp gauge instead of the swingometer. Car still has to have a coolent temp sensor. They _could_ do it.

The sad fact is that usefull gauges are going the way of the spare tire. BMW has decided that most BMW owners would rather drive the car untill it stops, then press the Assist button.

I could live without a temp gauge if the car has

dynamic red-line like the M3
Fail-safe no-coolant engine managment like Ford. Not only does the system prevent engine damage, you can even drive the car for a short distance with no coolant.


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## HW (Dec 24, 2001)

Andrew*Debbie said:


> A 325 is an economy car compared to what most people drive over here. :dunno:
> 
> BMW already does make a separte MPH clusters for our market.


i think in the UK, the 325 is relatively cheap as well wrt to the GBP and cost of living. *but* petro is still expensive. also the UK uses the mph *dial* as well so most likely the US and UK share the same dial/guage. if it didn't, yous in the US wouldn't have the km/h in the inner dial that the UKers use for driving on the continent.


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## swchang (Oct 5, 2003)

Andrew*Debbie said:


> A 325 is an economy car compared to what most people drive over here. :dunno:
> 
> BMW already does make a separte MPH clusters for our market. Besides, the M3 gets an oil temp gauge instead of the swingometer. Car still has to have a coolent temp sensor. They _could_ do it.
> 
> ...


Well, I like everything you said but the spare tire thing. I like the temp spare, but I think I'd rather no spare tire than a full size spare. Extra weight for very limited, rare usage.


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## bmw325 (Dec 19, 2001)

Desertnate said:


> Something with the new E90 interior just doesn't work for me.
> 
> For the E36/46 there was an elegant simplicity. They were graceful, sweeping and angled toward the driver. In the E46 I prefer the way it is all one piece. The upper dash flows seamlessly into the center console.
> 
> ...


well said. My thoughts exactly. The design (and most likely the materials) are not elegant, and look cheap. It does seem like a step backwards-- maybe back to 80s American cars. :dunno:


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