Sat nav..not the best

F

flybobbie

Elite
 Stourbridge
Having used the satnav for the first long trip..what a waste of time. Couldn't input Cambridge post code CB21 so couldn't use it to find a Hotel. Mine has not been updated since 2009, but apparently that post code has been around since 2006, so how old is the satnav database?
Its frustratingly slow when approaching junctions and keeps you guessing to the last 1/4 of a mile.
I ended up using Navfree on my android phone to find the hotel.
Even the cheap £70 7 inch satnav i bought from China is better than the BMW one. Shows you the lanes, road signs and speed limits etc.

If it wasn't for the other idrive functions, i'd be a bit dissapointed if i had paid the £2000 option when new.
 
There's the bonus.. You didn't pay for the option ;) someone else did.

Update the database, it's over four years old. It's not the best, but it's ok.

It's the same issue with most oem kit, it's old data. BMW don't make the data, they buy it in. Portable kit usually has live or bundled updates. Not something BMW do, likely so they have yet another revenue stream.
 
The BMW satnav misses some features that, like you say, even el-cheapo units include.

However, on both our 2011 1'er, and 2012 Z4 the idrive satnav is very good.

Updating the maps though isn't cheap....best get a quote.
 
I updated mine to 2013 premium maps got them via ebay around £60 including the required new code, I tried using the dvd's at first but was taking forever to do, so put them on 3 16gb usb sticks and went in much faster
 
I don't 'diss' BMW satnavs anymore after a trip to the south of France in the wife's car using a Tomtom. On a number of occasions it sent us on a wild goose chase, the most memorable of which resulted in us driving down an ever narrowing lane culminating in us parking in some French allotments. Also it refused to give us any directions to the ferry terminal.
Whereas on a drive to Holland the BMW told us of a recent accident on our route and redirected us accordingly, we were able to turn off just before the sizeable tailback which we able to see ahead of us.
I too updated my maps from 2008 to 2013 for the princely sum of €50.
 
Don't confuse routing quality with hardware. The underlying data for all satnav comes from only a few data vendors. Where the hardware manufacturer acquires the data could change from time to time and it can be difficult to tell where the data is sourced. Routing that is pants in one version could be stellar in an update, or the other way around.
 
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