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      09-21-2012, 01:17 PM   #1
Il Fenomeno 415
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I'm taking delivery next week and I am obsessing over not ordering the full tech package hence no HUD for me. I just ordered the standalone navigation. After reading posts most people with HUDs love theirs but also a few seem indifferent and say its underwhelming. Wanted to ask people's opinion on must having a HUD or not and how it effects their actual driving experience. I know its a helpful option but does not having it spoil anything significant about the driving experience?

I passed on it while configuring because BMW Apps does not interest me whatsoever and I felt HUD was just an extra something "cool" to have in the car.

Thoughts??
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      09-21-2012, 02:18 PM   #2
Valentin
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It definitely is awesome to have, but the view is only limited to the driver and it is very informative (and looks great at night). But I don't think it is a must have, my friend has it and she says she could live without it. But then again she calls me when her "genie" lamp goes on lol. I personally didn't feel the need to get it (more so cause I couldn't afford it lol)
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      09-21-2012, 02:43 PM   #3
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I have used the HUD during F30 test drives. I personally think its incredible, and would never order a car without it.
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      09-21-2012, 02:54 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SamS View Post
I have used the HUD during F30 test drives. I personally think its incredible, and would never order a car without it.
+1

I never thought I'd need it but quickly you discover you can't live without it.

Hate driving my wife's car for this reason.

BJ
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      09-21-2012, 03:20 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by boltjames View Post
+1

I never thought I'd need it but quickly you discover you can't live without it.

Hate driving my wife's car for this reason.

BJ
Same here.

It ends up being something you learn to "see" without actually looking at it.

With the HUD, I can see my speed while I monitor the as*hole next to me drifting out of his lane while he's texting.

Also, the car is so smooth and quiet, I have a problem feeling how fast I'm going without looking down at the speedo/tach. With the HUD, I can keep my eyes on the road and lower the probability of getting a speeding ticket.

Last edited by Frogman; 09-24-2012 at 11:36 AM..
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      09-21-2012, 03:24 PM   #6
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I think the navigation part of HUD is the most useful. You really never have to take your eyes off the road, to know you need to make a left turn ahead at Jackson St.
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      09-21-2012, 04:17 PM   #7
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It's not only the speed and nav info. I love the scrolling of radios stations, songs on my hard drive or phone contacts. Can do all of those things with the HUD and scroll wheel without taking eyes off of the road.
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      09-22-2012, 02:17 AM   #8
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For me, it's one of my favourite extras on the car.

It gives me all the important info I need without having to take my eyes off the road at all. I had been a bit unsure but went for a test drive originally in a car without it and had to keep looking down at the speed which was partially obscured by the steering wheel position. After a test drive in a car with it, I was sold!

It may be an expensive option but I love it and don't regret spending the extra for it
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      09-22-2012, 02:20 AM   #9
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Love it for all the reasons stated above.

Wanted to be a pilot when I was a teenager, so a couple of decades on and working in a private bank this is as close as I'll get ;-)
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      09-22-2012, 10:46 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rjberry
For me, it's one of my favourite extras on the car.

It gives me all the important info I need without having to take my eyes off the road at all. I had been a bit unsure but went for a test drive originally in a car without it and had to keep looking down at the speed which was partially obscured by the steering wheel position. After a test drive in a car with it, I was sold!

It may be an expensive option but I love it and don't regret spending the extra for it
I've also noticed that the steering wheel blocks my view of the top of the speedo & tach. Using the HUD allows me to see my speed without having to scrunch down to see the top of the speedo needle. I sit far enough back so they the wheel blocks the critical 60-80 mpg range. It's a combination of large dials and a somewhat small wheel. Having the HUD speedo makes that issue go away.
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      09-22-2012, 05:51 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by boltjames View Post
+1

I never thought I'd need it but quickly you discover you can't live without it.

Hate driving my wife's car for this reason.

BJ
This is exactly my experience. We ordered a 335 and an X3 almost at the same time. The HUD in my car makes driving her car less fun. I get used to not looking in the cockpit for my speed.

THe car is still a blast without it though.
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      09-22-2012, 07:38 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Il Fenomeno 415 View Post
I'm taking delivery next week and I am obsessing over not ordering the full tech package hence no HUD for me. I just ordered the standalone navigation. After reading posts most people with HUDs love theirs but also a few seem indifferent and say its underwhelming. Wanted to ask people's opinion on must having a HUD or not and how it effects their actual driving experience. I know its a helpful option but does not having it spoil anything significant about the driving experience?

I passed on it while configuring because BMW Apps does not interest me whatsoever and I felt HUD was just an extra something "cool" to have in the car.

Thoughts??
I understand the appeal of this nifty HUD.
I can see my speedo and tach and still see the road in front of me, and it's never been a problem.
It's not like you have to completely divert your eyes from the road and directly stare at the speedo and tach to see it, or so much so that HUD makes driving so much safer.

I do like the NAV function in the HUD though. That seems very useful.
But having too many HUD items in your line of sight could distract certain drivers as well, if they're too busy admiring all the HUD info.

I tried it in a couple of test cars. It's neat, but certainly not a
"must have", imo.

Last edited by RPM90; 09-22-2012 at 07:46 PM..
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      09-22-2012, 09:00 PM   #13
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I love my HuD I don't know how I drove before it. In Aus we don't get speed sign reminder feature, but navigation and current speed at just below eye point rocks.
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      09-23-2012, 03:06 AM   #14
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+100 for all the above reasons.

It really feels natural to be looking at the road and always having the digital speedo in your vision. 'Must have'? well no, but pretty near the top of my list of options now.
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      09-23-2012, 07:10 PM   #15
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only sad part is I have to buy some new sunglasses. . even w/ that huge problem I ordered the car w/ it.
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      09-23-2012, 11:57 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mrcarcrazy View Post
only sad part is I have to buy some new sunglasses. . even w/ that huge problem I ordered the car w/ it.
Yeah, I tried all kinds of tricks to keep my polarized glasses, but in the end, I just got a new non-polarized pair and all is well.
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      09-24-2012, 11:26 AM   #17
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Quote:
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Yeah, I tried all kinds of tricks to keep my polarized glasses, but in the end, I just got a new non-polarized pair and all is well.
Yeah it's futile. I sold sunglasses in order to put myself through college... now all I own is Maui Jim. I'll have to slum it with a pair of Raybans I suppose.

Kinda funny, on the test drive my wife was saying "oh cool, all this info on the windshield is neat". I'm like "yeah, I don't see it", then I got behind the wheel, still didn't see it...then remembered back in the day people specifically wanting non polarized for their Corvettes and Caddy's w/ HUD. Took off my sunglasses and said "oh shit that is cool".
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      09-24-2012, 11:34 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SamS View Post
I have used the HUD during F30 test drives. I personally think its incredible, and would never order a car without it.
Didn't even know how awesome it was until I drove it for a day. Since then, I dont know how I could live without it. Always being able to keep your eyes on the road is quite nice (especially, since you can be breaking the speed limit by double digits without even knowing it in this car...)
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      09-28-2012, 10:11 AM   #19
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I'll add my 2 cents. I got the HUD and I enjoy it. The speedo is nice and I like how it changes colors between night and day. Also, the NAV info in the HUD is priceless. In my last BMW, I always had to divert my eyes all the way over to the idrive panel and search for information. Those milliseconds can be huge. But now I have all that info on the windshield. I also agree that searching for songs, which can take along time with hundreds of tracks, are a lot more easy and safe. The only catch is that you have to scroll through each song within your current folder. There's no way to navigate folders or via artist, song, or genre. So, if you're in a folder with 3 songs, you have to go to idrive to get out of that folder and into the next one you want to listen to.
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      09-29-2012, 11:45 AM   #20
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Sweet, reading all this further validates my decision to get it.
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      10-09-2012, 09:54 AM   #21
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Can the HUD or the steering wheel column display instantaneous MPG?
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      10-09-2012, 10:04 AM   #22
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Quote:
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Can the HUD or the steering wheel column display instantaneous MPG?
I don't think the HUD displays the mpg, not that I've been able to find in the settings anyway. With the black panel display you get the instantaneous mpg that shows up digitally, otherwise without it I think it's just a needle that swings to give a vague idea of the current mpg.
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