2003 BMW 745Li Four Seasons Test - Automobile Magazine
The ranting was all directed at iDrive, BMW's driver-interface system. It's the first thing a driver of the 7-series grapples with, so let's deal with it right up front. BMW describes iDrive as the solution to the contemporary design challenge of "how to accommodate the extensive functions that modern technology offers without overwhelming the driver and creating a driving environment cluttered with controls. From the plug-in key/remote to the start/stop button to the teensy PRND stalk and the shift buttons on the steering wheel, what BMW refers to as "the Driving Zone" seemed devised to disorient-and, indeed, overwhelm-the first-time iDriver (as well... As for what BMW calls "the Comfort Zone," it was hard to feel warm and fuzzy about a system of menus and submenus and sub-submenus hidden within eight "compass points" around the center-console knob to dial in settings for communication,... Despite the stated aim of integrating functions, redundant controls for audio and HVAC appear separately from the main controller. ) And the driving-oh, the driving. Not long after the start of our time with the BMW, for our September 2003 issue, we obtained numbers that encouraged our high expectations for the car's performance. Source: www.automobilemag.com
