[Don Cannelloni]

Mine is less than a year old so not looking to change for another while. For what its worth, not concerned about Idrive8 / losing the physical buttons - more the way in which the new widescreen has been attached to the dash of the car - looks like they ran a competition for school children to decide how it should be done...

[Mattl0806]

Originally Posted by gqgambler

Pass. Love the thought of the engine, like the aggressive exterior, but absolutely hate the interior. Screen looks like an afterthought that was just plopped in place and the lack of button is ridiculous. No buttons, in my opinion is not functional or safe; I don't think it's a good look either - just blank real estate on the dash to stare at. I'll keep my M50i for now and wait to see the new G65, but probably will end up looking for a CPO M50i or F95 sooner rather than later if I can't find any remaining pre-LCI cars on dealer lots. I can't see them bringing back the buttons, but hope they prove me wrong.

Agree with this.
Looking from the Passenger side is bad enough but I truly do not understand the rectangle hard lined shape on the driver side. It just looks completely out of place through a rounded steering wheel. I’d struggle with do look above the steering wheel or through it etc. IMO very out of place design Needed some curves to it.

[Heavyd]

How should the curved display be attached? I have no problems with it, it's refreshing and modern. I find it much better than the Mercedes GLE.

[Mojobaggins]

Have a 50e allocation if I want it. Need to take my CPO 2019 50i that I bought last May in to get valued which it a little weird since I bought it from the sale dealer.

Two reasons that I'm interested is for the fuel mileage as I'm a little sick of only getting 16 mpg and I'm going vegan and would like to get the Sensafin vegan leather seating.

May hold off til next March when the CPO warranty ends.

[Mattl0806]

Originally Posted by Heavyd

How should the curved display be attached? I have no problems with it, it's refreshing and modern. I find it much better than the Mercedes GLE.

Have you sat in person? Even the gle has curves to the edges of the screens and the
whole unit is integrated into the vent housing to make it look like one seamless dashboard design.

I think there should be a housing around it. IMO - it looks out of place and ends abruptly on the dashboard. I don’t believe the view fits nicely in btw the steering wheel. I’ve only seen this on x7 but I don’t think x5 is different up front.

[Heavyd]

Originally Posted by Mattl0806

Have you sat in person? Even the gle has curves to the edges of the screens and the
whole unit is integrated into the vent housing to make it look like one seamless dashboard design.

I think there should be a housing around it. IMO - it looks out of place and ends abruptly on the dashboard. I don’t believe the view fits nicely in btw the steering wheel. I’ve only seen this on x7 but I don’t think x5 is different up front.

I sat in a 7 series with a curved display.

[cmyx6go]

Originally Posted by gqgambler

Pass. Love the thought of the engine, like the aggressive exterior, but absolutely hate the interior. Screen looks like an afterthought that was just plopped in place and the lack of button is ridiculous. No buttons, in my opinion is not functional or safe; I don't think it's a good look either - just blank real estate on the dash to stare at. I'll keep my M50i for now and wait to see the new G65, but probably will end up looking for a CPO M50i or F95 sooner rather than later if I can't find any remaining pre-LCI cars on dealer lots. I can't see them bringing back the buttons, but hope they prove me wrong.

My lease is up August 2024. I'm seriously thinking of buying it at lease end.

[tooloud10]

Originally Posted by fr_tz

It’s just mind blowing with the narrative around the tax credit being a justification. Even more so with those who ordered 45e’s in Q1 of 2023. That tax credit will be canceled out by depreciation.

Nah, BMW did all of us '23 45e owners a huge favor WRT depreciation because the '24 is $6800 more and likely won't be eligible for the EV tax credit, so the net cost difference between the '23 and '24 is almost $15k.

Through the '23 model you could get a 45e for just a few grand more than a loaded Ford Explorer, but those days are over and the market will respond accordingly.

[viperdoc]

I purchased a 2023 45e to avoid the LCI.

And I agree that the screen looks out of place. There are definitely better ways to make it look integrated into the dash. Just look at the the pre-LCI x5, they somehow "magically" found a way to stick an extended screen onto the dash, without the weird triangular support on the end and without the stark 90 degree angle. The right side of the screen in the pre-LCI vehicles still ends in a 90 degree angle, but they rounded the housing of it to make it flow with the rest of the vehicle. The LCI screen just looks bad to me.

[fr_tz]

Originally Posted by tooloud10

Nah, BMW did all of us '23 45e owners a huge favor WRT depreciation because the '24 is $6800 more and likely won't be eligible for the EV tax credit, so the net cost difference between the '23 and '24 is almost $15k.

Through the '23 model you could get a 45e for just a few grand more than a loaded Ford Explorer, but those days are over and the market will respond accordingly.

Can appreciate what you’re saying. The 23 MY lost 3-4 months worth of production. There will be that many more ‘24s out there. The gap just isn’t nearly as big as you think it is. Unless you’re part of the “I’ll keep it forever camp.” But then again you just bought last years model when the new one comes out next month.

[Mattl0806]

Originally Posted by Heavyd

I sat in a 7 series with a curved display.

I think we are referencing different dimensions when saying it’s curved or not curved.

[puckybadger]

Originally Posted by Mojobaggins

Have a 50e allocation if I want it. Need to take my CPO 2019 50i that I bought last May in to get valued which it a little weird since I bought it from the sale dealer.

Two reasons that I'm interested is for the fuel mileage as I'm a little sick of only getting 16 mpg and I'm going vegan and would like to get the Sensafin vegan leather seating.

May hold off til next March when the CPO warranty ends.

Sensafin is not leather just like almond milk is not milk

[AloneAlien]

Originally Posted by puckybadger

Sensafin is not leather just like almond milk is not milk

The world moves on.. Better materials are created. I know for sure that prime synthetic materials are more durable and better to everyday contact than animal skin. Time to move on I believe.

[Heavyd]

Originally Posted by puckybadger

Sensafin is not leather just like almond milk is not milk

I'd rather have a glued on instrument cluster than sensafin or a soya steak

[Bmw2626]

I did sit on Sensafin at the dealer. It’s getting better, but nowhere near the feel and smell of the merino IMO. For 1800, you have to care a lot about the enviro side not to get it. However, with all of the plastic crap in the ocean, not sure if it’s really that enviro friendly….

[AloneAlien]

Didb you read this:
https://g05.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=2004143
Animal skin can't keep on...

[Bmw2626]

Originally Posted by AloneAlien

Didb you read this:
https://g05.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=2004143
Animal skin can't keep on...

Again, Sensafin seems like big improvement over sensatec. I have sensatec in my 2015 X5. All I’m suggesting is that I was at dealer a month ago for nothing other than to compare Sensafin vs merino in the x5 as I had to order a new one. My 2015 is lighting up like a Christmas tree and I need to switch. Had them pull two cars side by side, one black Sensafin, one black merino. Went back and forth to each car a dozen times. My conclusion is merino is the better option. Everyone has their own opinion though.

[FastMarkA]

I'm not a fan of function buttons going away as a result of iDrive 8, but they're not coming back.

So we can kick and scream about the concept, maybe snag a remaining '23 that is coming off the line/sitting on a lot, call BMW engineers lots of naughty names, but unless we want to drive aging cars the rest of our lives, we're eventually going to have to get used to a screen/voice managing a vehicle's functions (and it's not just BMW doing this, it's every car manufacturer).

One screen and a microphone is a lot cheaper than multiple function buttons to install (and repair under warranty), to say nothing of updates and options configuration.

It's just the way that things are going; I'm sure there were horse traders pointing out the flaws of Karl Benz's invention back in the day.

I did think about trying to find one of the last '23 45es, but I know me, and I'll want the latest tech as well as the extra 100hp in the 50e. I will have to learn to live a button-less life.

[tooloud10]

The Sensafin debate is interesting to me because I've always specified my BMWs with the best seat and leather options that they offered, but when I ordered my '23 X5 I thought the cognac Sensafin looked and felt so nice that I couldn't imagine paying more for the real stuff. I literally never even considered the fake leather until now.

Outside of car forums I bet I don't know a single person that would recognize that Sensafin isn't actually leather.

[TurtleBoy]

My, more specifically my wife’s, problem with Sensafin is the pattern. She can’t stand diamond-like patterns, that is why we didn’t get Merino. I think I have her convinced now that the Merino pattern is acceptable but doubt I could ever achieve that with Sensafin.

[PandaSPUR]

Originally Posted by Mattl0806

Have you sat in person? Even the gle has curves to the edges of the screens and the
whole unit is integrated into the vent housing to make it look like one seamless dashboard design.

I think there should be a housing around it. IMO - it looks out of place and ends abruptly on the dashboard. I don’t believe the view fits nicely in btw the steering wheel. I’ve only seen this on x7 but I don’t think x5 is different up front.

I've sat in both (not a X5 LCI but an iX, 7, and 4). The GLE's surfboard is better integrated (similar to the 7 series), I'll give it that, but only that.

The curved edges on the GLE screen look good, but at the same time it reduces the usable space for the screen itself. The result is you have a fairly large bezel around the actual screens, making it look like a tablet from 5 years ago.

The curve of the screen for iD8 actually makes it easier for the driver to use too from what I noticed.

My ideal solution/wish would be the 7-series style of screen integration and keeping the hardware hvac and favorites buttons.

[Mattl0806]

Originally Posted by PandaSPUR

I've sat in both (not a X5 LCI but an iX, 7, and 4). The GLE's surfboard is better integrated (similar to the 7 series), I'll give it that, but only that.

The curved edges on the GLE screen look good, but at the same time it reduces the usable space for the screen itself. The result is you have a fairly large bezel around the actual screens, making it look like a tablet from 5 years ago.

The curve of the screen for iD8 actually makes it easier for the driver to use too from what I noticed.

My ideal solution/wish would be the 7-series style of screen integration and keeping the hardware hvac and favorites buttons.

Agree with pretty much everything you said. Especially your ideal integration.