[ezmaass]

So guys, just a quick update after 6 days with the new 550xi.

LED Lights:

So, if you've read my previous posts, you may recall I mentioned that the LED lights are nice, but I didn't see much difference from my previous BMWs with xenon lights. Well, I'm happy to say I'm ready to retract that statement.

I've spent some time really testing these at night, and I have to say my initial impressions were off... especially after I spent some time doing a compare and contrast with a friend's standard xenons. The LED light is noticeably brighter and sharper - I specifically noticed this when taking it on some very dark back-roads. I'm also becoming a bigger fan of the automatic highbeams, which appear to really work remarkably well regardless of various changing situations.

Are they absolutely necessary? Not at all. I still believe xenon technology is great, and xenons are miles above-and-beyond standard halogens. However, if you don't mind spending the extra $1900, I'm now further convinced that it's worth it... especially if you'll be taking any country roads or driving much in non-city environments, where I think these lights really start to "shine" (yes, pun intended!).

ACC Stop and Go:

I've only had a chance to quickly play with this feature, but I have a feeling I'm going to LOVE it. The system can bring the car to a complete stop as well as start it moving again (when traffic begins moving) provided that you're not stopped for more than a few seconds. This seem most beneficial in highway congestion - which I find most annoying when it comes to a crawl, momentarily stopping, starting, etc. I'm really impressed so far, and although I dislike traffic jams, I'll SEMI enjoy the next experience as a great real world test. Is it worth the extra dough? I think so.

ConnectedDrive:

There are just a ton of features to play with that my 335i didn't have, so it's going to take some time - literally, time sitting in the driveway most likely playing with everything. I suspect it may be 6 months from now, and I'll be saying, "Gee, I didn't know it could do THAT!" If anyone has any great tips and tricks to share in this department (or if there's a good thread I've missed), I'm all ears. For instance, I'm intrigued by the My BMW Remote app, but I haven't been able to get around to testing it - or even finding it on the Google Play store. Anybody ConnectedDrive masters out there on the forum that can share your "best of" info?

Well, that's it for today. I'm happy to say I'm still drooling with excitement over this car. I think BMW just did a really amazing job on this 5 series. I wasn't crazy about the e60 at all, and honestly I was just "ehh" impressed with my e90 as a complete package. But I'm super impressed with the f10 so far, and I truly believe I couldn't find another mid-sized luxury sedan I'd rather drive - no, not even an M5 as I want (need) xDrive!

[Tuesday]

The BMW app is great, but before you call your wife and kids out to the driveway to witness the wonder, know that the average command (honking, lights flashing) takes ~5 minutes to complete. Some people vehemently argue it takes less - but I'd like to see that hold up to a majority vote. The one thing I use the app for continuously and reliably is sending destinations to the nav. I actually don't remember the last time I used the manual or voice destination input.

Oh, one more thing, not sure about the android version of the app, but on iOS 'unlock' no longer happens directly; it instead initiates a call - a fancy and superfluous way of dialing BMW Assist.

[ezmaass]

Tuesday,

Thanks for the response. What is the name of the app, exactly? I've tried looking for "My BMW Remote" as the instructions suggest, and I thought I saw it pop up once, but now it's nowhere to be found.

Also, have you used Google Maps (on a computer) with "Send to Car?" What name do you use for the BMW Assist account when it asks for one? I don't recall ever being given an "account name" - my BMW Assist paperwork just lists stuff like my VIN, car details, etc.

Thanks for the help!

[TrimThis]

I just read some of the iPhone reviews and most are not impressed

[ezmaass]

So there are apparently two apps... "Connected" which allows you to sync things like FB in the car and "Remote" that allows you to control the car. I've played with the remote app now and it works well... A minute of delay but all functions seem to work.

[Tuesday]

If you use google maps to send a destination to your car you need the email address on file for your BMW Assist account. It goes through pretty quick, I also use this feature a lot.

It should be the same email you used to log into the app.

[Tuesday]

Originally Posted by TrimThis

I just read some of the iPhone reviews and most are not impressed

Free apps always get the most venomous reviews. I know this first hand.

I do agree though that it could be more responsive and the update that eliminated the ability to directly unlock the doors definitely cut into core functionality.

[ezmaass]

I have to say - I don't know why the BMW Remote app has such poor reviews. Aside from the tough time I had INSTALLING it (had to bypass Google Play store since it wasn't allowing me to download it), the app seems to work perfectly.

I also really like that the app shows you when the function has completed. The three features I can see using most frequently:

1. Location

Not that I lose my car that often, but it does happen from time to time in a very large mega-mall parking lot or city, where each block starts to look the same. The location is dead accurate. I have the car in my garage (no direct sky visibility), and not only did the map show me exactly where my car is, but when I turn on the satellite view, the car shows up directly over the garage - that's pretty darn accurate.

2. Climate

This only appears to operate the "ventilation" feature - won't actually allow you to control the temperature (which I suppose would require the car to be running, so that makes sense). Nonetheless, I could see this being useful. I never really used the timer-based ventilation in my previous BMW because I don't have any regular schedule; therefore, knowing when the car may or may not need to be ventilated was impossible. I like that the app gives you the option to ventilate on command OR set the timers. I can see this as being useful during the summer... out somewhere, expecting to leave in the next 10 minutes, you can start ventilating the car.

3. Send Destination to Car

I'll undoubtedly use the hell out of this. I travel all over the place for business, and I'm constantly grabbing addresses off my smart phone for places I need to go. The ability to send it to the car (versus try to look it up once I'm inside, digging the phone from my pocket, etc) is priceless to me.

Is it the most useful app in the world? Maybe not, but I think I'll get my use out of it - heck, it's FREE. Awesome.

On another topic, I discovered the Fuel Prices feature in ConnectedDrive the other day, too. Man, talk about sweet! I can't tell you how many times I've been driving somewhere for business (in the middle of somewhere unfamiliar), look down and see I'm in need of a fill. So, it's either stop the car, take out the phone and look for a gas station or hope I just stumble across something convenient. This feature makes it so easy. A few clicks and it'll show you every nearby gas station along with their prices! Just click one and you can navigate to it. Who could ask for more??

[Grover432]

Originally Posted by ezmaass

I have to say - I don't know why the BMW Remote app has such poor reviews. Aside from the tough time I had INSTALLING it (had to bypass Google Play store since it wasn't allowing me to download it), the app seems to work perfectly.

I also really like that the app shows you when the function has completed. The three features I can see using most frequently:

1. Location

Not that I lose my car that often, but it does happen from time to time in a very large mega-mall parking lot or city, where each block starts to look the same. The location is dead accurate. I have the car in my garage (no direct sky visibility), and not only did the map show me exactly where my car is, but when I turn on the satellite view, the car shows up directly over the garage - that's pretty darn accurate.

2. Climate

This only appears to operate the "ventilation" feature - won't actually allow you to control the temperature (which I suppose would require the car to be running, so that makes sense). Nonetheless, I could see this being useful. I never really used the timer-based ventilation in my previous BMW because I don't have any regular schedule; therefore, knowing when the car may or may not need to be ventilated was impossible. I like that the app gives you the option to ventilate on command OR set the timers. I can see this as being useful during the summer... out somewhere, expecting to leave in the next 10 minutes, you can start ventilating the car.

3. Send Destination to Car

I'll undoubtedly use the hell out of this. I travel all over the place for business, and I'm constantly grabbing addresses off my smart phone for places I need to go. The ability to send it to the car (versus try to look it up once I'm inside, digging the phone from my pocket, etc) is priceless to me.

Is it the most useful app in the world? Maybe not, but I think I'll get my use out of it - heck, it's FREE. Awesome.

On another topic, I discovered the Fuel Prices feature in ConnectedDrive the other day, too. Man, talk about sweet! I can't tell you how many times I've been driving somewhere for business (in the middle of somewhere unfamiliar), look down and see I'm in need of a fill. So, it's either stop the car, take out the phone and look for a gas station or hope I just stumble across something convenient. This feature makes it so easy. A few clicks and it'll show you every nearby gas station along with their prices! Just click one and you can navigate to it. Who could ask for more??

I've used #3. Locating the car would be of greater value but BMW limits the searchable area to the size of a parking lot. If you want to know where a thief or your kid took your car, no dice.

[ezmaass]

Originally Posted by Grover432

I've used #3. Locating the car would be of greater value but BMW limits the searchable area to the size of a parking lot. If you want to know where a thief or your kid took your car, no dice.

Yeah, I recall reading that there's a 1.5km "range" on the search. This is obviously artificially constrained, since the car is likely just transmitting back a lat/long, and the app (or intermediate service run by BMW) is imposing the limitation on showing the results.

I suspect the limitation is due to privacy concerns. This may be especially true in the United States, where many states have independently ruled on the circumstances in which GPS tracking in a vehicle (or on a person) is considered legal. Some states have ruled it illegal to use GPS tracking in a personal vehicle if the driver (including a spouse) is unaware of the capability. I think BMW probably just wanted to stay 100% clear of any potential liability mix-up in such a case. I'm glad they do this, too, since it also protects the owner. If for any reason your smartphone and pin for the app was compromised, someone could just as easily track you - including back to your house. Limiting the system to 1.5km and marketing it as a solution to find a parked vehicle probably makes the lawyers feel a bit more insulated.

That said, if you call BMW Assist, they can locate the car and provide details to the police if the car is indeed stolen. So, I'm not overly concerned from a theft perspective. In all reality, I'll legitimately use this feature to find the car as intended - in a parking scenario. 1.5km (or about 0.93m) is probably plenty sufficient... beyond that, you need to REALLY have forgotten where you parked!