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  #1  
Old 10-18-2009, 12:15 AM
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Question Cold Weather Climate usefulness

I've been struggling w/decision on whether to get the Cold Weather Package or just heated front seats for $685 (invoice) / $705.55 (after tax) less. When thinking rationally, based on my driving experience over the past X years the only real feature worth something is the front heated seats. To some extent maybe the headlamp washers but I've never had them before and while there were times when I wished I did have them I really don't know how well they work, IOW do they eliminate the need to wipe your headlamps on long trips for example during bad winter/muddy wheather? I would love to hear people's opinion on those, especially who has/had them.

Another feature that seems ridiculous on the face (or maybe not just on the face, but I can't decide) is the heated steering wheel. I mean... c'mon! ... I understand on a motorcycle when it's cold as hell, you do want to have heated grips... but in a car? where you have heating, and it probably will take as long to heat up the steering wheel as it takes for your hands to warm it up! ... no? Am I missing something? Have I been deprived all those years? Are the claims that this feature once experienced is so addictive that people can't go on w/out it ever again true? Is this the solution to world hunger? Or at least the best thing since sliced bread?

Please help! On one hand it's only $685 on a ~60k car so why not just get it (which I might just do) but on the other If both items prove useless I'd feel stupid just on principle.

Thanks for any help you can provide to ease the pain in my spoiled little mind...



spacey

Last edited by spacey; 10-18-2009 at 09:15 AM.
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  #2  
Old 10-18-2009, 12:21 AM
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just get it...

Headlights washer is very effective, although it "gulps" the windshield fluid at huge rate.

The heated steering wheel makes your car feel very luxurious. It is quite fast - you'll feel after 10-15 seconds, and it stays comfortably warm. I personally prefer keeping seats on low-warm, steering wheel heater "on", and cabin temperature around 63F.

In my opinion, you either get all possible cold weather-related options, or none of them.
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Old 10-18-2009, 02:02 AM
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Get it.

Yeah. It's really not that much in comparison to the total cost of the car.

I like the feeling of the heated steering wheel in the cold weather. At least it's effective (not like active ventilated seats that don't really cool you down).
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Old 10-18-2009, 05:14 AM
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Once you go heated steering wheel you'll never go back! I had to take the X in for service on a real cold day. I got in the loaner and no heated steering wheel OMG!

Seriously, it makes a big difference. It heats up very quickly and sure helps take the edge off on cold days.
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  #5  
Old 10-18-2009, 06:24 AM
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The heated steering wheel rocks. One of my favorite features here in cold Minnesota. I do not wear gloves during the winter because of it.
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Old 10-18-2009, 06:25 AM
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get it, heated steering wheels are priceless...
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Old 10-18-2009, 08:14 AM
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Back in 98, when I bought my first BMW, the heated steering wheel option was the thing than pushed me over the line from the Mercedes side, which wasn't offering it on the car I was considering. Heated steering wheel is a must have!
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Old 10-18-2009, 08:55 AM
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I really think that both options are very dependent on the weather where you are. Here in Central Texas winters can be pretty chilly but we rarely see temps below 20. The ONLY option that we wish we had ordered on our BTO 2001 X5 was the heated front seats. So we got them on our new 35d. But the rest of the cold weather package and the heated steering wheel is, to us, a waste of money and simply adds more electrical things to go wrong.

Note: the main unresolved issue with the E70 (all years and models) is the reports of the electrical system draining the battery so low the X5 won't start. One day everything seems OK, the next day the battery is dead. So IMO adding any electrical option you're not sure you really want is not a good idea.

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Old 10-18-2009, 09:01 AM
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It's time for BMW and others to move to a 24 volt system. With all the electronics on board, the 12 volt system is inadequate.

A home built 40 years ago likely had a 60 amp service......today a 200 amp panel is probably standard.
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  #10  
Old 10-18-2009, 09:44 AM
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Yea good point about the local weather. Well... I live in northern VA / D.C. area. So for the most part its not really that cold. The winters do get nasty but not Minnesota/Michigan/upstate NY nasty by any means. There is usually relatively short ~3/4 months of "bad" wheather w/~1 month of total snow. Nastiness is for the most part related to generally high humidity in the area and sub freezing temps forming a 1 to 3 inch ice layer on things for a few days to a week every year. And then just overal sloshiness/cold&wet for the rest of the time. It does get down to say 10's for a few days but that's about it. Certainly nothing in comparison w/Toronto where I spent couple of years few years back.

As far as actual usefulness I could possibly see the washers when salt/dirt/roadspray get on the headlamps during the sloshy weeks/months beause I did find myslef cleaning off the headlamps repeatedly in the past.

The steering wheel thing I could see beeing addictive... actually its been unseasonably cold here last few days w/rain and just plain unpleasantness so when I got into the car yesterday I did feel the steering wheel colder than usual and I suppose I could have flipped on the heater ... had I had one... now that I was aware of the "problem" LOL..

Another issue that's been rolling arount through my head is that my wife doesn't generally like bells and whistles ... For example, she won't use heated seats no matter how cold it is. I've suggested numerous times when it was bone freezing out and darn cold in the car but she's never wanted to use them once. She tried once after I insisted and turned them off saying she doesn't like it!!! That one I completely do not get, but then again that's just a tiny insignifican little part of her lovely self I do not get so I've just relegated it to - oh well, I guess it's one of those "things" ... So I am really not sure what she'd do if I suggested turning on the steering wheel heater... OR ... for all I know... I sure as hell can't ask her now though LOL ...

spacey
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