Onboard Music Collection Q

[RedRockin]

Originally Posted by Penguin

I believe the one in the glovebox comes with the Technology Package.

Thanks!
$400 option for something I don't need! I have Prem & Tech. USB is not listed anywhere as part of those (not on printout checklist from dealer and not listed in X5 brochure either). Bottom line, it-is-what-it-is and it is now done but it really irks me if would have been in the vehicle w/o the $400 option and no-one tells you and not to be found in any literature.

[London Lad]

Can't help you there as the packages are different in the UK and more items are available out side of packages.

(I hate packages, just a sales gimmick to force you to buy bits you don't want)

[Penguin]

Originally Posted by London Lad

(I hate packages, just a sales gimmick to force you to buy bits you don't want)

For the most part, your are right. However, having been in the business years back, often packages are used to minimize assembly complexity and reduce the number of unique parts required. When I started in the business fresh out of College long ago, one of my jobs was to be the Product Planning representative on a "Complexity Reduction Task Force." The entire purpose of the "Task Force" (a popular buzz word in business at the time), was to reduce the number of parts and decisions the assembly people had to make on the production line. A coupe of the "tricks" taken to accomplish this was to make packages if it resulted in fewer parts choices, and to drop very low-volume options, e.g., heated seats only if you bought leather, not cloth.

A package example would be putting power mirrors, power door locks, and power windows into a package to avoid having multiple wiring harnesses to choose from during assembly, etc.

So, at least in a few instances, there is a logical reason for packages beyond "loading the vehicle."

[RedRockin]

Originally Posted by London Lad

(I hate packages, just a sales gimmick to force you to buy bits you don't want)

In some cases, like prem and tech, I don't mind them as I would get most of those items anyway. But, I would have gotten ventilated seats and heated steering wheel if not in packages full of stuff I don't want. I got the heated front seats but to get the steering wheel would have been an additional $750 in package (I think heated wheel used to be a $100 stand-alone option in BMW) and the vent seats weren't worth $2100 to me. I know, OT - sorry.

[London Lad]

Penguin, I see your point and the value.

From a consumer point of view I get the situation where (in the UK) a sport pack gives me a black headlining that I detest so I have to spec the bits separately, then I get to an option that says 'only with sport pack'......

Mobile phones are the worst. I want an iphone so (in the UK) I have to use an O2 iphone tariff that includes 1200 minutes and 600 texts. One month I may use 1200 mins the next 300. I only ever use 30 texts max. O2 say 'oh they are free anyway' which of course they are not.

In an ideal world I would just like to buy the car options I want from a list, just tick them off one at a time, yes, no, yes, yes, yes ,no.

I'd like to pay a line rental and just pay for the calls and texts I use and not be subject to the 'dumbing down' of being told 'you get 1200 free minutes' etc.

But hey, who said it was supposed to be the way I want it :-)