Voice control isn't standard in the UK Media package - you need to pay extra to get the voice input for iDrive.

Thats three or four of you that said I can utilize these other functions elsewhere. Cheers! Thats what I needed to know. I just didnt like being enslaved to the iDrive unit. I cant beleive the dealer didnt know what to do. Shes been there for years too! And she's hot, so that made it a little easier on my nerves. Not much though. I think I will head back today and play with the iDrive by myself. Just to try to familiarize myself with it.


Stump- Its a US Spec vehicle Im looking to buy. And the dealer ALSO "forgot" to mention anything about this voice input. This isnt part of any option is it? The one Im looking at has the tech pkg on it, so hopefully the voice is included. :dunno:

Yep US Tech Package has voice control on it. Don't kow why they didn't give it to us on this side of the pond.....just mean I guess!

Just so I am on the same page....

Can someone please clarify...

On the US E70 is Voice Control standard or only part of a Pkg???/

Thank you.

Thats for all these years of you lot getting those clear corners when we have those bloody "sunflowers" sticking out the sides of our cars!! :rofl: That, and good beer of course...:rolleyes:

Bozo thought you were going for a RRS.

Oi!! That was supposed to be a secret...;) Nah, when BMW announced the
6th and 7th seat, that was it. Also, "she" keeps saying its too big...The Range Rover that is...:rofl: I do still think it is a pleasure to look at to say the least...

Make sure they show you the 6 preset buttons, they allow you do assign the following commands to any of the 6 buttons:
Radio Station
Sat Station
CD
AUX
Nav Destination (I set this to my home address, so if I am in an unfamilar location I can get home)
Phone Number (set to my office)
BTW- these buttons are touch sensitive, so once they are programmed, you simply touch any button and softkeys appear on the nav screen reminding you of the function you assigned. (check out the photos on my Custom X5 page- They are in the 10th row of photos)

The climate controls are primarily accessed from the two knobs on the dash (driver and passenger). I push the driver knob to turn on "auto" and set a tempature. If you push the auto button again it changes from soft to medium, then a third time it changes from medium to intense..a forth time back to soft, etc. This is all you really need, but if you want to customize the airlow go into the Idrive, you should never have to adjust this on a regular basis.

Check out the steering wheel functions too, you can change sound sources, change cd's, adjust volume, etc.

There are also two programable steering wheel buttons which allow selecting functions like; turn screen on/off, select phones directory (via Bluetooth), next audio source, mute sound system, air circ on/off, and voice command.

I know this isn't a popular solution to this kind of stuff but i'm gonna throw it out there anyway. My wife; who i have to say isn't a tech guru by any means solved this problem by reading the manual. Result?? she found that iDrive is no big deal. The real problem here is that most people buy things that contain technology (cell phones for example) and never read the information about how to use it. (The wife read hers)

So devote some time to reading the information. It really isn't that bad at all.
I do though agree that the person at the dealer needs to sell washing machines rather than cars. And she should have read the manual as well.

Conclusion? Don't fret. It isn't difficult. If you can figure out your cell phone (after reading the manual) you can master iDrive. :thumbup:

http://www.xoutpost.com/pdf/e70/2007%20X5%20(E70).pdf

I am an old dog and these are definitely new tricks...I am totally guilty of not RTFM'ing... I was so excited about actually seeing the thing for the first time and driving off with it, that I figured I would just hop in, master the controls, and off I'd go...It was really a kick in the nuts when I realized I would actually have to RTFM...

And FWIW, I was in denial during the spy pic phase, but the pictures don't do the e70 justice at all. The thing is a beast! :wow:

Now all I have to figure out is Grey, TiAg, or Black...:rolleyes: