Just my few cents ...

1 - It significantly restricts access in the console (passenger side).

Not really, the cradle lifts up and you can get access to the console store area.

3 - I can't imagine taking the time to plug in/out every time I got in/out of the X5 except when on long trips.

The new 3G cradle is really nice, its really well engineered and makes it very easy to put the phone in and out the cradle.

4 - I don't own an iPhone (yet).

Hahaha .... sounds like you might buy one though ;-)

Thanks for the comments.

FWIW my wife keeps pens, note pads, sun screen, etc in the center console. Which means that when we're in the car together (I'm usually driving) she is frequently opening/closing the console. One of the things I like about the E70 design is the split console 'doors' so she can get stuff without opening the whole thing. I had the impression that it would be difficult to access items in the console from the passenger's side without opening both 'doors'. Is that not true?

Funf Dreisig

No not really. Even with the smartphone integration and cradle, you can still open that side of the center console and then lift up the entire cradle. Its designed to open up. I'll take some snaps later. Its hard to explain.

The only thing you would loose is, a bit of real estate and one extra thing to do, in order to access the center console (from the passenger side).

Turns out that I got the cradle, plugged it in and was immediately ready to go. No service/labor required. Thanks to all.

Any followup with respect to the person who wanted to charge you 2 hrs of labor? Seems wrong for them to do stuff like this. Thank God for the internet and the wealth of information we can arm ourselves with now.

When I opened into my center console, I was unable to locate the wiring harness that I needed to plug mine into, I'm not sure if its inaccessible in my case (requiring some disassembly of the console area) or what. Would love to get this working without paying 2 hrs labor.

Just a heads up here because I got ... "done" by my dealer who didn't know enough about the iPhone thing.
If you own an iPhone you need to get:
1) the bluetooth connection kit
2) the 6LF option which gives you an Aux socket with a USB socket next to it
AND (this is the bit my dealer forgot/did not know)
3) the smartphone connection kit, which allows you to use both the ipod and iphone features of your iPhone 3G or 3Gs.
If you don't order the 6NF option YOU CANNOT HAVE IT RETROFITTED!!!
4) the snap in adaptor with USB connection for your iPhone 3G
AAAHHH the beauty of technology!!!

iPhone Cradle Question
 

I have a 2008 E70 built in 4/2008. It has every option 6LF, Bluetooth, BMW Assist, etc.

Should there have been a cradle in my car, which would have only required me to purchase a snap-in adapter?

Thanks.

Smartphone is a separate option, 6NF, the it should be there if you ordered 6NF, otherwise, not. I believe that option was added in 2009 models and not available on the 2008:

BMW Adds Smartphone Integration - BMW CCA

I am not sure what you should have had with the 4/2008 E70. I got the bluetooth integration which cam with a cradle that was situated in the central compartment between the driver and passenger seats. This can be loaded with the appropriate adaptor for your phone (provided it is one of the phones that they have made an adaptor for). This gives you the ability to charge your phone, while it is in the cradle, to use a rooftop aerial in the sharkfin, and to handle the phone opeartion via the idrive controls/screen. BUT it does not give you the possibility to use the ipod part of your iphone :-(
For that you need to have got the options i listed above.

Hope this helps.