New Owner with Questions

I just bought a 2010 528 for my wife yesterday. This is our first BMW. The car has a NAV button by the iDrive controls, but I can't seem to get navigation. Do they leave that button there if the car is not equipped? I believe it operates off a DVD and it does not have one loaded in the dash. Below are a few pics. Do I have Navigation?

Congrats first of all..

Your car is not equipped with a NAV...

When you have a NAV, the section CAR DATA will be replaced with Navigation on the Idrive screen.. Hope that helps..

When I bought my 2010 535i I had the dealer print me out the build sheet as well to see what options the car came with. You may want to go back to the dealer and ask for it to see what options you have.

Originally Posted by Shahul_BMW

Congrats first of all..

Your car is not equipped with a NAV...

When you have a NAV, the section CAR DATA will be replaced with Navigation on the Idrive screen.. Hope that helps..

Thanks guys. The dealer did not advertise it as having NAV, but I thought it may have it and was just missing the DVD. No worries, I don't need it anyway.

For the record, the iDrive on the console is the same for all models for each particular year regardless of options.
Get the printout; its great to have.

The nav-equipped cars also do not have the big opening positioned between the cd player and the ash tray.

Originally Posted by lbcdude

The nav-equipped cars also do not have the big opening positioned between the cd player and the ash tray.

also, there would be 2 drives, one in the opening for nav which would contain the nav disc and it appears you may have the smoker's package option. congrats on the purchase!

Originally Posted by BMW535xia

also, there would be 2 drives, one in the opening for nav which would contain the nav disc and it appears you may have the smoker's package option. congrats on the purchase!

Doesn't smokers package come as a default, do you mean they provide free cigars

Originally Posted by lbcdude

The nav-equipped cars also do not have the big opening positioned between the cd player and the ash tray.

Not exactly correct. I have a 2010 535i and it has Nav and it has the big space. The dealer told me in 2010 they switched over to a DVD less system for the Nav.

Just my 2 cents, cause that is all I got...

Originally Posted by Oggy

Not exactly correct. I have a 2010 535i and it has Nav and it has the big space. The dealer told me in 2010 they switched over to a DVD less system for the Nav.

Just my 2 cents, cause that is all I got...

True! The 2010's switched over to the hard-drive based Nav system. No longer do you need to have the DVD based maps.

Of course: hard-drive = additional failure point

So, maybe not necessarily "better"....

Haven't really seen anything about updates to the map source either, as compared to my old 2007 5er, where there was an ad/week to buy a new DVD....

my apologies for not knowing and the confusion --- was going on info of my '08 model. nonetheless, have fun with it once you get it out of your wife's hands.

SimiClyde:

Dealer said that the HD system was updated daily becuase of the connection through the sat.

Right or wrong, I don't know. Just what they said.

Oggy

The 2010's with nav have the updated iDrive that the F10's have. Those without nav have the legacy iDrive.

Originally Posted by SimiClyde

True! The 2010's switched over to the hard-drive based Nav system. No longer do you need to have the DVD based maps.

Of course: hard-drive = additional failure point

So, maybe not necessarily "better"....

Haven't really seen anything about updates to the map source either, as compared to my old 2007 5er, where there was an ad/week to buy a new DVD....

I wouldn't call the hard drive an additional failure point, just a substitution. Your navigation could just as easily stop reading your disks .

The HD screen alone is worth it to me.