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      12-04-2017, 03:55 PM   #1
InternetsTad
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Very First BMW ordered and now in production! Got a few questions

A week or two before Thanksgiving, my wife and I ordered a new X3. BMW Genius this morning told me that production on the car has finally begun and should be complete by this Saturday - December 9.

This will be our first BMW (we’re replacing our 7 year old Acura TL), and I have a few questions:

Does the navigation map get over the air updates (like Waze and other mobile apps), or do you have to pay for updates to the map? We quit using the map in the TL because Acura wanted $150 every year for a new one.

Similarly, is there ever a software update available for the iDrive suite? Are new features ever added?

Do they ever do updates for features like Driving Assistance?

I have a VIN for my X3 now, but when I try to download the user’s guide using it, I’m told that no guide is available. When will that change?

Is there any point in calling BMW Genius to check on the car production before Saturday?

Have any of you guys played with the phone functionality with ConnectedDrive - like being able to look through your car’s cameras? How well does it work?

Thanks!

Here’s what we’re getting:

X3 xDrive30i
Dark Graphite Metallic
Black leather
Executive Package
Driving Assistance
Driving Assistance Plus
CarPlay
Harmon Kardon sound system
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      12-04-2017, 04:23 PM   #2
ando
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Quote:
Originally Posted by InternetsTad View Post
A week or two before Thanksgiving, my wife and I ordered a new X3. BMW Genius this morning told me that production on the car has finally begun and should be complete by this Saturday - December 9.

This will be our first BMW (we’re replacing our 7 year old Acura TL), and I have a few questions:

Does the navigation map get over the air updates (like Waze and other mobile apps), or do you have to pay for updates to the map? We quit using the map in the TL because Acura wanted $150 every year for a new one.

Similarly, is there ever a software update available for the iDrive suite? Are new features ever added?

Do they ever do updates for features like Driving Assistance?

I have a VIN for my X3 now, but when I try to download the user’s guide using it, I’m told that no guide is available. When will that change?

Is there any point in calling BMW Genius to check on the car production before Saturday?

Have any of you guys played with the phone functionality with ConnectedDrive - like being able to look through your car’s cameras? How well does it work?

Thanks!

Here’s what we’re getting:

X3 xDrive30i
Dark Graphite Metallic
Black leather
Executive Package
Driving Assistance
Driving Assistance Plus
CarPlay
Harmon Kardon sound system
Congrats on your order. My electronic owners manual was not unlocked until further along in my build. I believe you get online map updates for a few years and then updates cost extra. I think the Connected app is awesome and when I'm bored I pull up the images.
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      12-04-2017, 04:26 PM   #3
BMWDude2018
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Quote:
Originally Posted by InternetsTad View Post
I have a VIN for my X3 now, but when I try to download the user’s guide using it, I’m told that no guide is available. When will that change?
Go to any dealer site, or cargurus.com, or anything really. Find an X3 listing for either a 3.0 or a M40i and grab the VIN from the advertisement.

You can use that to access the online owner's manual.

Here's a VIN I found for an M40i - 5UXTS3C52JLA46219

Not sure if the manuals are different for 3.0i versus M40i. Maybe not.
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      12-04-2017, 08:35 PM   #4
RCtennis3811
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Quote:
Originally Posted by InternetsTad View Post
A week or two before Thanksgiving, my wife and I ordered a new X3. BMW Genius this morning told me that production on the car has finally begun and should be complete by this Saturday - December 9.

This will be our first BMW (we’re replacing our 7 year old Acura TL), and I have a few questions:

Does the navigation map get over the air updates (like Waze and other mobile apps), or do you have to pay for updates to the map? We quit using the map in the TL because Acura wanted $150 every year for a new one.

Similarly, is there ever a software update available for the iDrive suite? Are new features ever added?

Do they ever do updates for features like Driving Assistance?

I have a VIN for my X3 now, but when I try to download the user’s guide using it, I’m told that no guide is available. When will that change?

Is there any point in calling BMW Genius to check on the car production before Saturday?

Have any of you guys played with the phone functionality with ConnectedDrive - like being able to look through your car’s cameras? How well does it work?

Thanks!

Here’s what we’re getting:

X3 xDrive30i
Dark Graphite Metallic
Black leather
Executive Package
Driving Assistance
Driving Assistance Plus
CarPlay
Harmon Kardon sound system
Hey hey, that's pretty similar to the build we have! Only difference is we got cognac leather with fineline cove matte wood trim and no CarPlay added (can add it later OTA apparently). Also, ours started building last Thursday and will be done the same day as yours - December 9! Very cool!

I've looked it over and talked to BMW Genius several times about this. Here's what I know:
  • Navigation system updates several times OTA. This is free for 4 years.
  • You can enable cloud-based voice recognition in iDrive. Think of it like having Siri or Google Now in your car for certain things. This is free for 4 years as well.
  • Advanced Real-time Traffic Information (ARTTI) gets information for traffic much quicker than SiriusXM or HD Radio because it's coming over the internet. I'm not sure if it uses INRIX, but I think it does. For sure the maps come from HERE. This is free for 4 years.

Basically all the ConnectedDrive stuff is free for 4 years. After that, the packages seem reasonably-priced. For example, 1-year of ARTTI is $50 and 1-year of weather and BMW Search is $50. If either of those is renewed, you automatically get remote services and SOS emergency services again too.
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      12-04-2017, 10:36 PM   #5
JSY
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Quote:
Originally Posted by InternetsTad View Post

Does the navigation map get over the air updates (like Waze and other mobile apps), or do you have to pay for updates to the map? We quit using the map in the TL because Acura wanted $150 every year for a new one.

Similarly, is there ever a software update available for the iDrive suite? Are new features ever added?

Do they ever do updates for features like Driving Assistance?

I have a VIN for my X3 now, but when I try to download the user’s guide using it, I’m told that no guide is available. When will that change?

Is there any point in calling BMW Genius to check on the car production before Saturday?

Have any of you guys played with the phone functionality with ConnectedDrive - like being able to look through your car’s cameras? How well does it work?

Thanks!

Here’s what we’re getting:

X3 xDrive30i
Dark Graphite Metallic
Black leather
Executive Package
Driving Assistance
Driving Assistance Plus
CarPlay
Harmon Kardon sound system
Hey, congratulations!

Map updates are done OTA now. According to the ConnectedDrive site, updates are about 4 times a year and you can only get updates for one region at any time. You can change this region at the site.

When you get your car, register at https://connecteddrive.bmwusa.com and you'll be able to track all your ConnectedDrive services, when they end, etc. I think ConnectedDrive comes with your car for 3 years, rather than 4, and afterwards, you would pay a fee for whichever services you wish to retain. This would include maps updates.

I do not believe as a standard practice that iDrive is ever updated. I mean, it wouldn't be updated to the next version (like version 5 to version 6). There are sometimes minor updates but these are far and few between. These are installed by USB port.

They don't really do updates for features/packages. I feel like if they did, it's probably because of a recall or something. lol

There's probably no point in calling BMW Genius right now. However, you can check to see if your production completion date has changed. The automated line alerted me that mine was delayed one day.

The ConnectedDrive phone app - you can request a refresh of the 4 cameras that surround the vehicle and it will stitch them together to appear like it is a 360 degree picture. It's pretty cool - you'll get a snapshot of what was around you at that time.

Have fun!!

Correction - indeed it's 4 years for the 2018 X3, not 3 years!

Last edited by JSY; 12-05-2017 at 10:40 PM.. Reason: Correction
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      12-04-2017, 11:19 PM   #6
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Can you register your vin on multiple ConnectedDrive portals?
I want to buy Apple Carplay from US site. Is that even possible ?
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      12-05-2017, 01:49 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cvee View Post
Can you register your vin on multiple ConnectedDrive portals?
I want to buy Apple Carplay from US site. Is that even possible ?
WRT multiple vehicles, I have both my wife's new 2018 X3 30i and my 2014 535dx on the app/portal -- but the functions available for the X3 far surpass what I can do with my 535dx. I'm sure the technology is there and standard, but it's an upsell to get you to the newer vehicles and while the nav maps are updated (no more DVD), some functionality like tire pressure numbers versus green/yellow require coding or are "not available" (BS) as per the dealer.
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      12-05-2017, 09:49 PM   #8
RCtennis3811
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JSY View Post
I think ConnectedDrive comes with your car for 3 years, rather than 4, and afterwards, you would pay a fee for whichever services you wish to retain. This would include maps updates.
Is that true? BMW Genius told me it's 4 years for all of that. Is the attached PDF of ConnectedDrive services no longer true?
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File Type: pdf ServiceAvailabilityMatrix.pdf (519.5 KB, 727 views)
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      12-05-2017, 10:39 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RCtennis3811 View Post
Is that true? BMW Genius told me it's 4 years for all of that. Is the attached PDF of ConnectedDrive services no longer true?
Oooops, you are right. I was thinking of my last 2015 X3 where it was for only 3 years as shown in your file. However I just checked the portal again for my new X3 and indeed it is 4 years - expires in 2021.

What is interesting is that for "BMW Connected+" it shows that my subscription ends next year (!) and it seems like it's for some smartphone app functionality. Also, for Apple Carplay, it is scheduled to end in 2037. My $300 paid for only 20 years???
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      12-05-2017, 10:48 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JSY View Post
Oooops, you are right. I was thinking of my last 2015 X3 where it was for only 3 years as shown in your file. However I just checked the portal again for my new X3 and indeed it is 4 years - expires in 2021.

What is interesting is that for "BMW Connected+" it shows that my subscription ends next year (!) and it seems like it's for some smartphone app functionality. Also, for Apple Carplay, it is scheduled to end in 2037. My $300 paid for only 20 years???
In Australia carplay is $500 and it’s only a 3yr subscription.
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      12-05-2017, 10:58 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cvee View Post
In Australia carplay is $500 and it’s only a 3yr subscription.
That's just ridiculous.. First, I didn't even know I was buying a subscription. Second, why is this even a subscription?!
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      12-06-2017, 02:38 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cvee View Post
In Australia carplay is $500 and it’s only a 3yr subscription.
Wow. I could understand charging AU$400 as that's close to US$300, but adding an additional $100 markup? Also for only 3 years for you all!?!
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