[NewM3driver]

So with COVID I have only put 600 miles on the car in its first month.

This car feels (is) rock solid. They are always talking about making cars stiffer. This M340 *feels* SO much more taunt then my past E and F series M3's. Very impressive.

This car is FAST. I don't mean the obvious 0-60 fast. I mean you get the 95mph surprise while driving down the highway. It is quiet and smooth, and VERY difficult to keep anywhere near the speed limit. The M cars were loud and burly. You had to push them to make them go. You felt the speed. In the M340 the refinement masks the speed in an almost dangerous sort of way. 90 and 100 feels like 60 and 70. Yikes.

The instrument cluster is an EPIC FAIL. I mean what the hell were they thinking? It is illegible, counter intuitive and flat out a useless mess. The speedo has an orange line to begin with, and as it rises it begins as red and then turns orange seeming to disappear. WTF? The Tach is a complete shit show, climbing reverse and backwards. For all of time automobile gauges went clockwise. Who decided the tach should climb counterclockwise in this bizarre reverse elliptical shape? It is useless.

There is a beautiful nav screen in the center console. Another in the heads up display. Do we really need a third shitty grey and white version between the cheapest looking speedo and tach in the world?

The gas milage gauge is upside down. As milage goes up, the line goes down. 10 miles per gallon is on TOP, 20 miles below it and 90 miles per gallon when coasting is all the way at the bottom. What the fuck were they thinking? Seriously.

This instrument disaster is in all models... not just the 3. I can't imagine folks think this mess is OK in cars costing between 60 and 150 thousand dollars.

If I could pay to have the regular gauges fit into my car a would in a second.

Other than the instruments failure, the car is fabulous. I don't miss my boy racer M cars one bit.

[upsidedownfunnel]

I'll be honest I prefer analog style gauges, but aren't we being a bit hyperbolic? You're really bringing in the "I can't believe they put this in a $XX car" argument? It's just a new design and it takes a bit to get used to. Now when I see the new gauge cluster, I am easily able to decipher the info I need.

While I'd prefer analog gauges, we all know the market will not bear that decision. And if you're going to go digital, what's the point of having digitized analog gauges on a screen?

As far as your problems, one big thing you can do to improve your experience is to set the cluster to "Reduced Mode" which will get rid of all but the most important information and really clean up the whole interface. If you have a HUD, most of the info is redundant anyway. Use the HUD for the digital speedo readout and you can disable the map screen in the middle or change it to directions readout.

The tach is annoying at first but completely not a big deal. Same for all the gauges. Other cars in the past have had "reverse" analog gauges. I think if you give it another month or two you will find it really is not a big deal at all. These gauge cluster designs are purely there to "wow" people when they test drive them. After you've owned any car with a crazy cluster design, your brain adapts to it and it barely registers at all.

[mofomat]

I agree with the instrument display. There are MANY things wrong with it. However, I've had my X5 G05 for ten months now, and I have got used to it to a large degree.

[NewM3driver]

Originally Posted by upsidedownfunnel

I'll be honest I prefer analog style gauges, but aren't we being a bit hyperbolic? You're really bringing in the "I can't believe they put this in a $XX car" argument? It's just a new design and it takes a bit to get used to. Now when I see the new gauge cluster, I am easily able to decipher the info I need.

While I'd prefer analog gauges, we all know the market will not bear that decision. And if you're going to go digital, what's the point of having digitized analog gauges on a screen?

As far as your problems, one big thing you can do to improve your experience is to set the cluster to "Reduced Mode" which will get rid of all but the most important information and really clean up the whole interface. If you have a HUD, most of the info is redundant anyway. Use the HUD for the digital speedo readout and you can disable the map screen in the middle or change it to directions readout.

The tach is annoying at first but completely not a big deal. Same for all the gauges. Other cars in the past have had "reverse" analog gauges. I think if you give it another month or two you will find it really is not a big deal at all. These gauge cluster designs are purely there to "wow" people when they test drive them. After you've owned any car with a crazy cluster design, your brain adapts to it and it barely registers at all.

Years ago (70's) several of the American car companies were going digital dash. it lasted a few years and then they went back to analog.

Even if you remain digital, they can do a much better job than the current mess.

I love my car, but I call it like I see it. The new digital instruments are a complete non intuitive shit show.

[NewM3driver]

Originally Posted by mofomat

I agree with the instrument display. There are MANY things wrong with it. However, I've had my X5 G05 for ten months now, and I have got used to it to a large degree.

You can get used to having a leg amputated and walking with a prosthetic too.

It is ridiculous that we need to swallow this mess and get "used" to it. It is an obvious problem that should be fixed. The germans are very stubborn people.

I mean what group of design engineers thought that was an improvement? Even the graphics look like shit.

[Burrcold]

Coming from Audi's with the Digital Cockpit, the BMW version is far behind. I actually don't care about the speedo and tach going the wrong way, as I've mostly gotten used to it. I just don't like the colors, design (doesn't match anything in iDrive that shows a bit of cohesiveness - like two teams worked on each screen completely without consultation). I wish there were different views (aside from reduced mode). Something that changed the orientation of the tach and speedo, etc. I also agree that the map in the center is absolutely useless...I've never used it once. I guess it would be useful for turn by turn navigation if you don't have the HUD.

Otherwise, the tech overall is impressive.

[The Automotive Enthusiast]

I wish BMW had done a modern rendition of the e46 3 series and E70 X5 cluster. Loved those classic BMW gauges.

BMW, just copy Audi and the Virtual Cockpit. It's very nicely done.

[EXE46]

Yep, just stick with the HUD, I too find the gauge cluster confusing and have had my car for over 8 months and almost 9k miles. I also think they could do a better visual display job with the drive modes on the gauge cluster as well. That or have the HUD show the drive mode. Sometimes I have difficulty confirming if I am in sport plus for example.

[37b]

Originally Posted by NewM3driver

Years ago (70's) several of the American car companies were going digital dash. it lasted a few years and then they went back to analog.

Even if you remain digital, they can do a much better job than the current mess.

I love my car, but I call it like I see it. The new digital instruments are a complete non intuitive shit show.

Yeah it's not the technology, it's the implementation. Both Audi and Mercedes Benz did a better job utilizing the new tech than BMW

[ryivnx]

I've had my car for 3 months now. Put 3600 miles on it. Initially I almost bought a C63 AMG because of how annoyed I was of the new digital cluster.
Now, Im realizing how good all the tech is in this car (I have every option in mine) as compared to that C63. I have also just tried to change my cluster to an "M" cluster just to experiment - looks neat.

I own an E46 M3, an F30 and now this G20.
I've said it before somewhere but I prefer either full analog or full digital environment.
The F generation had a little bit of both with that "stuck on" infotainment screen and it wasn't as seamless as the G20.
I am impressed by G20 overall

I'm gonna attach a couple of pics I made for comparison

[ryivnx]

And my "updated" M cluster that I'm trying out

[mathys]

Isn't the whole point of going digital to offer people choices? Just add a layout with the sharp classic round guages as a second option and everybody can pick what they like.

[sikotic]

I personally like the digital cluster. I think it really helps tie the whole cockpit feel together.

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by mathys

Isn't the whole point of going digital to offer people choices? Just add a layout with the sharp classic round guages as a second option and everybody can pick what they like.

Right. That's what I said above. It would not have been hard to have a second or even third layout option and the world would be good.

[The Automotive Enthusiast]

I think this was BMW rushing to bring a digital cluster to market.

Both Audi and Mercedes offer the ability to change your cluster. With Audi, you have the 'Sport' display or the regular double round display and with Mercedes you have like four different options. Progressive, Sport and like two others.

With updates being pushed OTA, I don't see how BMW can't simply push an update to offer current users an improved display when they release one or update it.

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by Mo@BMWofFairfax

I think this was BMW rushing to bring a digital cluster to market.

Both Audi and Mercedes offer the ability to change your cluster. With Audi, you have the 'Sport' display or the regular double round display and with Mercedes you have like four different options. Progressive, Sport and like two others.

With updates being pushed OTA, I don't see how BMW can't simply push an update to offer current users an improved display when they release one or update it.

Except they haven't pushed anything OTA yet other than map updates.

[ursittigijoe]

I recently bought a 330i and the new digital gauge cluster grew on me very fast. I’m not sure what all the anger and rage is about. It makes perfect sense to me.

What does not however, is whatever is happening with personal assistant. She’s possessed. That it even works is a shock, as I bought US spec and am driving it here in Europe. I was told anything connected drive related wont work in DE, and then one day after a week it started working. I’m a little unimpressed by the lack of explanation /IT knowledge that seems to plague this topic.

[AtticusHoy]

Originally Posted by CPTbimmerica

I recently bought a 330i and the new digital gauge cluster grew on me very fast. I’m not sure what all the anger and rage is about. It makes perfect sense to me.

People, generally speaking, don't like change. Personally, I like the digital cockpit. Is it the best in segment? Probably not, but it's a strong start and visually I think it's interesting.

BMW has demonstrated that they're interested in adding features over time (where other brands not so much) so I hope we receive some nifty updates.

[ursittigijoe]

Originally Posted by AtticusHoy

People, generally speaking, don't like change.

Yep.

[NewM3driver]

Originally Posted by AtticusHoy

People, generally speaking, don't like change. Personally, I like the digital cockpit. Is it the best in segment? Probably not, but it's a strong start and visually I think it's interesting.

BMW has demonstrated that they're interested in adding features over time (where other brands not so much) so I hope we receive some nifty updates.

The digital dash was simply not well thought out.

The car drives absolutely beautifully though. I love the refinement. How smooth it is. How good the transmission is.

I have tanzanite and absolutely love the color and the way it changes, especially when it is really clean. I have the cognac and love the way it compliments the dark blue. I at the last moment went for the open pore oak. I don't like it. It came in looking very different than it did on the computer. Should have gone with the shiny darker wood or the aluminum.

[AtticusHoy]

Originally Posted by NewM3driver

The digital dash was simply not well thought out.

Evidence has shown that BMW has been invested in iterative product design—so just like nearly every other first generation product that radically changed over time so will this.

Give BMW constructive product feedback so they can make it better. There are so many great products that emerged from the ashes of their predecessors. But you rarely make progress without pissing someone off.

[cnichols138]

I too was disappointed with digital dash. I thought is would be a lot like Audi and being able to make changes. Little did I know there is little you can change. and that center map? What is the world where they thinking. I never ever use it. Honestly never really use the digital dash much. Check gas and mileage is about it. Most of the time I use the hud for speed and RPMs. Maybe the March 2020 update will look different? Not sure my dealer will upgrade mine or not. Its there now.