[Cyberdemon]

I don't have any noticeable back light leakage on my display either.

OLED's are not designed for the conditions of a motor vehicle. Automotive LCD displays are much stricter because they need to function in ultra low temperatures and scalding hot temps. Most cell phones and other small LCD's don't have anywhere near the operating temp range needed. Be thankful that it's such a crisp and high res LCD compared to most competitive vehicles. My '08 TL was still using a QVGA display...I might as well have had a Nintendo hooked up to it the quality was so bad.

[JooFoo]

Originally Posted by Tsuyoi

People complaining about things like this on BMWs always make me cry. Go buy a Ford Fusion or sth. I look at the "extended display" exactly 0 times while driving, since all the important stuff is on the HUD, and that "rectangle" around the HUD doesn't bother me at all. Drive the 3 series like a driver, not a god damned accountant.

I didn't get the HUD (no regrets) and I look at the extended display all the time. I'm not an accountant but the details still matter greatly to me. Is the F30 perfect in the details? Certainly not. But I'm still pretty happy with it compared to other "lesser" cars. I'm somewhat OCD when it comes to the details. I'm sure I'll complain when the perfect red stitching on my steering wheel begins to show the smallest loose thread. But I certainly won't cry, I'll just get the steering wheel replaced.

I think many people here care about the finer details on their BMW!

[Elk]

Originally Posted by JooFoo

I think many people here care about the finer details on their BMW!

It is a mass-produced, mainstream car. It is devoid of "finer details."

Turning the brightness to its lowest setting will decrease the contrast between the screen and surrounding bezel, as already pointed out.

[JooFoo]

Originally Posted by Elk

It is a mass-produced, mainstream car. It is devoid of "finer details."

You make the car sound like a mass-produced McDonald's hamburger. You completely missed my point here.

[Elk]

Your asserted point is simple and easy to comprehend. I merely disagree.

I am not particularly awed by a $50,000 mass produced car. Your impression is obviously different.

[Tsuyoi]

Originally Posted by JooFoo

I didn't get the HUD (no regrets) and I look at the extended display all the time. I'm not an accountant but the details still matter greatly to me. Is the F30 perfect in the details? Certainly not. But I'm still pretty happy with it compared to other "lesser" cars. I'm somewhat OCD when it comes to the details. I'm sure I'll complain when the perfect red stitching on my steering wheel begins to show the smallest loose thread. But I certainly won't cry, I'll just get the steering wheel replaced.

I think many people here care about the finer details on their BMW!

Point is, this is a 40-50k BMW, not a super-car or bespoke car. Unfortunately, in this age a 40-50k car isn't what it used to be, due to inflation and increasing demands of what a "base" car must include (auto windows, power steering and brakes, leather/leatherette seating, etc). Even a fully equipped Nissan Maxima or Toyota Camry costs almost $40k.

BMW has done an amazing job (or terrible if you're an elitist snob, terrible) of keeping the 3 series affordable. However, the flip side is that you can't expect ultimate quality and flawless perfection from it anymore. It's an amazing car still for it's price range, but you can't demand perfection. You'd have to look at the Alpina B7 for that.

[kppanic]

Originally Posted by newbmwuser

An OLED/AMOLED would have blended right in.

It's these kinds of detail I would expect from a premium car..

OLED and its derivatives such as AMOLED run the risk of burn ins and moreover not guaranteed to last the lifetime of the car itself.

[Frencholivier]

I actually would also have expected more attention to details at this price range. Audi does, and the Japanese all do too, in each case at a lower price point.
From there you have only three options:
1. BMW did not realize that customers today want a rattle and problem free car at this price range.
2. BMW does not know how to take care of details, like the screen blackness
3. BMW does not want to be maniacal about details, say to keep costs down
4. BMW knows and wants to better take care of details but it prefers to invest that money somewhere else, say in the car handling/dynamics.

To me only #4 would be acceptable. If BMW were to clearly outshine its rivals in handling that's fine. But I fear that BMW has to step up its game on reliability and fit/finish or else they will infuriate generations of drivers.

[Tsuyoi]

Originally Posted by Frencholivier

I actually would also have expected more attention to details at this price range. Audi does, and the Japanese all do too, in each case at a lower price point.
From there you have only three options:
1. BMW did not realize that customers today want a rattle and problem free car at this price range.
2. BMW does not know how to take care of details, like the screen blackness
3. BMW does not want to be maniacal about details, say to keep costs down
4. BMW knows and wants to better take care of details but it prefers to invest that money somewhere else, say in the car handling/dynamics.

To me only #4 would be acceptable. If BMW were to clearly outshine its rivals in handling that's fine. But I fear that BMW has to step up its game on reliability and fit/finish or else they will infuriate generations of drivers.

Ultimately it comes down to this: If you don't like BMW for whatever reason (oh no, the display's too bright and annoys me!), don't buy a BMW. Go buy an Audi or Honda or Toyota or Nissan or w/e.

Me, I've never seen/driven an Audi or Jap car that, in the words of Top Gear, "reached down my pants and gave it a little rummage" for the price range of the 3 series. And until that changes, I'm sticking with BMW.

[Yobyot]

Originally Posted by Tsuyoi

Ultimately it comes down to this: If you don't like BMW for whatever reason (oh no, the display's too bright and annoys me!), don't buy a BMW. Go buy an Audi or Honda or Toyota or Nissan or w/e.

Me, I've never seen/driven an Audi or Jap car that, in the words of Top Gear, "reached down my pants and gave it a little rummage" for the price range of the 3 series. And until that changes, I'm sticking with BMW.

True dat.

Every car has at least some flaws. It could be design, reliability, ride, price, durability -- whatever.

The thing that keeps me coming back to the 3 Series -- not the 5 and, oh no, never the 7 -- is that it is on balance the best car I've ever driven. To paraphrase Car and Driver, you could spend more to go a little faster (or get a completely blacked-out extended display) or a little less to save some coin, but nothing else comes close to the 3's overall capabilities, engineering and fun.

Every time I get in my car (less often these days because I don't drive it in the snow), I marvel at it. It's mostly a computer these days -- the wheels are largely there to prevent the computers from scraping the ground -- and it's the most bitchin' computer with wheels I have ever been in or driven.

[pkim1079]

Originally Posted by Yobyot

True dat.

Every car has at least some flaws. It could be design, reliability, ride, price, durability -- whatever.

The thing that keeps me coming back to the 3 Series -- not the 5 and, oh no, never the 7 -- is that it is on balance the best car I've ever driven. To paraphrase Car and Driver, you could spend more to go a little faster (or get a completely blacked-out extended display) or a little less to save some coin, but nothing else comes close to the 3's overall capabilities, engineering and fun.

Every time I get in my car (less often these days because I don't drive it in the snow), I marvel at it. It's mostly a computer these days -- the wheels are largely there to prevent the computers from scraping the ground -- and it's the most bitchin' computer with wheels I have ever been in or driven.

Have you driven the baby veyron gtr? 991 with antiroll program? Those are amazing computers! Lol

[Cyberdemon]

First world problems.

Like marrying a supermodel then telling her she needs to get that mole removed because you just can't stand it.