[Englishbloke]

After doing a search on the app I can't find any recent comments on comfort access.

My wife's Clio has it and I'm wondering whether it's worth the £500!? Instead of surround view?

Anyone got it and regretted it?

[Mattt1]

I like it, more useful for women than blokes though.

[allachie9]

Yes, me too, I love it.
I've had it on my last 3 cars and, like many things, you really do get used to having it.
Mind you, I've specced surround view on my latest car and that too is absolutely amazing.
Not much help I'm afraid, as I can't say which I'd prefer to be without.

[Nobby Clark]

For me it was one of those options that once you've had it, you won't go back. It's just so convenient.
Only down side is I keep forgetting which jacket I've left the key in!

[Rukka]

And me - had it on my last 2 and now wouldn't be without it.

Makes me smile every time I use it (sad I know)

[Mrklaw]

I'd go for surround view (assuming you have all the other options it requires like folding mirrors and PDC front/rear. That made it more like an £800 option so I left it out for other things. Would have really liked it though as often park in tight spots and it'd be handy to get the passenger side as close to the wall as possible

I don't really get the appeal of comfort access. Now you don't need to put the key fob in the dash I just press one button in my pocket and I'm done. Likewise with the auto boot opening.

[mrbmwx3]

I have both and if I had to chose one I go for surround view! Use it all the time, as well as protecting the car it's a good safety feature!

I do like comfort access especially boot opening when my hands are full or when cold and I don't want to take hands out of pocket! First world problems!

[simon the pieman]

I had it on my pervious car a focus st3.
To be honest it was good but could have easily lived with out it.
I prefer (especially in the dark) to unlock the car from a few metres away and benefit from the lights front and rear and door handle lights shining to light the way. ( pretty sad I know ).
It's just as easy to press a button in my opinion.

[RobUK]

Had it on my E81 and when it worked it was dead handy - had a couple of annoyances though. First was the various occasions when it refused to work and I had to actually use the key. Second was that when washing the car, if you had the key in your pocket and splashed water over the door handle, the doors would lock/unlock. Decided I could live without it when I moved up to the F30.

[John435D]

I don't have it and wouldn't spec it as far too expensive for the sake of pressing a few buttons on the remote, if it were less than £200 then perhaps but not at £500.

[gtsussex]

Once you've got used to it, you don't half notice not having it. I never use the wavy foot thing but being able to just open boot without having to unlock is useful. Find when use one of the office Minis, fumbling around in your pocket for a key a right pain. Pressing/pulling handle is just so easy. Clearly a first world issue so I can very much understand people choosing surround over it (which I think is absolutely superb).

Also as mentioned, it can leave to not knowing where the key is - my wife is great for leaving in handbags/coats/etc...

[Rukka]

Originally Posted by John435D

I don't have it and wouldn't spec it as far too expensive for the sake of pressing a few buttons on the remote, if it were less than £200 then perhaps but not at £500.

It's more of a "want" than a "need" though...

We can all move a seat by pulling leavers but it's nicer when they are electric.

We can all turn our heads when reversing and actually "look" behind us - but we chose cameras and PDC.

Yes I can press buttons to open my car but it's so much cooler to just walk up to it and pull the handle then get in.

These are all "gadgets" that we don't actually "need" - as has been said before - first world problems.

At the end of the day, we spec what we want rather than actually need.........

[Nobby Clark]

Originally Posted by RobUK

Second was that when washing the car, if you had the key in your pocket and splashed water over the door handle, the doors would lock/unlock.

The BMW seems very sensitive with soap running over the boot release. I've had the boot open a few times when washing the car so I make sure the key is not on me at that time.

[335d Touring Xdrive]

Originally Posted by Mrklaw

I don't really get the appeal of comfort access. Now you don't need to put the key fob in the dash I just press one button in my pocket and I'm done. Likewise with the auto boot opening.

Another advantage of comfort access.... If you are locking and unlocking your car via the comfort access, the theiving scumbags can't jam your remote signal like they can when using your remote, therefore, they can't jump into your car, plug in their portable device, reprogramme their own key, and take off in your motor while you are paying for fuel, or shopping in your local supermarket, or fast asleep in you comfy bed. Originally i hadn't specced it, somehow i missed it on the options list, but after using a demo 335d for a week without it, i found fiddling in my pocket for the key when i had my hands full an inconvience and a pain in the but, so i have now added it to my spec. My previous RRS had it, and i would say, it is really worth it. Although a little expensive. These BMW's standard spec is sh1te if i'm honest. But then again, it depends what we are used to. There are a lot of cheaper marques out there that have better standard spec than these BMW. Go back 20 years, and we were happy if our cars had 5 gears....

[Englishbloke]

Lots of great advice thanks.

Not sure if it helps though

The three options I'm toying with are adaptive suspension, comfort access and surround view. Had advice on all but mixed reviews on each make it tough. I'm sure I'll work it out

[davybull]

Adaptive - Have it but don't use it as often as I thought I would. Certainly does alter the way the car drives though.

Comfort Access - Love it. I regularly carry bulky and often quite heavy boxes to the car. I just make sure that the key is in my pocket and waft the foot.

I've got my youngest son tearing his hair out because he can't make the tailgate work by wafting his foot. He doesn't realise that I'm stood just out of range with the key in my pocket every time he tries!! Worth £500 just to prove that teenagers don't know everything.

Surround - Don't have it on my car but wife has it on her X3 and she loves it although I haven't used it much.

Dave.

[Nobby Clark]

Originally Posted by Englishbloke

Lots of great advice thanks.

Not sure if it helps though

The three options I'm toying with are adaptive suspension, comfort access and surround view. Had advice on all but mixed reviews on each make it tough. I'm sure I'll work it out

Well to answer your OP, Comfort access is worth it, IMHO more so than surround view but read the comments above.

To answer your new query (adaptive suspension) there is a very recent thread discussing this.

[Rukka]

Originally Posted by davybull

I've got my youngest son tearing his hair out because he can't make the tailgate work by wafting his foot. He doesn't realise that I'm stood just out of range with the key in my pocket every time he tries!! Worth £500 just to prove that teenagers don't know everything.

Brilliant!

[Beancounter_74]

Originally Posted by gtsussex

Once you've got used to it, you don't half notice not having it.

This.....

We have had it on previous RR / RRSports and on our current Discovery, so I spec'd it on the forthcoming GL.....I dropped a ball by not putting it on my 335

[Mattt1]

Originally Posted by davybull

Adaptive - Have it but don't use it as often as I thought I would. Certainly does alter the way the car drives though.

You are using it all the time, it's not just 2 modes - but they are more like 2 maps.

[RobUK]

Originally Posted by Mattt1

You are using it all the time, it's not just 2 modes - but they are more like 2 maps.

Yes that's what I thought - adaptive suspension is active all the time, you can't switch it off, it just behaves differently depending on which driving mode you've selected.

[Iamthelaw]

i specced comfort access on my 4 series and would have specced surround given the choice again, i need to take the keys out my pocket to lock the house front door... and then my keys out again to fob into work, so the novelty of just leaving it in my pocket wears off