[bpu]

I just want to say that the semi-digital gauge option in the G30 actually looks better than the all-digital gauges in iDrive 7 cars. In the semi-digital gauges, the 4 plastic rings add a nice physical element to the display and the screens within them bleed behind the rings so you don't see the LCD border. It's cool how the physical ring extends into the digital part of the ring beneath the time, and the digital needle perfectly touches and lines up with the physical numbers. The black levels are also very good, so the fuel/temp needles on the left and right blend right into the black surround. You don't see any "screen" at all. The resolution is also very good and the graphics are excellent. It's very well integrated and designed and something I've never seen in another vehicle.

The iDrive 7 all-digital gauges, by contrast, sadly do not go all the way to the edge of the area, so you see this awful screen border on the left and right. The resolution also doesn't seem as good for some reason. Overall it just looks like a basic screen placed there vs. the cool, seamless look of the old gauges where the screen completely blends in and feels like a physical element.

[AP]

I've always wanted them to choose OLED instead of LCD for the displays, that way you have a true black background rather than the light leakage you get with LCD, most noticeable at night.
Whether its cost or technical issues as to why that's not been done to date don't know.

I'm not a fan of the new display, I feel its a bit gimmicky. Whilst I believe they have redesigned the rev counter so they can fit in more information in between that and the speedo, I don't think is the right place for information, let alone detailed information.- at least when the car is moving. That information should be in the HUD, which is where your eyes are.
Looking down to read information on the cluster means your attention is drawn away from the road.
Whilst stationary, fair enough but not whilst on the move.

I think there is still a place for analogue style instruments, in many ways they are quick to read. Analogue watches for instance are very quick to realise what the time is, you just "see it" rather than having to "read it"

At the end of the day, BMW could technically offer us alternatives as to how the cluster is arranged whether that be a traditional analogue style or something gimmicky or something in between. No reason they couldn't offer something that looked like the E39 cluster for example. Whether they will is anyones guess.

[helidoc44]

I've come from an M2 to a new G31 (I miss the M2!), so the dash was a big change for me. I've coded the G31 so the dash looks better (for me). It's also nice to be able to use the info screen for other things but still have the sat nav directions in front of you.
It's all about personal choice, but it's the way cars are going...more and more information in front of you...

[MikeElmendorf]

I have a 2018 540 with the full digital dash and a 2019 X5 with the new digital dash. I strongly prefer the cluster on my 540. I think it just looks better in every way. I will be sorry to part with that and have to settle for the new dash on my replacement for the 540 when my lease is up later this year.

[Warp Ten]

I have driven a couple of loaners with the newer gauges and I agree that I like the older G30 gauges much better. For one thing I am not used to a tachometer that turns counter clockwise and while I might get used to it, I don't care for it. That is different than any car I have ever owned and most all had tachometers. I also found I dislike the map in the middle between the tach and the speedo, I find it very distracting. Can that be turned off? Since it moves as the car drives it keeps catching my eye. I rarely need a map anyway. --Bob

[TomWinMD]

Originally Posted by Warp Ten

I have driven a couple of loaners with the newer gauges and I agree that I like the older G30 gauges much better. For one thing I am not used to a tachometer that turns counter clockwise and while I might get used to it, I don't care for it. That is different than any car I have ever owned and most all had tachometers. I also found I dislike the map in the middle between the tach and the speedo, I find it very distracting. Can that be turned off? Since it moves as the car drives it keeps catching my eye. I rarely need a map anyway. --Bob

This will show you how to set up or change the digital instrument cluster in the car.

[Warp Ten]

Originally Posted by TomWinMD

This will show you how to set up or change the digital instrument cluster in the car...

Thanks! At least one can turn it off. They need a command to turn the tach around in the right direction though.--Bob

[randspacific]

Originally Posted by bpu

I just want to say that the semi-digital gauge option in the G30 actually looks better than the all-digital gauges in iDrive 7 cars. In the semi-digital gauges, the 4 plastic rings add a nice physical element to the display and the screens within them bleed behind the rings so you don't see the LCD border. It's cool how the physical ring extends into the digital part of the ring beneath the time, and the digital needle perfectly touches and lines up with the physical numbers. The black levels are also very good, so the fuel/temp needles on the left and right blend right into the black surround. You don't see any "screen" at all. The resolution is also very good and the graphics are excellent. It's very well integrated and designed and something I've never seen in another vehicle.

The iDrive 7 all-digital gauges, by contrast, sadly do not go all the way to the edge of the area, so you see this awful screen border on the left and right. The resolution also doesn't seem as good for some reason. Overall it just looks like a basic screen placed there vs. the cool, seamless look of the old gauges where the screen completely blends in and feels like a physical element.

Originally Posted by Warp Ten

Thanks! At least one can turn it off. They need a command to turn the tach around in the right direction though.--Bob

I must admit this is one of the reasons why I'm buying my 2017 540 M-Sport when the lease is up at the end of this month.

[bpu]

Originally Posted by randspacific

I must admit this is one of the reasons why I'm buying my 2017 540 M-Sport when the lease is up at the end of this month.

I'm considering doing the same, could you let me know what all you've thought about it? Is buying it at lease end worse financially than if you bought it originally? Any concerns about warranty or maintenance?

[SteveinArizona]

BMW's explanation for the backward tach makes no sense. It doesn't, as BMW has claimed, make more room for information in the middle of the display. Whether one runs the tach from top to bottom or bottom to top doesn't make for more or less room in the middle.

What gets me is that with a digital display, BMW could easily allow several different variants. Why it has chosen not to, especially when so many BMW loyalists dislike the new tach, is not understandable to me.

[mffarrell]

Originally Posted by helidoc44

I've come from an M2 to a new G31 (I miss the M2!), so the dash was a big change for me. I've coded the G31 so the dash looks better (for me). It's also nice to be able to use the info screen for other things but still have the sat nav directions in front of you.
It's all about personal choice, but it's the way cars are going...more and more information in front of you...

What app are you using to get the engine parameters on the info screen?

Thanks!

[helidoc44]

I use "Bimmerlink" on a jail-breaked iPhone (version 13.5, not 13.51) running "CarBridge"
Alternatively, just use "Bimmerlink" displayed on the phone.
You can display a lot of different parameters.

[rts2101]

My 2019 530e does not even have a tach, which I find ridiculous.

That being said, the counter clockwise tachs just do not make sense to me.

[sjak92]

clearly unpopular opinion from me but I liked the original full LCD panel on the earlier G30's. I really like the new iD7 dials on my 2019 X5 and think that those semi digital dials on offer in early US cars was absolutely awful.

Each to their own I guess

[SteveinArizona]

Originally Posted by rts2101

My 2019 530e does not even have a tach, which I find ridiculous.

That being said, the counter clockwise tachs just do not make sense to me.

I had my 530e coded to use the Alpina dash which does show the tach. I lost some of the info on the edrive but...so what.

[Skyrider01]

I don't like the old hybrid semi digital cluster at all.
It looks dated and actually is since it came out in 2014 on the 7 series.

When I ordered my 2019 M550, I didn't realize that this was the standard instrument cluster for the US builds, so I changed the order and added the executive package in order to get the full digital display.

I'm not a big fan of the newest display compared to the previous round dial full digital display, but still prefer it over the hybrid version.

[SW19]

Originally Posted by sjak92

clearly unpopular opinion from me but I liked the original full LCD panel on the earlier G30's. I really like the new iD7 dials on my 2019 X5 and think that those semi digital dials on offer in early US cars was absolutely awful.

Each to their own I guess

I agree.The full digital gauges look fantastic in my wife’s 2018 540i.Especially in sport mode.BMW should just go back to this style when they do another redesign of the gauges.

[Bob in IL]

I have the full digital gauges in our '19 G30. I think they were included in the Executive Package. I prefer them to the semi-digital ones in our '19 G30 X3. Both are nice, but the full digital is better aesthetically.

[dangbmw540i]

I agree as well

[Warp Ten]

Originally Posted by SteveinArizona

BMW's explanation for the backward tach makes no sense. It doesn't, as BMW has claimed, make more room for information in the middle of the display. Whether one runs the tach from top to bottom or bottom to top doesn't make for more or less room in the middle.

What gets me is that with a digital display, BMW could easily allow several different variants. Why it has chosen not to, especially when so many BMW loyalists dislike the new tach, is not understandable to me.

My sentiment exactly. My 2016 Corvette Z06 has three different instrument displays available, Touring, Sport and Track. Track uses a more horizontal tach. And my tach also always displays in the Head Up Display. Simple for the engineers to do from a programming standpoint. -Bob

[Skeewiff03]

I guess it is matter of preference. I much prefer the new digital gauges, and I really do not mind the reverse tacho.
If anything I much like the largish navigation map in between them.
However, I would have expected some more customization