[smkuma]

I am wondering how useful is Heads Up Display (HUD) feature in 2018 X3.

My first impression is that HUD is distraction... and as long as I can get the information such as speed limit / directions from the navigation display l should be ok

Is it really an useful feature? If so, is it possible to get as a standalone feature (like Navigation) instead of Premium Tier as I really dont need
Heated front seats, Heated Steering wheel since I live in an area which is not that cold. I believe I can get Advanced RTI if I select Driving Assistance Option. I am not sure what is Remote Services and probably I dont need it.

If I had to go with Premium Tier package, I would need to shell out additional $1600 and I am wondering if it is that justifiable feature?

[Seaz]

most important option in the car.

[smkuma]

Driver Assistance [Blind Spot/Lane Change] ($900) + Park Distance Control ($750) Vs Head UP Display ($1600) - which is important?

[BMW F22]

I personally find Head Up Display a bit annoying so would go with Driver Assistance and PDC.

[Keweenawbee]

Not at all annoying. My wife had same feeling until she drove the car and immediately liked it.

Shows cruise control setting, speed limit on current path, and actual speed color coded whether you are under or over limit.

In nav mode it is priceless showing which lane you should be in and directional arrows. It is like a modern day Garmin sat nav except the map display remains over on the iDrive screen for point of reference .

It ties into the entertainment also, as soon as you start fiddling with the right side steering wheel controls. Shows your am/fm/sat radio stations and your iTunes songs to help you choose w/o distraction.

[voyagergab]

IMHO the heads up display is ok but far from being important.
Mine always shows speed in red which is just to annoy me I imagine
Navigation and lane directions are kinda cool but you have two other screens that can show you same info.

[voyagergab]

I'm also not buying that the heads up display is less distracting way to show drivers info.

I mean it obscures your view of the road. Makes you switching focus between the road and the info being displayed.

[Bored of Audi]

Best thing I have on my BMW, lets me concentrate on the road and I never look down and take my eyes away form the action !

I looked at a CLS350 merc and turned it down as it did not have HUD at the time.

Its a nightmare when I get in my wife's car as she does not have it.

Personal preference options but I think it is safer.

[voyagergab]

Then you must also never check your rear view mirrors I suppose?

[Keweenawbee]

Ill keep your thoughts in mind. This is all new to me, but I find it pretty cool. We are in a big city where you've got to keep your eyes on the road. Maybe I am not noticing the focus issue, but surely the awareness of very near traffic stays pretty acute.

I wish they would take it to the fighter pilot level where we would see all the onboard radar "threats" as dots around the HUD.

[Keweenawbee]

Originally Posted by smkuma

Driver Assistance [Blind Spot/Lane Change] ($900) + Park Distance Control ($750) Vs Head UP Display ($1600) - which is important?

Those are all so cool. The lane change in the USA is only a resume when you signal the pass, but I love the blind spot feature (more bling!) Park distance is great when backing up to a wall or closed garage door. I am still trying to learn how to use the cameras efficiently. I think I need to just defer to the touch screen and give up on the iDrive wheel with the cameras.

I never looked at the individual pricing on those as we have the Exec which is inclusive of all the equipment packages below it. (No big M40i motor though) And if I had to choose one or the other I would still take the electronics.

[nosnoop]

It's a nice feature, but not critical.... and the most annoying thing is that I can't see the HUD with polarizing sunglass.

Originally Posted by voyagergab

I mean it obscures your view of the road. Makes you switching focus between the road and the info being displayed.

The focus distance of the virtual image of the HUD is roughly at the front of your hood, so the shift in focus is much less than that between the road and your instrument panel.

[Slalom]

Originally Posted by nosnoop

It's a nice feature, but not critical.... and the most annoying thing is that I can't see the HUD with polarizing sunglass.

The focus distance of the virtual image of the HUD is roughly at the front of your hood, so the shift in focus is much less than that between the road and your instrument panel.

I first had a HUD in my 2007 X5, I thought that it was cool. My wife loved it. It was not available in my E92 M3, but I had it in my F34GT.
I do not find it to be a distraction but it is certainly not essential. It does not interfere with my view of the road, it keeps my eyes higher (I look at the dashboard less frequently).
I like the suggestion that it could display threats, but I would be concerned that some drivers might be overly reliant on it.
I love having PDC, but it takes some getting used to - it is a little different in each car, the same with the cameras. I am not yet fully comfortable with the implementation in my X3. My garage is an irregular shape and my spot bends in on the driver's side. That meant that a longer car like the 6GT was out of the question. Not only do I have a cacophony of sound from the sensors, but at times the automatic braking will bring me to a sudden stop. I wonder if the implementation in Europe is the same, given that parking spots tend to be tighter there.

[Nitrium]

Originally Posted by voyagergab

(...)
Mine always shows speed in red which is just to annoy me I imagine (...)

If I recall correctly you can disable that in iDrive's settings.

[ando]

First time with HUD and I find it useful in the city and highway. And then if you are using Navigation more important.

[crozetian]

Several years ago I was loaned an X3 with HUD while my car was in for service and waiting (turned out several days) for a part, and I vowed then and there that I would never own another car without it. And shortly thereafter I chose and M3 over an M2 in part because HUD was available on the former but not the latter. In short, find it all but essential, especially in unfamiliar cities, and much easier to use than the nav map. Looking forward to the supposedly improved version on my in production M40i.

[Bored of Audi]

Originally Posted by voyagergab

Then you must also never check your rear view mirrors I suppose?

In the UK we are going far to fast to think about those behind or indeed at the side ??

[Kdavis61]

At that point I would say just get both. My girlfriend hates HUD but once we got our X3 she says she can't live without it. I've had 5+ cars in the last few years and I keep coming back to BMW and realizing how vital that option is IMO. But, at the same time I wouldn't drive a car w/o DAP because I love those features and would take those over HUD.

[RCtennis3811]

I love HUD. This is our 3rd car to have it, and I can't imagine having a car without it anymore. I'd rather have critical information shown in my actual line of sight than having to look down underneath the top of my steering wheel or to the right. And, honestly, how is having the posted speed limit and the speed you're going at overlaid on the road you're traveling a bigger distraction than all the other things you see on the road on a normal day?

[edcrane]

HUD is awesome and well worth the upgrade cost. I was worried it would be distracting, but BMW's implementation is excellent. That said, if budget constrained, I'd get rid of HUD before getting rid of any other safety related feature (including premium lights, which are vastly better at night than the base lights in my old 2015 x3).

[sor]

It's certainly not a must-have, but I really like it. I find it really jarring now to look at the instrument panel to find my speed.

The good thing is that it's adjustable; if you find that it is too distracting you can soften it so that it really isn't something you notice unless you're looking for it.

If you happen to use the car's navigation features with any frequency it's also really useful for the turn by turn directions, showing you the intersections.

If you have and use the lane keeping or active cruise feature it is really useful as well to keep an eye on when the car is tracking the lane and has auto steer engaged.

Come to think of it, the utility of the HUD correlates with the other features you have in the car. I'd almost say HUD is required if you are using lane keeping, but perhaps not worth it if you're only using it to display speed.

[Ranger8]

I like the HUD display and would not forgo that option.