The BugEyed Review Blog

Last last year I was browsing the iPod website and I came across an advert to iPod your BMW. Basically, you fit an iPod Adapter to your BMW car radio system, replacing your CD shuttle system.

I then called BMW SA to find out if they had it and after spending about 20 minutes on the phone was told that they do not have it but will contact me when they get it (if they do).

I left it and then some time later, a friend of mine pointed me to a website that carried a story that the iPod Adapter for the BMW was finally in SA, blah blah blah.

This is when the fun and games started. I called only to be told that they had no part codes, pricing structure or installation fees applicable. This is after the Marketting Manager for BMW SA said how much it would cost (roughly) in the article. To cut a long story short, it took me 6 weeks to get the damn thing fitted.

Well, it was defenitely worth the wait, while BMW SA got skilled up in how to fit it and what wires to put where, really shocking service.

You have five playlists to play with, each playlist is accessed through the front panel radio system, CD 1-5. CD6 is a playlist that plays all of the songs on the iPod (everything). The volume and track skipping happens on the radio as well, with the multifunction steering wheel also getting in on the action. The iPod also charges while it is in connected.

There are a few downsides: the device is stored in the glove compartment with a loose cable that will get bent, when skipping a few tracks ahead it waits a long time for the iPod hard drive to spin up and play the requiested tracks and lastly, the display on the radio can only contain two digits for the track number and when you have 300 items on a playlist, this may prove tricky to navigate.

Other than that I’m very happy with my iPod Adapter for my BMW, now all I need to do is spend a few hours putting my entire CD collection onto my iPod – wish me luck !!

–salvo