Bluetooth depression...

[hot_ride]

So I got this Kia Ronda (or something) as a rental today and noticed it had bluetooth. So I quickly synced up my phone and tried it out.

It has A2DP. For those of you who don't understand what that is, it basically means that the music I play on my phone can be listened to through the car speakers (and it sounds pretty good!). This would also apply to any bluetooth enabled MP3 players (like a garmin gps).

My 135i that must have cost me 50% more (and I must add here that there is no comparison between the 2 cars!) does not appear to have this feature. I also stuck in my Flash drive to listen to music and it works flawlessly (none of these compatibility issues).

Should BMW be going to Kia to figure out how to add these kind of features?

[Citizen Z]

Originally Posted by hot_ride

So I got this Kia Ronda (or something) as a rental today and noticed it had bluetooth. So I quickly synced up my phone and tried it out.

It has A2DP. For those of you who don't understand what that is, it basically means that the music I play on my phone can be listened to through the car speakers (and it sounds pretty good!). This would also apply to any bluetooth enabled MP3 players (like a garmin gps).

My 135i that must have cost me 50% more (and I must add here that there is no comparison between the 2 cars!) does not appear to have this feature. I also stuck in my Flash drive to listen to music and it works flawlessly (none of these compatibility issues).

Should BMW be going to Kia to figure out how to add these kind of features?

Not as long as they can charge for it.

[TagMan]

If you add the iPOD interface to your 1er, you can play all your music from your iPOD through the BMW audio system.

[hot_ride]

Originally Posted by TagMan

If you add the iPOD interface to your 1er, you can play all your music from your iPOD through the BMW audio system.

I actually have the bluetooth and IPOD interface (event the cable), I just never use an IPOD, even gave mine to a friend because i just didn't use it. I use a Flash stick in the car, but also like to play music off the net through my phone (not to mention the several gigs of tunes on it).

I was just expressing my disappointment. I guess part of it is due to the poor interface that only allows me to randomize tunes within a singe directory (unless I create a playlist) off the usb drive.

<sigh>

[MOCKBA]

I guess Kia Ronda is inexpensive car, so you can buy it just for listening music from phone. BMW leads in sales without this fancy electronics.

[Mega Man]

Originally Posted by hot_ride

I actually have the bluetooth and IPOD interface (event the cable), I just never use an IPOD, even gave mine to a friend because i just didn't use it.

I received an iPod from a friend who never used it. Later, I never really used it.

I use it occasionally now, but not that much. I like morning radio, the commentary gets me through the morning traffic. But I can't stand the radio on the drive home. Nothing but commercials. That's where the iPod is great.

Except, now Kevin & Bean do Cinco de la tarde, so I may not be using my iPod as much anymore. It's still good if you like music that you can't get on the radio, I have a lot of foreign stuff (some in French that I can't understand but I like the way it sounds, I understand Japanese and a little bit of Korean, I have a bunch of Chinese stuff from an ex-GF that I don't really care for except for a few songs, and my current GF has a bunch of Thai and Cambodian stuff that I absolutely cannot stand...this is beginning to sound like the iPod could be a bad thing).

Well, I guess listening to vocal trance/rave stuff is always good at 2am driving on the freeway. Sometimes local radio plays it, but other times it's on the iPod.

BTW, before we get into dissing the Kia's, I've ridden in a friend's Kia, and I could see how it would be a good buy for it's price. Not bad, IMO.

[Bones13]

Heh, I was just thinking the other way. We got a new travel car, a VW Jetta TDI Wagon with their Nav unit. Noticing the menu for bluetooth pairing, I tried to hook up my iPhone.

The VW bluetooth connection is ONLY for sending music to the car unit, and has absolutely no function as a phone. Go figure. The unit will take music from a bluetooth phone, USB drive, and iPod.