a few months ago i bought a new car that is quite a step up in sophistication from my old one and one of the things that amazed me about it (though i’m not sure why) was that despite being several times more expensive and a lot more showy the dashboard controls were effectively the same combination of lights, wipers and heating controls that every car has. i had to buy a new stereo to satisfy my need for buttons to press and resigned myself to the fact that all cars are much the same really, some just cost more than others.

now i find that the bmw 745i has 700 different functions accessible via its idrive interface, though i’m a little worried that

bmw includes instructions you slip to parking valets, so they’ll know how to move the car a few yards from a restaurant’s front door. some dealers allot three hours or more to hand 7’s over to customers; after you’ve bought it, you must learn to drive it. the author of the article also

counted more than 100 illuminated switches, many quite small, in an audi a8 700 functions? 100 switches? what the blinking heck do they all do? on the whole i think i’m better of with my basic selection of switches, at least i’m not going to crash my car trying to turn the heating up at 70mph. the bmw’s interface looks like more of a liability than a luxury.

the best bit is

i have remembered the proper way to close the trunk, by pressing a red button under the lid. (motors and latches do the rest.) um, yes, it’s so annoying having to reach up to shut the boot isn’t it?

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