[rajahfl]

I used to have an E92 and now I currently have an F80 that I love. One of the newer reasons I love my current car, aside from how the nose and hood look, is the presence of my console buttons. For the uninitiated, the console buttons are the physical buttons on previous M cars near the gear lever that allow you to customize traction/MDM, throttle/power, steering weight and suspension stiffness/EDC.

IMO, I actually have three M drive modes — M1, M2, and realtime-customized based on which console button I press for other specific driving conditions. The benefit of this is, I can be in my sportiest M2 setting and then on the fly change the suspension stiffness to a little softer if a new road I'm on is crappier than other roads or be in my more comfortable M1 setting and then bump up any one of the other settings based on what I feel like.

When I found out that in the new 2021+ M cars, the typical console buttons had been replaced with a single M mode button, which is actually a shortcut to an iDrive menu, I immediately reconsidered getting a new one.

For all the previous-generation M owners, do you miss the physical console buttons? This leads me to believe that now M owners only have M1 and M2 and cannot make real time adjustments to a particular driving condition. Is that true? I see that as a real design mistake.

This isn't a mud-slinging post. I would like to get a new M, but I want to know what people think, so please don't get defensive.

[JustChris]

I actually didn't realise this. Interesting, yes the steering wheel buttons are incredibly convenient.

[Ibiza]

Yes, I agree that I miss the buttons by the shifter from my experience from the F85 X5M to the current F95 X5M, as the G80/G82 has the same set up. However, the M1 and M2 buttons are in a better position. At least I'll be used to it when the G83 finally starts production in a few months.

[CanAutM3]

My understanding is that you can still make individual setting adjustments on the fly. There’s an extra step needed where you first need to access the iDrive menu with the console button but then, from there, you can toggle the different settings “on the fly” using the touchscreen.

IMO, the default setup on the G8X is also better than the one in the F8X with everything in Comfort. The fact that the F8X defaulted to the useless Efficient/Sport/Sport/D1 combo is my biggest gripe with the car, having to waste one of the M buttons for the granny/DD mode. With the G8X you have the default full granny mode plus two real M settings.

[chicagofan00]

The setup button on the console brings up the settings menu and allows on the fly changes to suspension, brakes, traction, engine, steering, etc. Changes are made in real time. This was shown on one of the videos BMW M put out walking through the various parts of the new M models.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL...5Is94c-8eDGCVv

[My8thMandcounting]

i don't miss the buttons, and find it pretty easy to change on the fly. Also easy to then make that change permanent. Plus, as noted, I think that the default setting is better configured - easy for my wife to just get in and drive without using any M buttons. So I can have 2 M buttons set for most situations I will need rather than having to waste one.

[DecemberStorm]

yep car starts in default (unless you change it before firing up the engine) in Comfort/Efficient everything

To change on the fly just gotta press "setup" and then can use touchscreen or idrive knob. If you still want the physical buttons, the current X3M/X4M still provides that, but likely going away in the LCI next year.

[rajahfl]

Originally Posted by CanAutM3

My understanding is that you can still make individual setting adjustments on the fly. There's an extra step needed where you first need to access the iDrive menu with the console button but then, from there, you can toggle the different settings "on the fly" using the touchscreen.

IMO, the default setup on the G8X is also better than the one in the F8X with everything in Comfort. The fact that the F8X defaulted to the useless Efficient/Sport/Sport/D1 combo is my biggest gripe with the car, having to waste one of the M buttons for the granny/DD mode. With the G8X you have the default full granny mode plus two real M settings.

That's awesome bc that is my current setup. M1 is granny/heavy traffic mode and M2 is Sport/Sport/Sport so that I can use my console buttons to decide how much more extreme I feel like going. This is really helpful, I didn't know this and actually a good design for the new M's Thanks

[rajahfl]

Originally Posted by JustChris

I actually didn't realise this. Interesting, yes the steering wheel buttons are incredibly convenient.

Not the steering wheel buttons; the M1 and M2 buttons are still there on newer M's albeit in better places. I'm talking about the console buttons near the shifter that control throttle, steering, suspension, and traction.

[rajahfl]

Originally Posted by chicagofan00

The setup button on the console brings up the settings menu and allows on the fly changes to suspension, brakes, traction, engine, steering, etc. Changes are made in real time. This was shown on one of the videos BMW M put out walking through the various parts of the new M models.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL...5Is94c-8eDGCVv

Right, that's true but not as easy to switch to Sport+ if a Lambo rolls up on you. Kinda lame to be like (in nerd voice) "pardon me while I dig through my iDrive menu to prep my car." Far easier to press a physical button that does that.

[JustChris]

Originally Posted by rajahfl

Not the steering wheel buttons; the M1 and M2 buttons are still there on newer M's albeit in better places. I'm talking about the console buttons near the shifter that control throttle, steering, suspension, and traction.

Ah ok I understand now, yes of course. I was sure the red buttons were present just behind the wheel.

The reason there's a single button now is likely to the ever growing amount of customisation such as brakes now coming into the equation.

[Bimmr7]

I still have my E92 M3 and I find the G80 way more convenient when you consider everything everyone else mentioned and hand gestures. Palms Down, open, close fist, open and M settings are right there. No need to take your hands off the wheel or look away from like of sight.

[Bimmr7]

Originally Posted by rajahfl

Right, that's true but not as easy to switch to Sport+ if a Lambo rolls up on you. Kinda lame to be like (in nerd voice) "pardon me while I dig through my iDrive menu to prep my car." Far easier to press a physical button that does that.

Isn’t hitting a simple red button near the steering wheel more convenient for the situation you described? I’m just trying to figure out how the placement of something so minor will determine if you buy this car. If manual wasn’t an option or the driving reviews were terrible then I can see you making the change but M Mode Buttons?

[Kansr]

Originally Posted by rajahfl

Right, that's true but not as easy to switch to Sport+ if a Lambo rolls up on you. Kinda lame to be like (in nerd voice) "pardon me while I dig through my iDrive menu to prep my car." Far easier to press a physical button that does that.

You can program the M button on the wheel to be all sport +, the only thing one might have to use the console for is to switch to a different M Mode (road sport track).

[chicagofan00]

Originally Posted by rajahfl

Right, that's true but not as easy to switch to Sport+ if a Lambo rolls up on you. Kinda lame to be like (in nerd voice) "pardon me while I dig through my iDrive menu to prep my car." Far easier to press a physical button that does that.

So program your M2 button to be your "I want to drag race lambos on regular streets" button. One push, done. 🤷🏻 You then still have your M1 button to configure for your daily driving, the car starts in comfort modes and you can then adjust on the fly with the setup button if you don't want to be in your M1 or M2 modes.

[rajahfl]

Originally Posted by JustChris

Ah ok I understand now, yes of course. I was sure the red buttons were present just behind the wheel.

The reason there's a single button now is likely to the ever growing amount of customisation such as brakes now coming into the equation.

True true ... on the subject of customization, a lot of M-car reviewers cite this as a negative whereas I think the extreme customization is what I love about M-cars.

[rajahfl]

Originally Posted by chicagofan00

So program your M2 button to be your "I want to drag race lambos on regular streets" button. One push, done. 🤷🏻*♂️ You then still have your M1 button to configure for your daily driving, the car starts in comfort modes and you can then adjust on the fly with the setup button if you don't want to be in your M1 or M2 modes.

Right, the revelation for me was when CanAutM3 mentioned that the car starts in all comfort mode. So now you do have essentially 3 M modes where M1 and M2 can be truly more aggressive bc the car already starts in "granny mode."

[kyleb350]

Originally Posted by chicagofan00

So program your M2 button to be your "I want to drag race lambos on regular streets" button. One push, done. 🤷🏻 You then still have your M1 button to configure for your daily driving, the car starts in comfort modes and you can then adjust on the fly with the setup button if you don't want to be in your M1 or M2 modes.

What's they're referring to is if you have both M1 and M2 assigned to other things already, there may be that random time you want to temporarily put the engine setting on Sport+. In the F80, you toggle the button by the shifter once. In the G80, you have to go through iDrive to get to it.

[rajahfl]

Originally Posted by Bimmr7

Isn’t hitting a simple red button near the steering wheel more convenient for the situation you described? I’m just trying to figure out how the placement of something so minor will determine if you buy this car. If manual wasn’t an option or the driving reviews were terrible then I can see you making the change but M Mode Buttons?

The placement of the console button themselves would not determine if I buy the car or not, but they are a factor in my decision making process. I learned more about the car from you and the other people who posted here, so I appreciate that. One thing I would also respectfully add is that I don't need you to understand what is important to me.

I'm waiting for the AWD G80 anyways, so I have time to ask these questions.

[DecemberStorm]

hope this helps .. this is my understanding from 3 days of ownership (and lots of idling just figuring out the menus and buttons ).. but really the reason they've gone from all the hard buttons to one "setup" button is because there are simply too many adjustable parameters now: engine, suspension, transmission, steering, brakes, dsc, 10-stage traction, start stop, exhaust, and upcoming awd

- TLDR if you are looking to change only one thing on-the-fly then yes the current setup will be more cumbersome, but really it's just an extra press ("Setup" on console or have the setup widget on your homescreen)
- there are essentially 3 shortcuts: car always starts in softest everything, then two programmable red M buttons on the wheel which are very accessible
- Some might have missed this: if you are in M1 or M2, press the button again takes you back to whatever you were in. So if you set something up custom then went into M2, press M2 again it takes you back to that setting
- DSC, drivelogic, exhaust, and auto start stop hard buttons still remain
- the "M Mode" button is a bit of a waste in prime real estate IMO, could've easily layered into instrument cluster menus like what AMG and Audi do, as it's purely a graphics aesthetic and lvl of driver assist setting and independent of actual driving settings

[rajahfl]

Originally Posted by DecemberStorm

hope this helps .. this is my understanding from 3 days of ownership (and lots of idling just figuring out the menus and buttons ).. but really the reason they've gone from all the hard buttons to one "setup" button is because there are simply too many adjustable parameters now: engine, suspension, transmission, steering, brakes, dsc, 10-stage traction, start stop, exhaust, and upcoming awd

- TLDR if you are looking to change only one thing on-the-fly then yes the current setup will be more cumbersome, but really it's just an extra press ("Setup" on console or have the setup widget on your homescreen)
- there are essentially 3 shortcuts: car always starts in softest everything, then two programmable red M buttons on the wheel which are very accessible
- Some might have missed this: if you are in M1 or M2, press the button again takes you back to whatever you were in. So if you set something up custom then went into M2, press M2 again it takes you back to that setting
- DSC, drivelogic, exhaust, and auto start stop hard buttons still remain
- the "M Mode" button is a bit of a waste in prime real estate IMO, could've easily layered into instrument cluster menus like what AMG and Audi do, as it's purely a graphics aesthetic and lvl of driver assist setting and independent of actual driving settings

Great information, thank you

[Bimmr7]

Originally Posted by rajahfl

The placement of the console button themselves would not determine if I buy the car or not, but they are a factor in my decision making process. I learned more about the car from you and the other people who posted here, so I appreciate that. One thing I would also respectfully add is that I don't need you to understand what is important to me.

I'm waiting for the AWD G80 anyways, so I have time to ask these questions.

I was generally curious as to why the positioning of the buttons mattered to you. It was something that never crossed my mind.