Easy to operate iDrive

Then there's the iDrive.

After testing a series of BMW's this year, I am starting to take a more German approach to the iDrive. Americans are just stupid.

Please don't be offended by that if you are not the brightest LED in the headlamp, but there's an owner's manual in the glove box and not everything good in life needs to be figured out in three minutes with the lights off. The iDrive provides lots of function. It's easy to operate and lets you keep your hand on the wheel while you're doing it.

If you get stumped, look it up. BMW writes one in English.

There are, of course, all of the premium features you'd expect on the X6 M: The standard glass roof, the dual climate zones in front -- and you can get dual climate zones in the second row too.

There's a heads-up display that includes navigation guidance, cruise control settings and, of course, your speed. There are automatic high beams that adjust to oncoming traffic.

Then there is the back-up camera system. This provides a bird's eye view of the vehicle and everything around it. It comes on automatically when you put the vehicle in reverse and can be turned on when you select the parking distance control button. It's excellent for seeing what's right in front of you as well, such as pulling into a tight space or a garage.

    See also:

    Status of this Owner's Manual at time of printing
    The manufacturer of your vehicle pursues a policy of constant development that is conceived to ensure that our vehicles continue to embody the highest quality and safety standards. In rare cas ...

    Service requirements
    Display The driving distance or the time to the next scheduled maintenance is displayed briefly after the ignition is switched on. The current service requirements can be read out from the re ...

    Resuming the original route
    If the route section should no longer be bypassed: 1. "Navigation" 2. "Route information" 3. "New route for:" 4. "Remove blocking" ...