Just read the review of the BMW 335i hard-top convertible in the New York Times. The review was warm - quite typical for the car this good. One thing that the author could not do without, is conforming to the common understanding that BMW's iDrive - the integrated computer control console and navigation system - is horrible. As someone who had Honda Accord with a touch-screen navigation for a few years, I can attest that knob/joystick-based iDrive is completely usable. More so with the string of programmable shortcut buttons, which according to a dealer were added to the dashboard of 3-series in March of 2007. With all the most-frequently-used functionality already accessible through the specialized buttons and knobs on the BMW dashboard, iDrive is a totally adequate user interface conduit. Maybe back in 2002 when the first version of the iDrive was introduced in the 7-series, it was bad - I don't know. I hear it was the only way to control the car and even most basic functions required lots of knob action. If that was the case - it was a really bone-headed design. As someone who designed quite a few user interfaces, including a CAD UI, I have this rule of thumb: put most critical functions at user's fingertips, and organize the rest of commands in a well-structured, easy to navigate menu. Today's iDrive accomplishes that. I got iDrive with my 335i coupe simply because I couldn't imagine living without navigation system, and after reading all the bad reviews I was bracing for supposedly abysmal UI and control abilities of the iDrive. To my surprised I don't really have anything to complain about. It's not touch-screen, but from my point of view touch-screen is a toss compared to joystick: touchscreen is easier to operate when car is not moving, but it is very inconvenient on the go. I am not trying to say that iDrive is perfect - I hear praises to Lexus control console, but these days iDrive is not bad at all as far as functionality and convenience goes. Now, to those who claim that iDrive is hard to figure out, I don't really know what to say. If you were able to figure out how to make enough money to buy a BMW with iDrive, you should have no trouble figuring out iDrive. Otherwise let me know what you are doing for living - I may want to get into it.