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2Addicts | BMW 2-Series forum Technical Topics Navigation, iDrive, Audio, Video, Bluetooth, Phone, Cameras, Electronics Steering Wheel Radio Controls: US vs UK

View Poll Results: Manual Drivers LH drive cars: Which way do you prefer your steering wheel controls?
Radio/Phone: RIGHT side of the wheel 4 36.36%
Radio/Phone: LEFT side of the wheel 7 63.64%
Voters: 11. You may not vote on this poll

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      02-27-2014, 07:06 PM   #1
flyga3
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Lightbulb Steering Wheel Radio Controls: US vs UK

General thought for US drivers: I always wondered why the radio/phone controls are on the RIGHT side of the steering wheel, with cruise on the LEFT. I remember my E46 328 had that swapped which was perfect for switching gears (radio-LEFT, and cruise-RIGHT; I believe VW's are this way now?)
Then I though its because most people use their right hand to control all extra functions in the car (radio, air, phone, i-Drive, coffee, breakfast, etc, etc), and rightly so, but that usability seems so redundant with the same functionality on the same side of the steering wheel (right-side); just use the keys on the dash anyway because for an automatic driver, what else are you going to do with that right hand?

HOWEVER, for the US manual driver, we're shifting away with that right hand. And I use the radio/phone keys the most on a steering wheel given a typical day. Therefore I would REALLY like to have those radio/phone buttons on the LEFT side of the wheel where I have my hand all the time steering, and my right hand is always shifting, and when I need Cruise I'm already in my gear of choice when I need to activate so that free right hand is ready to engage cruise on the wheel as needed. There are A LOT of available buttons for that right-hand and some are redundant (radio dash buttons, air, i-Drive, more radio/phone right-side steering wheel) Don't get me wrong, I love my buttons, and believe in both hands on the steering wheel, but it seems like a few buttons could move to the left side, to balance it out a little more?

Then I thought: Great! Maybe I can swap steering wheels with a UK version! They must have this reversed for the same reason (LEFT hand primarily on the radio, air, i-drive, gearing, etc) so radio buttons must be on the LEFT side of the wheel too given the right-hand drive! But as you see in the pic below, NOPE, they have the SAME set-up on the steering wheel as left hand drive: radio-right and cruise-left.

So, does this mean the UK drivers have the better set-up here? (No hate, all love! Seems like the UK'ers are busy shifting-gears with their left hands and can control radio/phone on the right. Must be GREAT--but was it kept like this for you guys? The only possible explanation is that BMW keeps production to a single wheel configuration, and that seems logical and economical, BUT is it the best configuration for a US-manual driver??

(POLL CLARIFICATION: "LH Drive", I mean steering wheel LEFT-SIDE of the car (US, Germany, etc); sorry for any confusion can not seem to edit the poll)
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Last edited by flyga3; 02-27-2014 at 07:16 PM..
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      03-02-2014, 07:00 PM   #2
JRMorgan
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I've driven RH manual. Yes it's better period. I'm not even talking about steering controls, I'm just talking about left hand gear changes and right hand on the wheel all the time. It's just a more optimal set up.
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