XSeries-forum

Another era passes. The last car manufacturer to include a CD player in new cars (Subaru) has pulled the plug on this now apparently ancient technology. No longer will your glovebox be home to disc cases or you boot hold a multi-disc changer (I know BMW put them behind the glove box too).

It seems that the advent of streaming from your smartphone via Bluetooth, or even direct to the car via on line connected services has taken over and the optical disc drive is no longer needed.

In my lifetime I’ve watched 8-track, cassette, CD & MiniDisc all come and go. I don’t remember if DAT units ever made it into cars. It was good tech, but too expensive and tape systems were generally dying anyway. Everything went solid state.

I started using MP3 format CDs in my E30 probably 20 years ago. The Sony headunit I used in that car also had DAB capability.
When I progressed to an E46 in 2013, I bought a CD changer with MP3 capability to replace the factory-fit 6-disc CDA-format changer. By that time I never bothered with radio, so didn't bother with DAB. I sold the Sony headunit and stuck with the navigation/TV unit the car came out of the factory with.
I transferred my (still growing, at that time) MP3 disc collection into the F25, when I bought it 6+ years ago. However, when I was employed as a delivery driver, the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans on the fleet only had AM/FM/DAB radios fitted, but they did have USB C ports. At that point, I copied the MP3 discs I used most often onto a couple of memory sticks. Since I retired I have been using those memory sticks in the F25, and the discs are now stored in our attic - likely to never be used again.

My wife's 2014-built Citroen C4 Picasso doesn't have CD capability.

Similar story which I guess is not uncommon at first it was just radio in the car, then in the late 70's along came the 8 track then that was replaced by a Cassette player. Late 80's I had a Ford Scorpio the Dealer offered a Grafic Equaliser or a CD Player as I had never seen a CD at that time I took the Equaliser. 2 car changes later I was using an iPod and all music at home was CD. The X5 E53's have all had a Cassette player and CD changer but I rarely used or use even the radio (just love the V8) The E70 has a CD changer but if I listen to music it is streamed through my phone
Progress is great isnt it it was just the stuff we have accumalted along the way still last year I sold the 8 track to a Restorer so not all bad

As an oldie, my story is very similar. I actually got into iPods quite recently, via Blutooth music from a phone.

That was more convenient than CDs and no storage hassles. That changed again and there are iPods in both vehicles and two more at home. I recall well when i first got my E71 finding assorted leads in the armrest box and putting them away as not of any use to me, that was in 2018.

How things have changed (for me) in a pretty short time period.

I started out with just a radio in my old mk1 Capri, then upgraded to a new radio with cassette player...then to CD's etc...now I just download albums from amazon music to my phone and bluetooth straight to the car.....still have all my CD's and the old vinyls of course