SW17LS

So the IS and HS are/were $28,000? Equipped with nav? Hardly.

I'm surprised your HS muted the nav voice when on a call, my 2010 ES with the same system did not. I personally never use the voice playback on the nav so it doesn't bother me.

As for the phone, they did make a change to the system, the sound comes out the center channel speaker now instead of the door speaker and sounds tinny, same on my GS. You do get used to it actually.

Radio slightly mutes to play a voice prompt in my 2013 GS...

brunla

Not only did the HS mute navigation prompts, so does the IS. And they use full stereo speakers for the phone calls.

Noticed that I have to turn volume up during phone calls since it only uses one speaker. That is causing feedback during phone calls. I'm really disappointed with this system. Especially knowing that my old IS and HS have superior systems.

SW17LS

Are you sure it isn't a setting somewhere? Because my 2010 ES did not mute GPS navigation when I was on the phone, and its the same system.

As for the phone, phone calls did not come through all the speakers on the previous cars, they came through the drivers speaker which has greater range than the center channel speaker.

a310pilot

Steve if you are not gonna mind anything.. nobody is gonna fix it. It only makes sense that NAV should either be muted or lowered down so that you can clearly hear and talk to the other person on the phone. Other cars besides Lexus do it.

Problem with too much software is you always have bugs that seep in the final version which need to be ironed out with updates... BUT like the other user if we just live with it and not let Lexus know... it will still be the same with 2020 models.

Worst comes to worst. they should have PTT function or something so that other person on the line doesn't get to hear directions. ;-)

This is just a car. We have problems with aircraft softwares as well that are updated regularly. Imagine that!

SW17LS

I never disagreed, I was more curious that his previous Lexus vehicles did mute the nav guidance when on the phone while mine did not.

a310pilot

Oh, Toyota highlander has it right.

Can someone from Canada please post if they have the same issue. Since we don't have Enform like the U.S version maybe our NAV functions are slightly different as well.

Steve, you have both the ES 2013 and GS 2013?

SW17LS

No, I had a 2010 ES before the GS.

brunla

I just want to correct you on this point. The phone calls absolutely came through all the speakers on the IS and HS. (I cannot vouch for very back speakers, but definitely front speakers.) The phone calls were in full stereo and they sounded great. In the ES, the phone call comes from the front left speaker only (not center). It sounds like a tin can, compared to the other models. The main difference I believe is that the HS and IS models had a DEDICATED navigation speaker on the drivers side. Nothing came out of it but prompts. It automatically muted while playing the phone calls through the main speakers. In addition radio greatly muted when a prompt came on, and prompts were easily heard.

This is making me wonder if this can ever be corrected on ES software because it is missing that dedicated speaker. (As far as I know.)

Also because of the one phone speaker, as soon as I start turning up the volume to hear my phone calls, it is creating feedback. So I can only listen to phone calls at a reduced volume which is absolutely ridiculous.

All the other previous ES owners have no clue as to what inferior technology this is compared to some of Lexus's very own less expensive cars.

SW17LS

Did you put your head down and listen to both door speakers on your previous cars?

I've had a lot of different phone systems, including a built in phone in a 1998 Lexus LS400, a bluetooth phone in a 2004 Toyota Prius, a 2004 Lexus LS430, a 2010 Lexus ES350 and all came from the drivers door speaker. My 2010 ES at least did have a dedicated navigation speaker, I believe the Prius did too. 2013 GS is the first that the sound comes from the center channel speaker, and it does sound tinny compared to the previous cars I agree.

I have fiddled around with the settings though and am satisfied with its performance now, you should play around with yours.

I still find it hard to believe the IS and HS would mute navigation audio when on the phone when the ES and GS do not. The system is the same system regardless of which model its installed on...it may have been some fluke of the way the audio system is designed in those models...

brunla

The phone calls were 100% in complete stereo on the IS and HS. Navigation prompts had it's own speaker on left side.

I've read car forums and Hyundai's mute prompts. BMW, Mercedes. WHy because it makes sense. It is just the Lexus ES and GS models that do not. Clearly the engineer needs to drive a Hyundai to keep up with technology.

And by the way, listen closer. The phone calls on my ES come out the left drivers dash speaker. Not center channel. I have tinkered with settings and the only option is to keep voice guidance on Volume 1 all the time in case I get a phone call. But then you cannot hear it when my $3,745 Mark Levinson stereo is on (which is all the time.) This is not how Lexus systems should operate and I'm very disappointed they have done nothing to fix it, as I have seen other people on the internet complain about it as well.

SW17LS

I'm not saying it shouldn't operate as you suggest, I think that anybody would agree it should.

Okay. The left dash speaker is also a tweeter which doesn't have any bass, just like the center channel speaker. Thats why it sounds tinny. No clue why they decided to go from using the door speaker to using the dash speakers, I'm just telling you WHY its tinny.

Then you should sell the car and get a Hyundai.

I mean...what do you want us to do about it? We've offered several suggestions of ways to improve your enjoyment of the system (I for one can't see how you can stand the voice guidance, I just shut it off completely). We didn't design the system, and theres nothing Lexus can/will do to improve your system. Your comments may help future iterations of the system, but they won't help your situation.

brunla

I don't expect YOU to do anything about it. This thread isn't about you, it is about being very specific and explaining this issue in detail. I wish this thread had been available before I purchased my car, and this can serve as a warning to others who use navigation and phone in combination. In addition, I hope that SOMEONE from Lexus technology departments peruses these threads and comes up with a solution.

SW17LS

I guarantee they do read these threads, but even if they come up with a solution unfortunately its not going to apply to those of us who already own the car, which was the purpose of my point about finding a way to live with it.

LexRuger

You don't think a firmware update could fix this issue?

SW17LS

I don't think its the sort of thing you can just download a firmware update for. Its different than adjusting the shift points in an ECU reflash or something, theres no central location within the vehicle's computer where that is controlled.