brunla

Ok... I just waited 5 months for my ES300H Ultra Luxury with Mark Levinson.
I am coming from an HS250 with a technology package that actually blows away this car, but that is for another thread.

My biggest gripe - When you have navigation set, and then you use the phone, the NAVIGATION PROMPTS still come on over your phone call. So the person on the other side of the phone is hearing all of your navigation prompts. In the HS250 prompts completely went silent, and you looked at the map while talking on the phone. (Which is the correct way.) As a Realtor, I am constantly talking to clients and using driving directions and this is totally unprofessional. People on the other line think I am talking to them and say what? I cannot believe that when a phone call comes in while I am driving, I have to go into settings, go into voice, and then lower the volume (no volume control for prompts on the steering wheel.) All while driving, and talking on the phone. TOTALLY DANGEROUS.

In addition, when using radio, in the HS250 when a prompt came on, it temporary lowered volume during the prompt so you could hear it. Not on the ES300H. You cannot hear the prompts over the radio.

Not to mention you cannot even voice delete a destination and you lose tons of commands on the new navigation system. Navigation is sending me on crazy routes. The phone sounds like it is in a tin can compared to the HS250. I don't know how I ended up spending big bucks more for a car that actually went backwards in technology.

LEXUS GET THIS NAVIGATION AND PHONE TOGETHER!

scutmud

I agree with all your points:

1 Nav Prompts on Phone Calls
2 Hard to hear prompts over the radio
3 Limited Nav Voice Commands (can't cancel current route)
4 Phone sounds tinny

brunla

I'm so glad there is someone else that understands this. I called Lexus and they made me sound like I was crazy. "Just lower the volume of the navigation."

LexRuger

That's dumb. Never realized it since the voice prompts were disabled since I took delivery. Luckily if enough people complain, it's not permanent and a software update would fix it.

jollick

You should bring it up with the Technology Specialist at your dealer, provided they have one. My dealer has 2 and they are very knowledgeable. They also have an inside line to Lexus Corporate for improvement recommendations.

brunla

I have brought it up with the technology person at my dealer. She said this is the first she is hearing about it. So yes, everybody should call and complain so we can get this fixed.

bc6152

Gee, I'm wondering if this is the case with the ES350 as well. I haven't had the NAV on during a phone call. I'll try it tomorrow. Poor engineering by Lexus.

LexBob2

This has been going on with the nav in the ES since the previous gen - 7 model years. Makes you wonder if changes/improvements will ever be made.

LisaES350

This has happened to me during an important call and I was embarrassed. I will ask tech expert at my dealers customer dinner.

brunla

Seriously... everybody has to call their tech departments and lodge complaints so they can update this software. This is totally unacceptable and an embarrassment considering the now defunct HS250 even had this technology.

Mention that navigation prompts should be silenced automatically when on a phone call, and the radio should lower when a prompt comes up so you can hear directions. Just model it after the system in the HS250.

Also complain about the lack of voice commands. Not being able to say "delete destination" and numerous other commands like "75 degrees" is behind the HS250 as well.

hyronk

spoke with my Lexus technologist and she said additionally I should submit a feedback to 1-800-25-LEXUS (1-800-255-3987) prompt #5. it took less than 5 minutes. she said once a certain feedback threshold is met, then the will consider adding suggested changes to a firmware upgrade.

bc6152

Made the phone call today. The agent stated that one can "pause" the NAV system until the phone call is finished, therefore eliminating any prompts. I replied that the system requires a software correction. Can Lexus update existing vehicle software to correct this issue?

brunla

That is the stupidest response from a technician I have heard yet. First it requires you have to do three steps to get into pause mode while talking on the phone AND driving. Second, just because you are on the phone you now cannot get directions to where you are going. What's next, "pull off to the side of the road while you are on the phone"?
How about this car is $20,000+ more from the IS and HS models that have correct navigation systems, and Lexus should get their butts in gear and correct it through a software update.

Creid

i thought I read somewhere that the car lowers the volume of the driver side but not the rest of the car, so that the driver can hear the instructions without disturbing everyone else's music?

I haven't tested this out yet. I will be calling the number soon also if that's not the case.

brunla

It doesn't. What I found on the IS and HS is the navigation prompt had it's own speaker next to the drivers side, and the rest of the speakers slightly muted when it came up. Very easy to hear. The prompts are mixed in with the regular speakers on this vehicle. Could also be the reason it doesn't mute during phone calls.

Call the number regardless please. IS and HS models shouldn't have better technology than an ES.