A month in - Minor Nits
06-05-12, 06:58 PM
#1
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
A month in - Minor Nits
Just about a month in with about 1,300 miles driven. Enjoying the new car (Liquid Platinum, Flaxen Interior, Luxury Model, AWD). I am also one who plays with all the inside toys and controls and in this area is where I have few "nits" and suggestions. Perhaps some or most of these can be resolved with a software update. Probably wishful thinking, but I am going to list them here in hope anyway!
In no particular order...
1. The "Window Open" indicator - When you park, turn off the engine, and open a door, you will hear a tone and see an indicator on the dash to which tells you a window is open. Nice feature but at that point it is too late to do anything except push start twice to "Ignition Mode" and roll up the offending window. I would much rather see the indicator come on when the engine is shutdown with power available to shut the window before opening the door (which would then turn off power availability).
2. "Auto" windshield wiper - I like the automatic wipers but sometimes I want an extra "wipe". Any use of the control disables the "Auto" function and you have to push the button to re-enable it.
3. Turn signal arm - I am struggling with this one (good and bad). First off, the sounder is too loud (unless I am cranking some music). But at the same time, I have found myself leaving the signal on (after a freeway exit for example) due to the lack of the normal "tactile indicator" at my left hand - noticing that it is in a up or down position. Maybe I will get used to this type of lever. But since I hate when others leave their signals on, I am really cringing to find myself doing it!
4. The Eco/Sport - Blue/Red lighting - I find the fading/brightening of the blue light annoying. It also appears to be inaccurate. In the "DISP" menu, you can select "always on" which will make the blue light steady, but then it won't change to red in Sport/Sport+ mode. It stays blue. My preference is to be able to set it to always on/bright but switch to Red in the sport modes. I think this one is a true software bug.
5. Enform-Navigation general gripe - This is my fifth or sixth Lexus since 1999. All but one with some kind of navigation system (with more stuff added each time). I do not appreciate being at the mercy of the Lexus lawyers who apparently believe we must be protected from ourselves by locking out functionality when the car is in motion - even with a passenger in the car. Even with improved voice commands, I can not see how it is safer (when checking my voice mail, for example) to have to pull my phone out of my pocket, unlock the screen, call up the keypad, and hit the various number buttons to listen, respond, or to delete my messages. This has never made sense to me!
6. Enform - I have generally had pretty good luck in with my android phone linking to the system and using the apps. However, I have had a few occasions where I literally had to stop and shut down both the car and phone, then restart both, to get the linkage working right. I recognize this inter-connectivity is complex, but not quite "rocket science". I do expect a pretty flawless experience with Lexus and this is an area which needs some improvement and a rapid update release schedule.
7. Enform (again) - Last nit.... and related to #5 & #6. There are physical buttons to quickly select "Radio" and "Media" below the CD slot. Using them is both quicker and safer than using the remote touch mouse. But why are "Apps" on the Radio selection and not the Media selection? Again, something I might eventually remember, but it does not make intuitive sense!
Lastly, a suggestion for Enform. Not a gripe or nit as it does not exist today. I would love to see the ability to build a screen of "favorites" from all the various potential sources. For example, a screen of "buttons" which I could put favorite radio stations (AM/FM/SAT) mixed with favorite saved locations, mixed with app options such as a Pandora selection, mixed with speed dials, mixed with favorite music from the USB Flash Drive, cooler/hotter, etc..... 2 to 3 screens of buttons would take care of 90% of what I want to happen without the multiple menus, categories, tabs, and sub-menus we have to work through today.
No solutions here that help most readers. But I do hope that Lexus reads the board and will look toward improvements, particularly in software patches which can be applied to the current model. These are generally "nits" which I can work around or ignore but I hope posting these here will work their way to Lexus and create some benefit for all!
Thanks, Jim
In no particular order...
1. The "Window Open" indicator - When you park, turn off the engine, and open a door, you will hear a tone and see an indicator on the dash to which tells you a window is open. Nice feature but at that point it is too late to do anything except push start twice to "Ignition Mode" and roll up the offending window. I would much rather see the indicator come on when the engine is shutdown with power available to shut the window before opening the door (which would then turn off power availability).
2. "Auto" windshield wiper - I like the automatic wipers but sometimes I want an extra "wipe". Any use of the control disables the "Auto" function and you have to push the button to re-enable it.
3. Turn signal arm - I am struggling with this one (good and bad). First off, the sounder is too loud (unless I am cranking some music). But at the same time, I have found myself leaving the signal on (after a freeway exit for example) due to the lack of the normal "tactile indicator" at my left hand - noticing that it is in a up or down position. Maybe I will get used to this type of lever. But since I hate when others leave their signals on, I am really cringing to find myself doing it!
4. The Eco/Sport - Blue/Red lighting - I find the fading/brightening of the blue light annoying. It also appears to be inaccurate. In the "DISP" menu, you can select "always on" which will make the blue light steady, but then it won't change to red in Sport/Sport+ mode. It stays blue. My preference is to be able to set it to always on/bright but switch to Red in the sport modes. I think this one is a true software bug.
5. Enform-Navigation general gripe - This is my fifth or sixth Lexus since 1999. All but one with some kind of navigation system (with more stuff added each time). I do not appreciate being at the mercy of the Lexus lawyers who apparently believe we must be protected from ourselves by locking out functionality when the car is in motion - even with a passenger in the car. Even with improved voice commands, I can not see how it is safer (when checking my voice mail, for example) to have to pull my phone out of my pocket, unlock the screen, call up the keypad, and hit the various number buttons to listen, respond, or to delete my messages. This has never made sense to me!
6. Enform - I have generally had pretty good luck in with my android phone linking to the system and using the apps. However, I have had a few occasions where I literally had to stop and shut down both the car and phone, then restart both, to get the linkage working right. I recognize this inter-connectivity is complex, but not quite "rocket science". I do expect a pretty flawless experience with Lexus and this is an area which needs some improvement and a rapid update release schedule.
7. Enform (again) - Last nit.... and related to #5 & #6. There are physical buttons to quickly select "Radio" and "Media" below the CD slot. Using them is both quicker and safer than using the remote touch mouse. But why are "Apps" on the Radio selection and not the Media selection? Again, something I might eventually remember, but it does not make intuitive sense!
Lastly, a suggestion for Enform. Not a gripe or nit as it does not exist today. I would love to see the ability to build a screen of "favorites" from all the various potential sources. For example, a screen of "buttons" which I could put favorite radio stations (AM/FM/SAT) mixed with favorite saved locations, mixed with app options such as a Pandora selection, mixed with speed dials, mixed with favorite music from the USB Flash Drive, cooler/hotter, etc..... 2 to 3 screens of buttons would take care of 90% of what I want to happen without the multiple menus, categories, tabs, and sub-menus we have to work through today.
No solutions here that help most readers. But I do hope that Lexus reads the board and will look toward improvements, particularly in software patches which can be applied to the current model. These are generally "nits" which I can work around or ignore but I hope posting these here will work their way to Lexus and create some benefit for all!
Thanks, Jim
06-05-12, 07:13 PM
#3
5. Enform-Navigation general gripe - This is my fifth or sixth Lexus since 1999. All but one with some kind of navigation system (with more stuff added each time). I do not appreciate being at the mercy of the Lexus lawyers who apparently believe we must be protected from ourselves by locking out functionality when the car is in motion - even with a passenger in the car. Even with improved voice commands, I can not see how it is safer (when checking my voice mail, for example) to have to pull my phone out of my pocket, unlock the screen, call up the keypad, and hit the various number buttons to listen, respond, or to delete my messages. This has never made sense to me!
you can't get in an accident while fiddling with your phone and sue lexus whereas you could potentially claim fiddling with the nav caused you to crash.
its an absurd claim, and i am with you 100% in my hatred of being locked out, just giving you an explanation since you seem puzzled my the logic.
06-05-12, 07:14 PM
#4
Lexus Fanatic
5. Enform-Navigation general gripe - This is my fifth or sixth Lexus since 1999. All but one with some kind of navigation system (with more stuff added each time). I do not appreciate being at the mercy of the Lexus lawyers who apparently believe we must be protected from ourselves by locking out functionality when the car is in motion - even with a passenger in the car. Even with improved voice commands, I can not see how it is safer (when checking my voice mail, for example) to have to pull my phone out of my pocket, unlock the screen, call up the keypad, and hit the various number buttons to listen, respond, or to delete my messages. This has never made sense to me!
06-05-12, 07:49 PM
#5
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
Tucker21/SW10ES,
Thanks for your responses. I do know and understand your points. I also recognize the primary cause of this lock-out issue is due to our litigious society and increasing lack of a sense of personal responsibility for individual actions. I just didn't think it really belonged in a "Car Board" posting. This is one of those "Don't get me started" type of issues I prefer to avoid in this type of forum.
But, (and here I go getting myself into trouble), without making ANY suggestion of further restrictions, there is sufficient complexity with what we CAN do while driving that, in my opinion, any litigation risk associated with a plain number pad of touch-tone buttons pales in comparison. My guess is that this is a subject of many internal discussions in the auto field these days!
Struggling to not get on a soap box here but let me just say that I accept personal responsibility for my own actions. The gap here is that there is no way, in today's society, to assert that acceptance in a manner satisfactory to the lawyers protecting the "deep pocket" auto manufacturers. Not their fault, it's just a sad comment on society overall....'nuff said!
Thanks for your responses. I do know and understand your points. I also recognize the primary cause of this lock-out issue is due to our litigious society and increasing lack of a sense of personal responsibility for individual actions. I just didn't think it really belonged in a "Car Board" posting. This is one of those "Don't get me started" type of issues I prefer to avoid in this type of forum.
But, (and here I go getting myself into trouble), without making ANY suggestion of further restrictions, there is sufficient complexity with what we CAN do while driving that, in my opinion, any litigation risk associated with a plain number pad of touch-tone buttons pales in comparison. My guess is that this is a subject of many internal discussions in the auto field these days!
Struggling to not get on a soap box here but let me just say that I accept personal responsibility for my own actions. The gap here is that there is no way, in today's society, to assert that acceptance in a manner satisfactory to the lawyers protecting the "deep pocket" auto manufacturers. Not their fault, it's just a sad comment on society overall....'nuff said!
06-05-12, 08:08 PM
#6
Lexus Champion
Audi doesn't have a lockout restriction either, but circling through all the letters with their MMI system (vs. using the mouse in the Lexus) almost ensures one has to pull over to enter the address and avoid getting in an accident.
06-06-12, 06:06 AM
#7
Oh...one last thing and this has nothing to do with the car directly. I have owned it since May 21st and have just over 1000 miles on it and have yet to have one day in Vermont without rain...COME ON!!!! I just want to see what my car looks like clean. Even when I picked it up at the dealer it was pouring rain!
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06-06-12, 07:51 AM
#8
Lexus Fanatic
This is probably my biggest issue!!! It wouldn't be so high on my list of "seriously???" if when you closed, (slammed) the trunk it didn’t sound like it was a trunk lid to a 1991 Nissan Sentra. I mean this is a high-end luxury car and I cringe anytime I have to use the trunk in front of anyone. My wife's 2011 Sonata trunk closes and sounds like I would have hoped my GS would have.
Oh...one last thing and this has nothing to do with the car directly. I have owned it since May 21st and have just over 1000 miles on it and have yet to have one day in Vermont without rain...COME ON!!!! I just want to see what my car looks like clean. Even when I picked it up at the dealer it was pouring rain!
As for the lockout, I don't disagree that it shouldn't be that way...but it is. You can't blame Lexus or any other manufacturer for protecting themselves from the litigious nature of the American public.
I've found the best way to enter destinations when driving is to call Lexus Enform. Voice commands suck (at least on my ES), but that works very well.
Last edited by SW17LS; 06-06-12 at 08:06 AM.
06-06-12, 10:50 AM
#9
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Also the quality of the radio sucks. I still need the AM to listen to baseball & sports. I get static on stations 75 miles away. Never happened on my Infiniti or MBZ.
06-06-12, 12:37 PM
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This is probably my biggest issue!!! It wouldn't be so high on my list of "seriously???" if when you closed, (slammed) the trunk it didn’t sound like it was a trunk lid to a 1991 Nissan Sentra. I mean this is a high-end luxury car and I cringe anytime I have to use the trunk in front of anyone. My wife's 2011 Sonata trunk closes and sounds like I would have hoped my GS would have.
Oh...one last thing and this has nothing to do with the car directly. I have owned it since May 21st and have just over 1000 miles on it and have yet to have one day in Vermont without rain...COME ON!!!! I just want to see what my car looks like clean. Even when I picked it up at the dealer it was pouring rain!
Oh...one last thing and this has nothing to do with the car directly. I have owned it since May 21st and have just over 1000 miles on it and have yet to have one day in Vermont without rain...COME ON!!!! I just want to see what my car looks like clean. Even when I picked it up at the dealer it was pouring rain!
06-06-12, 02:35 PM
#11
Lexus Fanatic
AM stations have been suffering on new audio systems for years,
06-06-12, 02:54 PM
#12
Agree. My 2006 Lexus GS trunk was far superior to close and open. This new one feels very cheap and worse than my 2004 Maxima that I hated. I wonder what the hell Lexus was thinking not to put a nice electronic closer to shut it nicely and a little more resistance to prevent the trunk opening too fast.
06-06-12, 05:11 PM
#13
Agree. My 2006 Lexus GS trunk was far superior to close and open. This new one feels very cheap and worse than my 2004 Maxima that I hated. I wonder what the hell Lexus was thinking not to put a nice electronic closer to shut it nicely and a little more resistance to prevent the trunk opening too fast.
06-07-12, 12:00 PM
#14
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Satellite??? Why??? Pay for something that was always free. That's not the point. Just not right!! My dealer says very few buyers listen to AM. So, I'm paying $60K for a car and I can't get the radio my way???
06-07-12, 12:31 PM
#15
Lexus Fanatic
I mean...its kind of like complaining because your new $5,000 3D HDTV doesn't get good signal from your 1960's metal wire TV antenna. Its 2012, AM is rapidly dying technology...gotta get with the program.
99% of buyers could not care less about AM reception, so why would Lexus devote more than 1% of their resources to it? I mean hell...I can't remember the last time I listed to FM radio let alone AM. If you told me my new Lexus wouldn't pick up FM stations I wouldn't care.
99% of buyers could not care less about AM reception, so why would Lexus devote more than 1% of their resources to it? I mean hell...I can't remember the last time I listed to FM radio let alone AM. If you told me my new Lexus wouldn't pick up FM stations I wouldn't care.
Last edited by SW17LS; 06-07-12 at 12:35 PM.