nitroracer

If Lexus is rolling out CarPlay for 2019, then I've proven my point. There's no way they will continue Enform other than for the suckers willing to give away their data. BTW, when I say "collect data", I mean stream data to Lexus directly... not to some blackbox. You've not read Service Connect's privacy agreement, have you? The opt-out doesn't opt you out of Vehicle Data collection. I literally just went down this route with them on my 2018...

Let me make it clear: Lexus's Enform App is literally a data-collection service where you, the customer, pay for the right to let Lexus collect your private driving data.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Amazon Alexa interacts with the Enform Remote to Start the Car, Lock or Unlock doors, check the fuel level etc..

Lexus will continue Enform just like GM has Onstar, Mercedes mBrace, and whatever BMW, Audi, Lincoln, Infiniti etc.. offer in terms of a telecommunication service.

Be mad at Lexus if you want. All automakers collect some sort of data. Under Tesla's privacy policy, it claims that information collected can be shared with business partners, service providers and "other third parties when required by law, and in other circumstances."

I've read all 14 of your posts, the majority which are mostly negative and have to do with Lexus Enform. Sounds like you're just venting. Enjoy your stay here on CL.

nitroracer

I didn't realize we were talking about Tesla, Lincoln, Infiniti, etc... Even Mercedes, BMW or Audi (beyond "infotainment", of course). But to be clear, I never claimed other companies don't attempt to collect data. Please understand that the consumer must *consent* to it. When you sign up for Enform and download the app, you've provided consent. When I use CarPlay on an Audi, eg, there is no consent to record whether or not I'm doing donuts in a parking lot.

Not mad at all, I love my new Lexus, it's a great car. I want to keep it as a car, not integrate my telemetry with my Facebook profile. I just have to laugh when people think they're getting some kind of "deal" for a "free" product for 10 years. These are the same people that were likely shocked to have recently discovered Google was scanning every message sent via your gmail account.

P.S. OnStar is not the same as GM's multimedia interface. MMI is Audi's Multimedia Interface (hence the acronym), which is *not* the same as something like OnStar. Enform is also not Lexus' multimedia interface. You are correct they will record your personal data wherever consent is given. For most buyers, that entails the dealer setting the app up on your behalf. Most customers are clueless and glad to oblige. But they won't invest any time or money in it beyond that. Case in point, as of next month they are discontinuing most of the apps provided through Enform. So if they continue with it, what is left? No Pandora, no Facebook. Not even OpenTable.

Lexmex

My dream would be for them to retrofit my RX300, about as far as I can get is a Grom unit to get bluetooth.

spwolf

do you know what data Enform collects? And also do you understand that Apple and Google get data about your car? Both probably collect a lot more data than Enform, which is why some manufacturers did not want to add their service.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

JDR76

nitroracer

I already pointed this out (though stopped short of making such a broad assumption). Google and Amazon are far worse offenders, though. Apple's policies are very transparent, as well as how you can toggle them on/off. Still, this is not the same as your car manufacturer collecting live-streaming telemetry data. New territory because Lexus is a small company compared to FAANG, eg, so there aren't many eyes to call them out when they've violated user privacy.

To your point, if Apple is already following me (as you say), then more of a reason to want CarPlay. I don't need yet *another* company following me.

CarPlay vs Android

nitroracer

If you read Lexus' privacy agreement, you get a pretty good idea what they collect. I can't speak for Google, bc they're garbage, but that is simply not true for Apple. See:

https://www.ibtimes.com/porsche-pick...e-data-2128769

BippuLexus

So - let me get this straight. You think Virtual Cockpit is distracting but sending a text message through Apple Car Play isn't distracting? If anything, sending a text using Siri is more distracting than customization gauge cluster.
I live in SF Bay Area, which is huge and our traffic grindlocks for hours. I have never, ever, ever needed to send a text message while driving. The best way to avoid car crashes is: don't text and drive - don't even text with Apple Car Play.

But I'll play your example. You implied Apple Car Play is important because you can send a text message. Lexus' standard infotainment system has Siri. You can already send a text message/read text messages with that. And most luxury cars already has the ability to do that for you. This goes back to my point - on specific luxury cars - Apple Car Play is useless. Majority of the things could be done on the car's standard infotainment system already.
I mean - unless audiobook is that important to you.

Millennials will never be the main demographic for luxury brands. The reasons why I believe this is the following:
1) Millennials are less likely to drive or want to drive. Statistics show millennials are getting less likely to get their driver's license than before.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/...rivers-license
2) With more ride-share services like: Zip-Car, Uber and Lyft, Millennials are less likely to own a car - especially in the big city - where parking is almost non-existent.
3) The money isn't there. Millennials have record student loan debt. They are also the less likely to hold a house in the future - besides the lucky few.

Luxury cars (German brands) tend to be expensive - their main demographics will always tend to be generations that are a bit older.

Since feature to fully integrate your phone as your infotainment system will never happen. Car companies will refuse this. It will be giving away a part of their business to another company. Secondly - it'll make all infotainment systems generic and one of a kind. Can you imagine a Ferrari and a KIA Rio having the same infotainment system? Which is just your phone? That won't happen.
Apple Car Play and Android Auto will likely stay as a mirroring feature to a car companies' standard infotainment system.

Think about it this way. You skip your Mercedes Benz MBUX system in your 70K Mercedes Benz to save 5K. If you do that, you'll run a iOS mirror system as your default infotainment system. This makes your car look cheap and similar to a KIA Rio. What person paying 70K for a car would want to save 5K and run the risk having an infotainment system similar to another car?
Same thing - if you buy a 70K MB with MBUX system, why would you use Apple Car Play?
My point is - its individually. Luxury car companies make these fancy infotainment systems so you can be different - be special.

What Apple Car Play to me is - the same thing as having your phone connected to a phone bracket on your AC vents. The only difference is - its mirrored onto your screen and you can control it with a few car buttons.

Toys4RJill

You make some very good points and you are not wrong, however, it is absolutely clear that consumers want Apple Car Play and Android Auto. This is why Toyota is now offering these features.

I agree with you here, but it is still nice to have options.

nitroracer

"Siri *Hands Free*" is not the same as Siri. If it were, we wouldn't be having this conversation. I understand that you prefer not to have any sort of distractions in your vehicle, whatsoever. With that in mind, I don't know how you can make a case for any infotainment at all. But you have, and it's in favor of the manufacturers.

Nevertheless, where there is an infotainment center, I'd rather Apple develop the software (and possibly hardware). I really don't want the clumsy version Lexus - or anyone else - have developed (which is undoubtedly costing me 10x as much). There is no case you can make that automaker XYZ makes better software than the major mobile OS devs. In the case of Lexus, they are free to have whatever they are using continue to drive the main cockpit experience. Just please ditch "Lexus App Suite", and don't charge me for it.

The bottom line is that everyone has either an android or iphone. I'm sorry to say, but they are constantly in use while driving. The best solution I've seen so far to minimize this distraction has been CarPlay. And that makes sense, right? What better way to seamlessly integrate an iPhone than to let Apple do it?

P.S. - Congrats on not having to send texts while driving! I'm jealous. I don't have that luxury. This Lexus isn't going to pay for itself!

rogerh00

Heavy on the "MAY". This article refers to a Bloomberg report but does not reference it. I'm hoping this comes true though, being an android user.

https://www.mysmartprice.com/gear/to...auto-vehicles/

scooky

I'm curious if Google finally relaxes some of it's demands for information, or if Toyota decided they didn't need to protect their users from privacy invasion and let them choose for themselves.

I could definitely be mistaken, but iirc Toyota was concerned that Google wanted a huge amount of information from the vehicle. Stuff they thought was excessive and inappropriate. I think it was pretty much full access to the ODB port. Apple was less intrusive. Some of this info might have been a perceived violation of their customers privacy. It could also be that Toyota was protecting some of it's own privacy.

Some people are definitely more informed than others. And people have varying concerns about their privacy. I think the majority of people however don't realize just how much privacy/data they are giving away when they use these types of systems.
I'm not claiming it is a completely good or bad trade. Lives benefit from collection of big data. But there are risks and tradeoffs as well.

I think it's part of the reason some of these companies have been reluctant to participate to this point.

geko29

Would definitely be welcome. All Toyota/Lexus products are currently out of consideration for me due to this omission.