Eh my Odyssey keeps running if I open the doors. It's basically in accessory mode though so you can't shift it into gear. Enform start has a success rate of about 20% for me so I gave up on it a long time ago

 

Enform, be it the Remote App, or App Suite is so intermittent. The app rating should be a warning to all folks downloading it.

 

it is not the same, with new ones you will be able to tell the alexa app in the car to raise your blinds, while right now it is only from alexa to the car.

 

Well - so is Mercedes Benz connect App, BMW ConnectedDrive App, Audi MMI connect app, Acura App, Toyota App, Nissan App, and etc.... My point of listing all of those is that - all of those apps are also rated low. From 1.5 stars to 3 stars highest. Some of the ratings are 100% unjustified. I think they are pretty solid apps from Car Companies. People have to stop comparing or complaining that their Apps isn't as say something from Google. Google is suppose to make a good App - its a software company. This is why Tesla App is rated 4 stars - Tesla is more of a tech company rather than a car company.

Interesting. I didn't know that. I guess the newer models will have Alexa built in. Because when I did research on Google to look it up earlier, I found out you can do car to home now. I think you need the Alexa app and you use it from the car with your phone. I could be mistaken though.

 

I wonder if Lexus will update older models with Carplay, I wouldn't think it would be that difficult because its just projection really. I have a 2016 RX450H so I'm really hoping they will update the 2016's at least

 

Actually, the idea is so that you can respond to people handsfree. I had an audi for several months with CarPlay and it was fantastic. Never had to touch the phone. Responding verbally to texts was flawless. No automaker is in the business of pushing that kind of software. Leave it to apple. This sort of thing will be standard in every car in the future.

 

While it seems the same - its vastly different in comparison. Handsfree allowed car phones to make and answer cars to prevent people from using their phone while driving. What Apple Car Play is doing is mirroring your phone onto your in-car screen, so you can use your phone and drive at the same time.

Other than offering a good easy system to cars with poor infotainment systems and giving cars a map service if a car doesn't have navigation, I don't see any other possible reason anyone want to mirror their phone consistently. You have bluetooth for phone, music is already connected, and you check your text messages later.

 

I'm not sure which point you're trying to argue. It's one thing if you've got something against mobile phone use while driving. You're entitled to feel that way. As far as "hands free" use of one's iPhone while driving, Apple Car Play is outstanding. I speak from experience. You can certainly operate it hands free if you'd like (place calls and listen/respond to texts). Selecting a song on Pandora requires no more of your attention than would changing the interior climate.

So, if you absolutely require usage of your phone while driving, in my experience, Car Play allows for that functionality and does so in a manner that is no more distracting than operating any other non-phone related feature of your vehicle (at least in the case of Audi).

P.S - I'd take iOS over any "infotainment system", anytime, anywhere. Additionally, such systems usually come bundled for upwards of $2-5k. If I could pocket that money or invest it back into the vehicle elsewhere, I would. There's just no reason for any automaker to get into the software game. Like it or not, Car Play will be ubiquitous in the near future.

 

Apple Car Play will be available as an option or standard everywhere, sure. Does it make a 100% must have like you are suggesting? No. If it was, then BMW would be stupid to make an annual subscription fee.

For me - I would never pick iOS over any infotainment system. I would pick it over some infotainment systems (the crappy ones) but not the good ones. iDrive and MMI Virtual Cockpit beats Apple Car Play every time. Virtual Cockpit doesn't even work with Apple Car Play. What's the point of buying Audi if you are just going to default to Apple Car Play all the time?

Question: Does your Audi have Virtual Cockpit? If it does, I'm sure you know Apple Car Play is completely useless on an amazing infotainment system like Audi's. Barely any MB, Audi, Porsche and BMW users use Apple Car Play.

 

The loaner I had was equipped with Virtual Cockpit. I have to tell you, nothing was more of a distraction than Virtual Cockpit. I don't need to be looking down at another computer screen rather than up at the road.

I think you're missing the bigger picture here. At least for me, I'm not interested in paying thousands of dollars for BMW/Audi/Porsche/whomever to develop/maintain/upgrade an "infotainment system" when there already exists and entire industry for that. Apple doesn't charge for their software. CarPlay is just software. If the car manufacturer chooses to charge you for something Apple is providing basically for free, that's their prerogative, but in a fair market, it's substantially cheaper than the Virtual Cockpit and MMI's of the world.

Why invest in hardcoding all those buttons and boondoggles? It's not future proof and it's expensive. Let me plug in my iPhone and pocket the $5k saved from ditching all that other useless crap. Siri can get me where I need to go just fine. Not only that, but you better believe that once CarPlay is widely adopted, Apple will actually begin to develop their own version of an infotainment system, rather than what CarPlay is: a cheap way to interface with your iPhone via your built-in display.

I respect your opinion, but there isn't an auto manufacturer in the world that can develop and maintain a better mobile computer than some combo of google and apple. When paired with the fact that virtually all phones have either of those operating systems, the choice becomes clear.

 

Virtual Cockpit is not a distraction. It allows you to custom your maps to your gauges which allows you to look at your gauges for maps. You already look at your gauges to maintain speed already, right? Secondly - you claim that you rather be looking at the road - I agree - that's why I think Apple Car Play is a distraction. It allows you to mess with your phone while driving on the in-board screen.

Like I said before - Apple Car Play is definitely good on a car with a weak infotainment system or a system without a navigation. Other that - how much people actively use Audio Books on the go? Not that many. Check text messages on Apple Car Play? Which you shouldn't be doing. You are pretty limited. Like MattyG was saying, its definitely good for the person that needs to be 100% connected to their phone.
I have used Apple Car Play within 3 cars.
Camaro SS rental
Fully Loaded C300
Fully Loaded 340i
Out of those 3 cars, I only used it on the Camaro SS rental because it had no navigation.

Apple does charge for the software. Its called a contract w/ Apple to use Apple Car Play. The car companies pay Apple to let them use their software on their infotainment screen. Its not free. Essentially - if Apple Car play is standard, its included in the MSRP. If its not standard, you pay for it. Nothing is "free" in this world.

I see what you are trying to say. You want to ditch the navigation system and everything, use Apple Car Play and be done with it. The issue here is - car companies are catching on and they package everything together. If you don't option for the navigation system or packages within this realm, you lose out on other features.
We live in capitalistic society - you get what you paid for is what I'm saying. Yes. Ditching the infotainment system in a car is cheaper and you save money. But that doesn't make Apple Car Play better. In my opinion, Audi and BMW has one of the best infotainment systems out there. And if you go to their forums, its 10x better than Apple Car Play and a good junk of people don't use Apple Car Play.

Lastly - its also the context as well. Imagine buying a 70K Mercedes Benz without any of the features and you use Apple Car Play only. Essentially - your 70K Mercedes Benz screen interior will look the same as a KIA Rio which cost less than 20K. That would make anyone in the luxury market cringe. The reason you pay premium is to get the premium.

I guess we will agree to disagree. I will never see Apple Car Play as a mandatory option. Its good to have but if a car doesn't got it - its whatever to me.

 

The recessed quoting is getting a little long-winded, so I'll forgo that.

Re: Virtual Cockpit - the analogy would be if CarPlay were right in front of my face... it would be an even bigger distraction than you already think it is. I'm saying I don't want anything in my face. Keep the screen off to the right of me. If I want to send a text, I can hit the button without even looking and use my voice. If you've ever driving in a large city and needed to text (which everyone these days does), CarPlay (as an example) is indispensable in preventing a collision while texting.

You nailed it right on the head: car manufacturers are engaging in "price discrimination" and packaging the good stuff (like upgraded sound system) with the bad stuff (boondoggle and "infotainment"). It doesn't surprise me that the old guard over in the forums dislike change. When the millennials become the largest demographic for German automakers, believe me when I say you'll have the option to seamlessly integrate your mobile phone with your vehicle as a standard feature.

We do live in a capitalistic society and I'm saying I want to ditch infotainment in lieu of a superior-in-every-way system that is also cheaper. I don't know what comes in a $70k Mercedes, but I have a $70k Audi and all it has is a crappy Audi Multimedia screen with no decent USB hookup (2013). By all means, manufacturers can still integrate whatever proprietary safety/driving features they want, but leave the navigation/communication/entertainment to my phone, please. Take Lexus Enform App Suite. It's GOD AWFUL, and yet I still had to pay for it to get the Mark L upgrade.

I don't understand your last point. If the $70k Mercedes ditches the infotainment, it should then be $65k and still a Mercedes. If it's upsetting to not have LED boondoggles everywhere, well I'm sorry. Most cars already look that way... It sure as heck beats my Dad's $100k Escalade with so many buttons I don't know wtf does what. It's literally insane and accident-inducing.

A bit of advice: "paying for luxury" typically means you're getting sold a bill of goods.

 

Enform App Suite and 2.0 are free now that last few years, no subscription needed. You get SOS safety connect complimentary for 10 years and destination assist complimentary for 1 year. Those are both subscription based afterwards should the owner want them again.

 

 

Well CarPlay and Alexa are part of 2019+ models so Enform is not occupying or taking up anything. You can have all of it at the same time. Also Lexus's CarPlay relays far less data than the competition. This is why they still don't have AndroidAuto.

The chances of someone owning a car for 10 years are getting less and less every year, hence a huge uptick in leases and automakers offering monthly 'subscription' services for vehicles that includes insurance.

What car doesn't collect that kind of data?? Besides, for Service Connect, which is part of Safety Connect, you opt in or out of the car letting a dealer know when it needs servicing or has a critical error.