Lexus human interface issues and climate control discussion
Lead Lap
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 4,709
Likes: 549
From: Ca
Lexus could redesign the joystick to only move one icon at a time, but this would be slow and clumsy.
IMO best to adopt a 7-way jog dial design with a rotary detent, where each detent moves the cursor by one icon.
The jog dial design is so efficient because we could easily rotate the dial by 3 to 4 clicks to move the cursor 3 to 4 icons across from left to right, and top to bottom.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 68,466
Likes: 3,990
From: Maryland
I clicked on Menu, then General Settings, then Feedback, then increased Feedback to maximum, and the jog stick does feel a bit stiffer etc, however it still overshoots due to its inherent design to be able to move across "multiple" icons when the joystick is pushed just once.
Lead Lap
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,991
Likes: 519
From: Maryland
I am one that never uses auto for hvac. I am always changing things when my kids or wife complains it’s too hot, it’s blowing too much air, etc. Even when I am driving alone I don’t like the full gust of air blowing at me.
As far as Lexus remote touch, I like the joystick in my IS vs the touchpad in the RC I had for a loaner. I just didn’t like the placement of the touchpad, it was very uncomfortable for me to use. I have a touchscreen in my Durango that replaced a touchscreen in my previous GX460 and while overall the Uconnect system is better, I feel the touchscreen isn’t as good. Some of the icons are pretty small and I seem to fatfinger other buttons a lot even when I am on a smooth road. I never had that issue with Lexus’ touchscreen. I also like hard buttons for the heated seats and heated steering wheel, I can hit the buttons much quicker when I get in the car and I can leave the heated seats on all the time. With the uconnect I have to click through a couple screens to get to it although with my Durango both will automatically turn on when I start it up if it is below a certain temperature outside.
As far as Lexus remote touch, I like the joystick in my IS vs the touchpad in the RC I had for a loaner. I just didn’t like the placement of the touchpad, it was very uncomfortable for me to use. I have a touchscreen in my Durango that replaced a touchscreen in my previous GX460 and while overall the Uconnect system is better, I feel the touchscreen isn’t as good. Some of the icons are pretty small and I seem to fatfinger other buttons a lot even when I am on a smooth road. I never had that issue with Lexus’ touchscreen. I also like hard buttons for the heated seats and heated steering wheel, I can hit the buttons much quicker when I get in the car and I can leave the heated seats on all the time. With the uconnect I have to click through a couple screens to get to it although with my Durango both will automatically turn on when I start it up if it is below a certain temperature outside.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 35,382
Likes: 357
From: ON/NY
I am one that never uses auto for hvac. I am always changing things when my kids or wife complains it’s too hot, it’s blowing too much air, etc. Even when I am driving alone I don’t like the full gust of air blowing at me.
As far as Lexus remote touch, I like the joystick in my IS vs the touchpad in the RC I had for a loaner. I just didn’t like the placement of the touchpad, it was very uncomfortable for me to use. I have a touchscreen in my Durango that replaced a touchscreen in my previous GX460 and while overall the Uconnect system is better, I feel the touchscreen isn’t as good. Some of the icons are pretty small and I seem to fatfinger other buttons a lot even when I am on a smooth road. I never had that issue with Lexus’ touchscreen. I also like hard buttons for the heated seats and heated steering wheel, I can hit the buttons much quicker when I get in the car and I can leave the heated seats on all the time. With the uconnect I have to click through a couple screens to get to it although with my Durango both will automatically turn on when I start it up if it is below a certain temperature outside.
As far as Lexus remote touch, I like the joystick in my IS vs the touchpad in the RC I had for a loaner. I just didn’t like the placement of the touchpad, it was very uncomfortable for me to use. I have a touchscreen in my Durango that replaced a touchscreen in my previous GX460 and while overall the Uconnect system is better, I feel the touchscreen isn’t as good. Some of the icons are pretty small and I seem to fatfinger other buttons a lot even when I am on a smooth road. I never had that issue with Lexus’ touchscreen. I also like hard buttons for the heated seats and heated steering wheel, I can hit the buttons much quicker when I get in the car and I can leave the heated seats on all the time. With the uconnect I have to click through a couple screens to get to it although with my Durango both will automatically turn on when I start it up if it is below a certain temperature outside.
Lead Lap
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 4,709
Likes: 549
From: Ca
I prefer the rotary dials for temperature control too.
Because without taking my eyes off the road, I can feel for the left/right rotary dial, and then dial say 1 or 2 clicks for half a degree or 1 degree decrease/increase in temperature etc.
The semi-circular buttons in the center for Off/Auto/Dual/A/c are also dead easy to locate too.
With push button temperature control, it is a little harder to locate the up/down/Off/Auto/Dual/A/c buttons.
2012-18 Camry
2000-07 C Class
Lead Lap
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 4,709
Likes: 549
From: Ca
That's a good point.
Maybe we are just too lazy to adopt new technology?
Or the tongue is just too lazy to wag?
When we can just say:
Left or right
Go or stop
Faster
Lock all doors
Firm up the dampers; firmer.
Park, Neutral, Reverse, Forwards.
Air con
73 degrees
Fan up/down
Slide seat backwards
Recline backwards
Trunk release.
Hood release.
Etc etc.
Elon has a good point with such simplistic user interface Teslas.
I guess we could voice command or graphic user interface GUI a number of functions, as opposed to traditional mechanical controls...
.
Maybe we are just too lazy to adopt new technology?
Or the tongue is just too lazy to wag?
When we can just say:
Left or right
Go or stop
Faster
Lock all doors
Firm up the dampers; firmer.
Park, Neutral, Reverse, Forwards.
Air con
73 degrees
Fan up/down
Slide seat backwards
Recline backwards
Trunk release.
Hood release.
Etc etc.
Elon has a good point with such simplistic user interface Teslas.
I guess we could voice command or graphic user interface GUI a number of functions, as opposed to traditional mechanical controls...
.
Last edited by peteharvey; Jan 14, 2019 at 06:31 AM.
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Lexus Fanatic
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 68,466
Likes: 3,990
From: Maryland
Thats the future. Its just a question of how do you make that so intuitive that anybody can operate it. Lexus does not excel in that department...my point was though that once you get used to the Lexus' system, its not as big a deal as journalists and such make it out to be. It may very well be that when you drive it for 5 hours its harder to use than other systems, but for a consumer who buys a vehicle and learns to use it and uses it every day, its not the huge failure its made out to be.
Moderator
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 9,597
Likes: 4,787
From: GA
I am one that never uses auto for hvac. I am always changing things when my kids or wife complains it’s too hot, it’s blowing too much air, etc. Even when I am driving alone I don’t like the full gust of air blowing at me.
As far as Lexus remote touch, I like the joystick in my IS vs the touchpad in the RC I had for a loaner. I just didn’t like the placement of the touchpad, it was very uncomfortable for me to use. I have a touchscreen in my Durango that replaced a touchscreen in my previous GX460 and while overall the Uconnect system is better, I feel the touchscreen isn’t as good. Some of the icons are pretty small and I seem to fatfinger other buttons a lot even when I am on a smooth road. I never had that issue with Lexus’ touchscreen. I also like hard buttons for the heated seats and heated steering wheel, I can hit the buttons much quicker when I get in the car and I can leave the heated seats on all the time. With the uconnect I have to click through a couple screens to get to it although with my Durango both will automatically turn on when I start it up if it is below a certain temperature outside.
As far as Lexus remote touch, I like the joystick in my IS vs the touchpad in the RC I had for a loaner. I just didn’t like the placement of the touchpad, it was very uncomfortable for me to use. I have a touchscreen in my Durango that replaced a touchscreen in my previous GX460 and while overall the Uconnect system is better, I feel the touchscreen isn’t as good. Some of the icons are pretty small and I seem to fatfinger other buttons a lot even when I am on a smooth road. I never had that issue with Lexus’ touchscreen. I also like hard buttons for the heated seats and heated steering wheel, I can hit the buttons much quicker when I get in the car and I can leave the heated seats on all the time. With the uconnect I have to click through a couple screens to get to it although with my Durango both will automatically turn on when I start it up if it is below a certain temperature outside.
Lead Lap
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 4,709
Likes: 549
From: Ca
Thats the future. Its just a question of how do you make that so intuitive that anybody can operate it. Lexus does not excel in that department...my point was though that once you get used to the Lexus' system, its not as big a deal as journalists and such make it out to be. It may very well be that when you drive it for 5 hours its harder to use than other systems, but for a consumer who buys a vehicle and learns to use it and uses it every day, its not the huge failure its made out to be.
I'd like the secondary controls like horn, turn indicators, headlights and wipers to still be mechanical controls.
Meanwhile the tertiary controls like seat adjustment, steering wheel, mirrors, ventilation system, on/off/volume/channels - I'd still like traditional mechanical controls as discussed above.
The quaternary controls like:
- Whether only the driver's door unlocks or all the doors unlock.
- The light delay timing.
- The easy entry seat access sliding half way or the whole way backwards.
- Bass/treble, balance/fader.
These adjustments can be Menu driven via a graphic user interface of touchscreens.
If it's more important, then it could use remote touch on the central console with headup display onto the front windscreen.
Lead Lap
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,991
Likes: 519
From: Maryland
As a fellow IS owner, I see no reason not to use the auto climate. It works perfectly fine. The only gotcha is - let's say it's 90 degrees outside, and I want to listen to the radio. The A/C gets pretty loud in that scenario, so THEN I might manually turn it down. I usually just switch over the Eco mode temporarily, as that slows the operation of the HVAC system.
