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The best infotainment systems are designed to keep a driver’s attention on the task of driving, says Kelly Funkhouser, CR’s program manager for vehicle interface testing.
When we asked over 73,000 CR members how distracting they found their car’s infotainment system, they told us which ones take their eyes—and minds—off the road.
Two Lexus systems that our survey shows were among the most distracting require drivers to use a mouselike controller or touchpad to make selections. It might seem high-tech, but these input methods are finicky and require precise hand-eye coordination, which can distract drivers, our testers found.
Certain Acura, Honda, and Infiniti models split their infotainment displays across two screens, which our members and testers agreed could be distracting.
“It’s not always clear where information is located,” Funkhouser says. “Sometimes you think a menu item or setting will be located on one screen, but then it turns up somewhere else.”
Acura: AcuraLink II
Frequently used tasks are often hidden deep in touch-screen menus.
Honda: HondaLink
Can’t operate controls by feel; responds slowly to inputs.
Infiniti: Infiniti InTouch
Menus are cluttered on touch screen, with too many layers.
Lexus: Remote Touchpad/Remote Touch
Touchpad/mouse controllers are hard to use, diverting driver’s attention from the road.
Toyota: Entune
Responds slowly to inputs; voice commands are often misunderstood.
You would have to be an NBA player to reach the touchscreen in the GV80 or have a "go, go Mr. Gadget arm".
From what I've read, it's only the far right corner that's hard to reach, because the screen itself is some ridiculous length like 14 inches. Either way, if you've ever had experience with something like iDrive or Mercedes's infotainment, the GV80 interface is no more confusing, with a lot of redundancies built into it. The GX is using an infotainment that's almost 20 years old.
I agree, it's going to be a tough transition to a unibody vehicle. I've had some very nice RX service loaners, but again with all due respect to owners of that fine vehicle, I feel like I'm driving a marshmallow. I continue to mull over an LX, but would like just a hint of technology, but I don't think they even use Apple car play in any of the old BOF vehicles regardless of the cost?
From what I've read, it's only the far right corner that's hard to reach, because the screen itself is some ridiculous length like 14 inches. Either way, if you've ever had experience with something like iDrive or Mercedes's infotainment, the GV80 interface is no more confusing, with a lot of redundancies built into it. The GX is using an infotainment that's almost 20 years old.
If you haven't tried to use the GV80 system while actually driving one of these, you could not appreciate the level of distraction. In order to touch the touch screen, you would have to lean over the huge console (which looks fabulous in pictures and on the net) but reminds me not quite how wide the original Hummer "console" was. (actually it was so huge because the driveshaft had so much travel that they had to make it so intrusive) As far as redundancies--it's ridiculous. I'm telling you it was confounding. Unless they gave you a class on how to "manage" the system, it's totally unintuitive. Go drive one before you make any more assumptions based on the starry eyed testers who kissed **** to actually get one to drive.
Did I like the touchscreen? In it itself, it was fine, but not easily used. The most useful element was the HUD display because it was in your normal field of vision while actually driving. But again, you had to figure out which of the "Bentley like machined" aluminum mini rollers on the console or steering wheel made what work. Look, if someone is dead set on getting a GV80, they will be motivated to get used to at least ONE of the redundant methods of making stuff work. But that's just it...to me it was work and not worth over $70K, which I was fully prepared to pay.
Marshmallow=no road feel, floating down the road. The RX is a beautiful ride, just not for me.
If you haven't tried to use the GV80 system while actually driving one of these, you could not appreciate the level of distraction. In order to touch the touch screen, you would have to lean over the huge console (which looks fabulous in pictures and on the net) but reminds me not quite how wide the original Hummer "console" was. (actually it was so huge because the driveshaft had so much travel that they had to make it so intrusive) As far as redundancies--it's ridiculous. I'm telling you it was confounding. Unless they gave you a class on how to "manage" the system, it's totally unintuitive. Go drive one before you make any more assumptions based on the starry eyed testers who kissed **** to actually get one to drive.
Did I like the touchscreen? In it itself, it was fine, but not easily used. The most useful element was the HUD display because it was in your normal field of vision while actually driving. But again, you had to figure out which of the "Bentley like machined" aluminum mini rollers on the console or steering wheel made what work. Look, if someone is dead set on getting a GV80, they will be motivated to get used to at least ONE of the redundant methods of making stuff work. But that's just it...to me it was work and not worth over $70K, which I was fully prepared to pay.
Marshmallow=no road feel, floating down the road. The RX is a beautiful ride, just not for me.
Very interesting details you're providing here. I had high hopes for the GV80 - loved the one I saw in-person last weekend but didn't get to drive it and mess with infotainment, etc.
Very interesting details you're providing here. I had high hopes for the GV80 - loved the one I saw in-person last weekend but didn't get to drive it and mess with infotainment, etc.
I did too. I had convinced myself that I was going to buy it on the spot and just needed a short test drive to confirm my assumptions.
If you haven't tried to use the GV80 system while actually driving one of these, you could not appreciate the level of distraction. In order to touch the touch screen, you would have to lean over the huge console (which looks fabulous in pictures and on the net) but reminds me not quite how wide the original Hummer "console" was. (actually it was so huge because the driveshaft had so much travel that they had to make it so intrusive) As far as redundancies--it's ridiculous. I'm telling you it was confounding. Unless they gave you a class on how to "manage" the system, it's totally unintuitive. Go drive one before you make any more assumptions based on the starry eyed testers who kissed **** to actually get one to drive.
Did I like the touchscreen? In it itself, it was fine, but not easily used. The most useful element was the HUD display because it was in your normal field of vision while actually driving. But again, you had to figure out which of the "Bentley like machined" aluminum mini rollers on the console or steering wheel made what work. Look, if someone is dead set on getting a GV80, they will be motivated to get used to at least ONE of the redundant methods of making stuff work. But that's just it...to me it was work and not worth over $70K, which I was fully prepared to pay.
All I'm saying is that if your point of reference is a GX, then almost every modern infotainment system will be "totally uninituitive". People who are used to modern infotainment don't need to "kiss ****" to know how to work it. You have a very specific set of tastes that 99% of the buyers in the GV80's segment do not share.
I haven't sat in the GV80, but I have experienced the latest iDrive and MBUX. If you think the GV80 is confusing, you haven't dealt with the infotainment in those cars with their air gesture controls and capacitive touch buttons on their steering wheels. Heck, go try an Infiniti, Acura, or Audi with their dual screen touch button layout. These are modern cars. The GX is not.
Last edited by Motorola; Dec 17, 2020 at 02:59 PM.
Once the learning curve is worked through, the concerns about the system being unintuitive will pass. Yes its way more complex than the system in a GX, but that system is from another era and has 25% of the features and capability of the GV80, if even that.
I'm in the process of going from what I knew for so long to something totally new and yes theres a learning curve, but its like saying a flip phone is better than an iPhone because it so much more intuitive to use IMO.
No system on a modern car with the features and functionality modern cars have will be intuitive to a new userin 20 minutes at the dealer, not even a new Lexus.
Case in point, reviewers have constantly complained about remote touch in the Lexus, being someone who had cars with remote touch for 7 years, I never saw the problem.
Is there a simple dial for the radio volume in a GV? I see the GX has some redundant controls but things look easier to use in the GX....just look at the tiny buttons for the HVAC where the GX has large on screen buttons.....I will agree that you get used to it, but things seem to get far more complicated that they really need to be. I think the dash screen is far too back in the GV compared to the GX.
Last edited by Toys4RJill; Dec 17, 2020 at 03:18 PM.
As cars have more and more features, you're going to have to have more and more complicated controls. It has taken me a while but I am getting the hang of the control interfaces in my S Class, theres just a lot to learn and its very different from what I'm accustomed to
GX is easier to reach but thats about it. HVAC stack doesnt control everything, and my favorite (less annoyed with this as time moves on) has been that overall its hardware and ui experience is designed for those with loads of patience while it processes. RX loaner I have had just works soo much more faster and the screen is higher res.
Aftermarket has been slowing growing to add saviors like aa/cp but they too are limited by a touchscreen thats resistitve, rather then smartphone capacitive.
Back to the GV80, is the 3d effect of the gauge cluster an option that can be switched off?
Are you talking abut body-rigidity? Or handling? Or steering-response?
