a friend of mine is a billionaire. He has over 40 cars. He has more fun with them and buying and selling than any car enthusiast i've ever met. if one can't enjoy a fortune, it's due to a lack of imagination.

First off XM is such poor quality i can't listen to it. I FINALLY canceled it for my vehicles. Took an act of congress given the relentless blocks they try to stop you canceling. And now i get a piece of paper mail almost every day from them wanting me back, 'offering' higher prices than i was paying. Eejiots. But really, music listened to on XM is the WORST source of music. Then there's commercials.

as for cd's, the quality is very good, but of course each has only a dozen songs, and even with a changer, you're limited to maybe 100 tracks. my phone has about 3000 tracks on it, in very high quality format i can play via bluetooth or usb or android auto. It's great. I don't pay for a music streaming service at this time.

my 2021 LC500 has a CD slot, which was quite funny. I have a cd in it which i used one day for nostalgia purposes.

but hey, you can stick to horrible quality or extremely limited music selection.

I assume you mean the shifter (or buttons on some vehicles these days). My Lexus LC is an electronic shifter. It's great. I don't miss hideous huge mechanical shifters with leather boots.

Implementations vary of course... i think your MB has a stalk and the Pacifica a dial? Maybe an electronic shifter in the 'normal' spot would be ok for you though?

 

Sounds pretty fun to me LOL

Oh the mail is relentless. Streaming XM through Apple CarPlay (or Android Auto) is much better quality than satellite through the car's antenna. But honestly with Apple Music and Amazon Music HD I never listen to it. The more you use those platforms the better they get, and Amazon set to "My Soundtrack" at this point just provides me with great music that is almost always just what I like.

I just find them counter-intuitive. I've put 10k miles on the Mercedes and I still put it in the wrong gear

 

I'm 33 and still uses CDs. I find that I spend more time with each album when I have the physical copies in the car. I can't deny that nostalgia is a factor here, and I'm probably a weird guy, but I don't get the same satisfaction when I stream music. I tend to consume it and move on to the next thing

 

Same here. Far more enjoyable.

I understand what you mean as well .

I get no satisfaction out of streaming. I tried it...not for me I would rather just listen to the radio

For me, nothing to do with nostalgia. I just hate being married to my phone for everything.

I don't think anybody is saying that CDs are more convenient.

I hate the idea of paying for a streaming service

 

None of this makes any sense lol

 

What makes no sense?

 

my 2008 GX470 251K averaged 18mpg for 860 miles from St. Louis to Williamsburg, VA setting the cruise at 80mph. Pretty good for a V8 driving 4 wheels and 5000 lbs

 

There is no tangible benefit to continuing to use CDs, its just a nostalgia/feel thing for you.

 

That makes no sense. Because I have no interest in using my phone as a streaming device. I don’t listen to a lot of music, however every now and then I get a few new library CDs to listen to in my vehicle I am driving or on my higher end (but 25+ year old) sound system in my home office. Sometimes I would also buy a new country CD for an artist I really like.

(I do have a library on my iPod though)

I do the respect that you love your streaming….but it’s just not for me. I’d rather just listen to radio at that point.

 

I don't "love streaming" there just isn't any benefit to listening to CDs, streaming is just easier and having the entire library available electronically is just easier. Thats why virtually everyone has gone to this type of setup. I've given away or thrown away all my CDs, DVDs etc, as have the majority of people. What I love is things being easy.

Listening to the radio means I'm not listening to specifically the music I want to hear, and I'm not listening to it at high fidelity or without commercials. Both have their place but are completely different.

I think the "not liking streaming" comes from stubbornness and refusal to adapt to new technology more than it comes from anything else. There isn't any practical reason why you would want to carry around and stick CDs into your car vs plugging in your phone or using it over BT.

Thats not an insult, some people just have a strong resistance to new technology or ways of doing things.

 

DVD audio quality still there. 10.3” screen yeah it’s still a touch. Other buttons finally off center console. Fan controls for $100 Alex!
Voice commands should finally catch up to 2020!

 

I'm interested in getting a GX for my next vehicle. However, I can't get over the fact that you need premium gas in a body on frame SUV such as the GX. No-one is trying to shave a second off the quarter mile in a GX. At least the RX, you were able to use regular gas (as stated in the manual) for the last generation, not sure about the current generation.

 

Filling up with premium is always a bummer

 

Good, you know what? I'm not an audiophile so I don't try to listen to some barely-noticeable sound difference between a "high quality" song and one on XM. Good for you though.

If you and Steve don't like how some of us prefer CD's and radio and not having to play with phones and technology and all this garbage these days, just leave us alone on it. It's getting quite annoying how you both keep putting us down on our choices.

 

I like hard buttons but good god that’s a lot of buttons. Of course no sync button which is my pet peeve but at least there are hard buttons!

All in all I think it looks better than what is currently in the GX so that’s a plus for me.