Just got an email stating that Lexus Enform will no longer support Pandora and a couple other apps, Facebook and Open Table. Only way we will be able to access it is through Bluetooth. I spent 40k+ on a car and I can't even have Pandora baked into the infotainment system? Pandora just seems like such a basic thing to have in a car now a days. Hopefully they make up for it and add Spotify or something.

https://lexus2.custhelp.com/app/answ...%2C1609%2C1610

 

I got that email too. In a way I am not surprised given pandora's loss of ground on subscribers and new music addition. But I agree with you that they should enable spotify. I switched from spotify to apple music coz its much too simple to browse playlists and songs without even touching your phone. With spotify though, I always had to pick it explicitly in the phone app.

 

Bummer. But, you know, I don't mind that much. Ever since I got my Galaxy S8, Pandora has been pretty flaky in the App Suite. Sometimes it just won't work no matter what I do, until I restart my phone or restart the infotainment. I probably would have been better off just using the app on my phone.

 

The app was useless. I'd rather use the app on the phone and use Bluetooth connection to stream the music.
The build in app wouldn't let me skip more than 10 times or so. I can skip all day on my phone app. Plus sometimes I would get tether error with the enform app.

 

I feel the whole enform thing is a joke. There is barely any support for it. When you add destinations on the phone. It sometimes syncs and sometimes doesnt. So I could never rely upon the app to add destinations. This is not just a lexus problem. Car infotainment systems are just not intuitive. Carplay and android car should be the only modes supported by default in all models. It just works as an extension to your phone.

 

Aside from vehicle-specific settings, naturally. Until car makers come out with their own proprietary smart phone apps to adjust said settings, the infotainment interface is going to have to stick around. And besides, you want your car to be capable of at least offering a good interface for radio, trip info, and other minor functionality at the bare minimum. I agree, the subscription stuff just isn't worth it. Even on longer trips I rather just use my phone and Google Maps over the car's nav system.

 

I am beginning to think I make a bad decision buying a Lexus. Now that Pandora will be no longer supported, the Enform app is for me worthless since that is the only thing I used it for. I will just go ahead and uninstall the app from my phone. Since I have an Android phone I realize I should have bought a car with Android Auto. I think almost ever car maker out there except for Lexus and Toyota has Android Auto. Although I have heard Toyota will soon make Android Auto available in some of their cars in 2019, I have heard nothing from Lexus. I will be trading my current Lexus off in about another year or two. Unless Lexus has support for Android Auto by then, I will not be buying another Lexus.

 

If your car is primarily used as entertainment, sure don't buy a Lexus. The Pandora was actually something I didn't give a single care about when I bought it. I was just focusing on the way it drove, features like heated steering wheel, the F Sport cluster etc., and the dealership experience. So I may end up in another Lexus. Just to give a different perspective.

 

I agree with you, enform is useless now for me on both my IS and RX. Lexus just limited their already weak infotainment even more by leaving Slacker radio as the only music app.