I have been reading the CL messages for about a month. I appreciate the helpful information but up to now had no reason to write. Here's my dilemna...I know that Lexus wont allow updating the Nav computer while driving. It seems to me that this is a little silly. If you want to change your route or decide to add a destination enroute, you have to pull off the road? Anybody have any ideas? The other thing that bug me is when I start the car the A/C always goes to the recirculate the interior air mode. At times when I don't have the A/C on it makes the car so hot and stuffy. Again not major problems just thought I would ask for help. For the record I have a black/ecru with gold trim. Thanks

 

With regard to the AC concern. The Fresh/Rec can be set to work independent from the ac system. Simply ask your local dealership to set the Fresh/Rec to "Manual" instead of "Auto". After it's set to manual it will stay at it's last setting. This is done through the CBES system. They shouldn't charge you for this. Takes less than five minutes.

DD

 

Not being able to enter destinations fully while driving is a problem, but there are some exceptions to this rule, which you should know about.

There are two ways to enter a destination while driving that I know about and have used. One is that "Home" is always available, at any speed.

Secondly, the first page of "Recent Destinations" is also always available, even at speed. So if you know you might have some choices to make while driving, you can prepare by entering some of them before you start driving, so they will appear in the top 5 of most recent.

Note that page 2 of recent destinations (6 through 10) are not available. I don't know who drew this line.

Aside from that, you are correct, you have to pull over, and although I'm not sure I would want to input a street address while driving, my passenger could, but that's not allowed.

My guess is that the legal department had something to do with this.

 

Actually, I challenge anyone to SAFELY type in several characters on a screen while traveling at any speed over 5MPH. I've found that even with the features that are active, I'm not paying enough attention to other cars on the road (and yes, I consider myself a good driver).

Kinda like using a cell phone without a headset or hands-free system -- you block your side view.

Lastly, I do wish there was a switch that detected a passenger, so all the functions could be enabled for them (the ultimate navigator). Of course, this doesn't prevent the driver from using it then (and it provides a switch that can be overridden).

 

I love the NAV system, and use it far more than I thought I would when I got the car, but I agree with the above post that it is very easy to be distracted by messing around with the system as it is.

Entering an address (which often involves changing the search area and entering a city name first) is far too much busy work to be doing at almost any speed. I can see why they blocked those functions from working once the car gets moving.

Despite these limitations, which are understandable, I still am in awe of this great car that can talk me through a strange neighorbood in a distant city, giving me directions and even showing me where the gas stations are, until I "have arrived at [my] final destination."

Way Cool.

 

I challenge anyone to SAFELY type in several characters on a screen while traveling at any speed over 5MPH. I've found that even with the features that are active, I'm not paying enough attention to other cars on the road (and yes, I consider myself a good driver).

If you had learned to drive in the 60's, you would'nt have a problem.
We learned how to keep the beer can below window level while tuning the radio at the same time.

 

1. I assume you don't drink & drive anymore, so my point stands?
2. There are a lot more yankee drivers in every state now.
3. Those who use the rear-view as a vanity mirror are more experienced, then?

All in fun, Larry.

 

Well, Larry ... your story reminds me of my chubby friend Fran who, back in the 50's, used to drive his buddies around in his father's florist's van with the choke out (choke?!), his feet on the dashboard, while steering with his belly.

Like stupid kids who think they'll live forever, we rode in the back and thought that his technique was just great and got quite a kick out of it.

I guess if anything happened, the flowers would have been free and readily available.

 

Well, Larry ... your story reminds me of my chubby friend Fran who, back in the 50's, used to drive his buddies around in his father's florist's van with the choke out (choke?!), his feet on the dashboard, while steering with his belly.

Like stupid kids who think they'll live forever, we rode in the back and thought that his technique was just great and got quite a kick out of it.

I guess if anything happened, the flowers would have been free and readily available.

 

You guys are right !

Yeesh, when I think of the stupid things my friends and I did behind the wheel of a car when we 17 and 18, I shudder. I'm talking about things like seeing who could drink a six-pack of Schafer the quickest and then challenging another fool to a drag race in our RoadRunners, Chevelles, Cyclones, GTO's, 442's, etc.
Cruising down the road at 120mph when we couldn't even SEE the road.

At that age we thought we were immortal. Even when we heard about another kid our age that had been killed in a car wreck, we thought "Hey, it'll never happen to me".

I'm so glad that NY has toughened the DWI laws the way they have. I'm glad when they pull over a car full of kids and throw the book at them for drinking. I wish they had done that back in the 60's. Maybe some of my friends would still be around.

Sorry to get on a soap box here guys. I tell my nephews all the time that there is nothing on this earth that they can do that I haven't done, so they'd better not bull**** me. What seems like "fun" or a "thrill" can change your whole life around, and not for the better. Luckily, they're pretty good boys and understand the message I'm trying to get across.

 

Well the Navigation system in both the SC430 and the LS430 SUCK. Sorry ( I love my cars, but dislike the navi)

Not having the ability to let the passenger input the address is a big drawback. When we are touring in either of our cars, we frequently would like to have the passenger input an address, find the nearest POI, and are unable to do so.

In other cars (Acura) they let you do this, and also have better maps. Check out he Alpine system that Acura uses, it is much better. If I could only get it in my Lexus without spending another 2k (Yes I have thought about it).

The other sour point on the Lexus system is that they want to charge around $500 for the update, Acura gives this to you for free! (Lexus does too if you call up and complain, but when you spend 60k plus for a car one would not expect that you would have to be a pain in the #$#$ just to get the update that Acura gives you for FREE!!! Oh, and they give you 3 of them.''

 

sc4304me,

What are the criteria for free updates for the Acura?
The web site says "Purchase DVD Navigation updates...",
and I recall spending about $150 or more as a gift for a friend.
Agreed, it's less than $495 for the Lexus...

I'll admit that the Acura nav rules over all others, but I wouldn't say that the Lexus one sucks (see Mercedes for that). My friend has a '00 TL and had the '99 DVD in it. The 10/2000 update was far superior, so hopefully the update for the lexus will provide some of those niceties.
(It was cool to see which vendor each gas station was on the TL's screen -- that came with the update).