Exactly, why rush this. It’s only dated to 2006, what’s another 3 years?
these new infotainment and current tech upgrades arent anything crazy with the smart phones being the go-to nowadays…i currently have 3 vehicles all with nav/tech packages, and never use the nav option. i have carplay on one, and it is pretty neat but Waze is still the way to go for me
Ha. I test drove a Q50 RS yesterday and while fun, the infotainment was terrible. The same exact platform in the QX35 I rented 7 years ago.
Carmakers never learn. They don’t want to cede all that collected data to Apple or Google, so they make these lousy interfaces and we’ve been dumb enough to spend thousands for them.
They’re just not good at making UI decisions… Google and Apple are better at it.
Wish they’d upgrade the Q70 interior too. So dated. Looks like the my M35 interior.
I am guessing it’s not a coincidence that google and apple are the two most valuable companies in the world. But yeah, if Toyota or Infinti could make world class UIs they would be doing that, would be a tech company and I’d have a Toyota or Infinti cellphone.
But they aren’t and the R&D costs of making something on Google/Apple level would be astronomical.
Then why try to make it? Why dont they just go with google and apple Carplay?! Infiniti is so outdated that they have to give thousands away lately and it is hurting the brand! Their new VR engine is really good but they do really need to work on their technology R&D or outsource it if the team suck!!!
Are Android Auto and Apple carplay really that great? To me the interface looks kind of childish or cartoonish. Reminds me of a parental app I set up on my kid’s tablet.
I used Apple CarPlay once and don’t plan on using it again.
One of my customers paid an extra $100 per month for apple carplay.
I’m a fan of CarPlay. I find the maps interface to be far better than a manufacturers GPS. Plus, being able to say “get directions to X location” and have it pop up automatically is great. Far better than having to type something in.
Apple CarPlay doesn’t allow third party mapping apps such as Google Maps and Waze. IDK how many people realize this ahead of time but it would be a dealbreaker or at least a big disappointment for a lot of people.
So we have a difference of opinion, lol. Most factory navi units have voice command. However, probably due to my accent, I can’t get through to them, or the Google’s, so I’m just getting frustrated either way.
I was excited to get carplay on my BMW as it was the first time I got to use it. Then, I used it…
I much prefer iDrive. Carplay is overrated IMO.
I like iDrive too and voice recognition is pretty good too.
The willful exclusion of third party maps makes me very unexcited about CarPlay.
Personally, I have used both Carplay and Android Auto and neither has been better. In the end, almost instinctively now, I use Waze. Most of the built in Nav units I have used aren’t too shabby but more often then not, I run into one of the following issues -
1 - needs to be updated yearly (pricy)
2 - works slow, miss an exit and it’ll take a good minute (s) to re-route
3 - laggy system
4 - crappy graphics and/or UI
In the end, Waze FTW!
Carplay doesn’t have to be better than iDrive for it to still hold value to the end user. I can’t comment on the interface of iDrive but the asian automakers navigation units are woefully outdated and are not user friendly. I’ve had the Q50 and RC-F and ended up using my phone navigation over the built in (and paid for) units.
I also rent every week and take a Chevy Impala, Dodge Charger, and Ford Taurus over the Q50 in the Hertz lot because I want Carplay.
Just because there’s a superior option out there doesn’t make it worthless…
Android Auto now has Waze. That one distinction will make it better than CarPlay for a lot of people.
Never occurred to me to test that, will do, thanks for the heads up! Most of the time, I just bluetooth and call it a day.