LexFather

I disagree. Every magazine and every review hates it. At first, I thought it was the fact they only had the car a day or a week and could not learn in time but if you read the long term tests, its the same thing. It is counter intuitive, if it works.

I don't understand how the driver's car, BMW, did away with driver oriented dashes and tried to simply things, but putting a joystick in a car. I do not understand that.

And they are so arrogant, they will not or ever admit they are wrong, instead making press releases like "we are too far ahead of people" or "you all just don't understand, this is right".

Lexus has stated they do not believe I-drive or any joystick having dash is the way to go and I agree.

Did anyone watch when Clarkson tried to change the radio in the M5. He couldn't.


Oustide of that,

I think this is a good list, I can agree with it. Though I think we need to differentiate the actual CAR COMPANY making the tech and engineering it or them just OUTSOURCING it, like NAV or HID.

mmarshall

Genearch, I respect your opinion, but I'm with 1SICK on this one. I have yet to see any BMW review, whether my own, someone else's, or any auto test magazine, including Consumer Reports and the " enthusiast " mags as well, that was not critical of I-Drive. Several magazines like AutoWeek and Car and Driver NEVER got used to it, even after a whole year in the Four Seasons tests. Some individual people...like you.....like it. Fine. We respect your feelings. But for the vast majority of us in the auto world, it was a mistake. Even the people who copied it.......like Audi's MMI and Infiniti's CONTROL system.......went out of the way to make their systems less complex.
You're not alone either. I've had to accept the fact myself that there are things on a car I like that a lot of other people don't.....things like a smooth, quiet ride, standout paint colors, AWD, and lots of wood trim inside.

XeroK00L

Yes voice recognition is great, and it is available from Lexus and most other luxury brands just as well. But just because there is a voice control option doesn't mean that the presence of a joystick/**** is justified. It simply is not suitable for controlling car functions.

DrDrilZ

using i-drive is like learning finishing moves on mortal kombat. forward, forward, block, high punch, up, low kick

Hameed

Now that is a waaaay cool option!!

I just installed an aftermarket nav system in my car (AVIC-D1) and it does not have voice recognition (ofcourse it has voice guidance and I have to touch the screen to change destinations while driving rather than talking to it like yours), so I find the feature you just mentioned just awesome!

spwolf

nevertheless, big nice, expensive touch screen is way more intuitive. You see an option, you press it with your finger, end of story. You dont count the clicks.

LexFather

What I find funny is car makers do follow BMW, no matter if its good or bad.
We got Bangle butts all over now, its like seeing a music video on MTV
I-drive, AUdi, Acura and Infiniti use some sort of joystick
Clearly the "hoffmeister" kink in the c-pillar seems all new cars curve there now

XeroK00L

I think you missed my point too. What I mean is, yeah, the voice recognition is so great that you can mostly do without the ****, but then why put a **** there in the first place if it is only to be avoided at all cost, by using other technologies?

By the way, I totally agree that the decision Toyota/Lexus's lawyers made to disable many functions while the car is in motion is a stupid one. The touchscreen could've been so much more useful without this handicap. But then again, most functions can be accessed through voice commands, right?

diablo1

Well... you can do that in my Lexus.

You can't dial by name directly from the phonebook though. That is a cool idea.

I agree with the general consensus that a touch-screen is better overall. It's funny that genearch defends the i-drive by saying "Oh don't worry, it's easy to avoid using it." Now that is the sign of a bad technology.

CK6Speed

iTrader: (1)

I don't tbhink he said it is easy to avoid using i-Drive. He said it is easy to avoid using the ****. I-drive is not just a **** but a system that just happens to use a **** for some function, like a touchscreen would be use for some functions in the Lexus or Acura systems where applicable. Personally, I like both **** and touchscreen. Each has their advantagges and disadvantages. I like the touchscreen for its simplicity but hate that it leaves finger prints all over the screen and depending on where on the dash the screen is located it is sometimes harder to reash when sitting back in the seat. Often I have to lean a little forward, but that is just me. The **** is in a location that is right within your arms resting position. For me it is just like the 3 button PC mouse and the 1 button mac mouse. Those that have gotten used to the 1 button mac mouse love it and wont use anything else. Those like me that haven't put the time into learning how to use that 1 button mouse go out and buy a mac compatible 3 button mouse Either is not as bad as people make them out to be, just some people rather use one way or another.

doug_999

Well so much for it not turning into an I-Drive debate....

As a guy that owned a GS430 and now has a 550.....

I need to first point out that people who hate I-Drive tend to not spend enough time with it to learn it (RTFM?). Now plenty have argued that a car should be totally intuitive and you should be able to figure it out in 10 minutes -but why? How many people (other than auto writers) only own their car for a week? The fact is, you tend to live with your car for a year, two, three, maybe even four years! So what if the car takes a little bit to learn? In the end, I would argue that the reward of an arguably superior system is worth it.

Now personally, the touch screen in my GS430 was very intuitive. However, it also required my focus while driving - the buttons change location depending on the screen you are in, and you always have to look down. The I-Drive is up high and controlled with my right hand in a relaxed position. Using the feedback and an occasional glance, I can even program the NAV while driving if I want. I think BMW allows this because it really is easy to do with little distraction. I could of course learn all of the voice commands (like Gene) and I probably will, but in the meantime I really think this interface is good. It does however need a MUCH faster computer behind it as it is slowwwwwwww. Oh yea, a couple of short cut buttons like Audi's MMI would be nice too.

XeroK00L

Well you did say it. It's just that you didn't exactly use the word "avoid", but you did say it.

So what if you can change CD track, sound volume, temperature, etc. by using other buttons or controls on the steering wheel and the dash, or by using voice recognition commands? The fact is that you are avoiding using the I-Drive ****! You "prefer voice", you prefer steering wheel controls. Don't you see that?

The I-Drive **** is so useless that people including yourself avoid using it whenever they can find alternative ways. Now with a touch screen (ideally with no stupid Lexus lawyer handicap of course) at least my passenger who hasn't spent 2 hours studying the car can access the functions for me or for himself/herself, without having to reach over from the passenger seat to press the voice recognition button or the other control buttons on my steering wheel.

encore888

Touchscreen tactile feedback is being developed; Volkswagen has a system according to an article I've read. Perhaps in the future Lexus touchscreens will offer the ability to touch with less visual contact.

Otherwise, I stand by my belief that touchscreen interfaces + intelligently designed controls/layout + occasional voice commands are the best formula. IMO a **** is a good partway solution, but it treats the design problem of many buttons by simply adding one more big button instead of addressing the larger clutter etc issues. It also requires that one follow the exact procedures for use as set out by the manufacturer, rather than the more free customer-developed and tailored input styles that the touchscreen offers. While you can do many actions with the **** while driving, many of those things IMO should be designed simply enough to not require a ****, nor should the driver to be playing with them when the car is in motion.

And, as mentioned, voice dialing in the Lexus and other cars obviates the need for ***** for those functions.

diablo1

You said you can't change the nav destination by voice while driving. Actually you can. I've done it.

STIG

i think BMW should get like 110 out of 100 since they are using too much tech in thier cars and well, breaking down all the time.

i-Drive? no, YOU DRIVE!