Does the wireless android auto work as good as wired with no disconnections on the new 2022 infotainment system. I know the adapters like MA1 to make it wireless has lots of problems. I am looking to buy a car with new system and need to know that feature is reliable. Also is the screen glass or plastic and how long a trial is the cloud based navigation and cost afterwards and also any frustrating problems associated with new system. Thanks

 

on my NX350h, I've got a very few disconnect why driving with the wireless AA, maybe 1 out of 200
The screen I think it's glass, will have to double check, now you're asking for it
On my Canadian Premium version, I've to pay for the Cloud Base Navigation, but won't since I always using Waze on AA.
On the higher version it will come with free 3 years trial.

 

My experience with Wireless CarPlay/AA on the NX has been solid. In contrast to other cars, the Lexus does it spot on. Like @MTL2022 said - a few disconnects - but almost none. I'd call it a fluke if it doesn't. A few "won't connect" - but that's undetermined as to what the reason is. It may be the Infotainment, or it may be the phone.

Wireless CarPlay/AA also has a few differences, mainly audio lag. Nothing significant, but you can tell that when switching audio tracks, it's not instant. Takes a second. This is hardly bothersome - and I don't even notice it.

In terms of the new Cloud Navigation System, it's a wash to be honest. It doesn't beat Google Maps, or Apple Maps really, and misses a few things that the other two do well. Mainly, it misses the indication for which lane to be in. Now, that's fine - but in my experience - it does have something that makes it unusable for me: reliability. For starters, the POI are outdated. My local gym has had its name renamed probably close to a decade ago - but on the map, it's still the old name, but even then, that's fine(ish) - a pain in the ***, but if you know the address, you're good? Not quite. That's where it's let me down on more than one occasion. I've had it take me to the wrong place. Like a few KM/Mi of wrong. This isn't an isolated incident either. The street numbers are incorrect, or not mapped correctly. For example, 501 XYZ Ave is my address, but it takes me to 12 XYZ Ave, which is 3KM (1.8mi) from my destination. I just can't rely on it. The one nice thing is, that you can get a true "full screen" view of the map, which you can't do via CarPlay/AA.
In short, I don't like the cloud-based navigation. It's too much money to be shelling out after the 3-year trial (if you have any car with a 9.8" infotainment, you don't have a trial, you have to pay). It pales in comparison to Google Maps or Apple Maps even.

I can't comment on Google - but Apple CarPlay (From Apple Maps ONLY) mirrors the navigation to my MID and HUD, which makes me even less inclined to use the built-in subscription-cloud navigation.

Lastly - the Achilles heel of all this is that you still may end up using wired. On longer trips, you are probably going to be plugging in. I have a Wireless Charger, but due to placement issues, won't charge my iPhone (it may be the same for Android, but my wife's Samsung S21+ works fine).

In short, love Wireless AA/Carplay, don't like the built-in nav due to the reliability of directions.

 

I believe that whether you get the three years if navigation free starting at purchase is dependent on whether you get the 9" or 14" screen.

 

That is correct. The trial only applies to vehicles sold with the 14" screen. The 9.8" screen only comes with a message telling you to subscribe.

 

Works well enough that I don't have issues majority of the time, once in a while, I'll have to disconnect and reconnect

Just like with computers and etc...wired is always and forever better than wireless for performance and reliability. Phone also doesn't get as hot and battery doesn't drain as fast when using wired connection

 

I am primarily using the Lexus Cloud Navigation System as I prefer the larger and more appealing map display over Google Maps on AA. Android Auto has overall worked well, much better than on my F150 and only failing to exit back to the Lexus interface a couple of times (fixed by rebooting the infotainment).

But the Lexus navigation system is definitely buggy to the point of occasionally having to double check those routes on Google Maps. I've received some bizarre navigation routes where I'm told to deviate from my route, make a U-turn and continue with the original route. I've been sent to an address whose location continuously changes as I near it so as to never actually reach it. And most recently, the map has sometimes displayed a route correctly but also displayed a bunch of rectangles all over the map that mean nothing to me, such as half the province of Alberta split into overlapping and non-overlapping rectangles (always straight north-south and east-west thick grey lines). Fortunately this doesn't seem to affect anything other than the confusing display.

 

Not only wireless Android Auto, AACarPlay bring all your favorite app to your infotainment system. Get $30 off with discount code "AACP"

 

Here in the UK we don't (yet) have wireless Android Auto so I use the AAWireless dongle to "mimic" wireless functionality (so no need to plug the phone into the car's USB port every time) and it works perfectly. Of course, as mentioned by others, there is the drawback of the battery discharging more quickly and the phone getting warm but you would get that with OEM wireless AA anyway.

At the moment I am using the in-built Lexus navigation (in the UK, Lexus offers a free 4 year subscription to their Cloud-based services with the 14" touchscreen) as I prefer the larger (full) screen, plus the turn-by-turn directions being visible in the HUD (not currently available when using Google Maps via AA) and it hasn't let me down so far. However I do still have AA running in the background as I prefer the ease of use of the audio interface in AA compared to the Lexus OEM interface, plus I still like to use "Hey Google" to send WhatsApp messages when driving. I use "Hey Lexus" commands to switch between the two systems. If \ when Google releases the much anticipated Coolwalk upgrade to AA (which I believe will allow for Google Maps to become full screen) I will most likely switch to that.