Any Audi Q5 or Lexus RX350 drivers in here?

[Guest Swifty]

...both cars got me VERY FRUSTRATED with where auto digital technology is going......

So, my lady's lease is up on her RX350 and she still tolerates me enough to be invited along to go test riding with her. We took the Q5 and the new RX350 out this weekend. Both are within a grand of each other, but Lexus might give her a slightly better lease for being a return customer, so price not the issue. The newer Lexus grew an inch everywhere and so I wanted her to consider the Audi because it is smaller than the RX350 and because I thought her current one was kind of big to begin with.

 

BUT this is my frustration; it is on the same topic that I've been complaining about to her whenever I get in her car. And that is that these high tech cars actually make driving more cumbersome, they actually make you less attentive to the road. I can operate all the controls on my cheapo GM car way faster than on her car while doing the exact same thing. For example, changing the climate controls on her Lexus can involve up to five hits on the touch screen, which involves reaching to the dash up to five times; whereas on my car I can practically do it without looking. Additionally, the same thing with the GPS; which I was cursing last weekend on a trip to Toronto with her; if I had my cheapo Garmin I surely would have been 5 minutes faster finding our address. So NOW we go to the new Q5 and the RX350 and here is my big beef...on both these cars they have this mouse control stick on the right hand console near the gear shift. It has buttons around the mouse to click your selections. To operate the environment controls and GPS (and much more) you have to move the mouse controller and make your selections using the surrounding buttons, and that involves watching the mouse track along on the screen to various menu options. So your eyes are off the road even more than before!!! PLUS, you have to train yourself on all this. That means that anybody getting into the car cannot quickly operate something. We did a lot of internet surfing on these cars before hand. Auto reviewers say that these digital systems are the most intuitive yet. I say TO HECK with them. My biggest beef about this new technology is how UNintuitive it is. So when I hopped into both these cars I didn't let the sales guys show me how they worked. I wanted to see if I could do it as a total stranger to the system, and let me tell you I'd have to sit there for 5 minutes just to access the GPS or change the temperature....absolutely stupid. The only answer that the sales guys had for my frustration was that these systems can do everything with voice commands. Well, so what, that is the same voice system on her car now and she could never get it working because it would never recognize her commands from one day to the next. PLUS even if the car got trained on her voice, then it would be totally useless for the next guy that got in it...like me. I'm so flippin exasperated about this; I'm surprized that the auto consumer hasn't given more negative feedback about this. Has anyone had any experience with these systems? You can all forget about the you're "getting too much like an old fart, Swifty" replies...cuz I'm smart and I know it...just ask Tuckett.

[Gary N.]

Remember the old days when a steering wheel only had a horn button. And the radio had two knobs and six push buttons. The heater had hot, cold and fan controls. You never had to take your eyes off the road.

[Tom]

Ive got a Lexus ES330 with all the stuff on it from 2005.If I bought a new one it would NOT have the GPS ETC and Id buy a Garmin 50 LM (Lifetime Map Updates for $169.00. That way I would not have to worry about the new "Tech" stuff and I could use or set my GPS anytime even when rolling down the road.Great Cars though.

[DragonRider]

Just join the rest of us old farts driving our antiques cars and motorcycles and get over it.............Let her figure it all out!!!!!

 

I just dont want to be in a car where the driver is more attentive to the controls than the road................

[naturbar]

my son recently purchased a BMW 330i - he left it for me to have an alignment done on it - as i started the car, the radio was loud and playing some 20 something style music.... i looked all over the dash for a volume control knob but could not find one... i started messing with the 'i drive' and at least could change stations but it was still loud... when i returned him the car i asked him how to adjust volume....he turned a knob on the dash that was labelled 'navigation system'..... real intuitive eh! nice car but much too complicated for me. hopefully soon cars will drive themselves and free up the next generation of techie drivers to focus on their techie toys.

[Monty]

Here's an idea....If they bother you that much...DON'T BUY EITHER ONE.

 

Both cars are overrated status symbols anyway. The Lexus is just an expensive Toyota, and the Audi is just an expensive Volkswagon.

 

Go look at some other cars that you both may actually like, without worrying about what the nameplate says on the outside.

 

 

 

Just my 2 cents.

[Midrsv]

Actually my Chevy Tahoe has all the electronic goodies too. The radio and gps are all integrated together. That and the steering wheel controls were very intimidating at first. But once you learn the system it is actually very easy to use and much can be done without moving your hands from the wheel. If they went back to individual knobs and buttons for all of the features the dash would be just as complex with dozens of buttons and switches and look like an airliner. I'll take the technology.

 

Dennis

[Marcarl]

I knew I should never had sold my '59 Poncho,,, or my '66 VW. There just is no comparison today,,, give me the old cars,, that's one of the reasons I still drive a '99 Saab 9.3. It's very simple with not a lot of extra goodies that can leave a feller stranded in the middle of nowhere. Didn't set me back for a 10 year payment either. Paid for it from my personal account, and Marca didn't even miss the funds, but she sure likes the car.

 

So in another way: New car...... $25,000 and double the insurance.

 

Used car: $4000.00 add $4000.00 for extra repairs just in case, that's $8000.00

Drive it for 8 years, that's a cost of $1000.00 per year.

 

New car has to last at least 25 years to break even with the used SAAB.

 

So far so good,,, now Saab is not looking good,, some Chinese company may take it over,,,, maybe the last one I own,,,,,, don't know yet what to do for the next one.

[BradT]

So in another way: New car...... $25,000 and double the insurance.

 

Not many new cars you can buy for 25,000 Buddy.

 

Swifty Listen to Monty bingo on his comments. But as I said if she wants it and is willing to pay for it it does nto matter, whatever one is the right colour.

 

PS they better not ask as I will have to tell the truth

 

Brad

[elcorbs]

I have driven Chevy's for years but got frustrated having them in the shop for one thing or another. My 1982 Cavalier was in the shop 11 times in 9 months. I could not get the dealer to buy the car back so I found another dealer that traded it for a 1982 Malibu Classic Deisel. What a mistake. Got rid of one problem but took on another one with more problems. I traded the Malibu for a new 1985 Monte Carlo which turned out to be one of the best cars I ever owned. The Monte Carlo was given to my son for his first car. After a couple of accidents and knocked down mail boxes, he finally got rid of it. I bought a 1988 S10 Blazer and when it was a little more than a year old I was out washing it and watched the paint peel away while spraying it with water. I had it painted while living in Key West. We moved to Jacksonville and while washing it the paint started to peel again. I could not keep the front right tire in alignment. Chevy had no fix. My battery cracked and lots of equipment had to be replaced because of the battery acid. I had to fight chevrolet to pay for the repairs. My 2000 Corvette was the worst of them all. Total junk from day one. Took it back to the dealer the day after I bought it for differential fluid on the garage floor. The following year the gas gauge went bad. Replaced the sending unit in the left tank. About 6 months later the gas gauge went bad again. This time they replaced the sending unit in the right tank. The following year the battery cracked and leaked acid all over the firewall and had to be cleaned. Thank goodness it was fiberglass. A few months later my wife and I were leaving a restaurant. I put the car in drive and the steering wheel would not turn. Called for a ride home. Went home and got on the corvette forum to see if someone had a fix. Jerk the steering wheel from side to side then turn on the ignition to see if it was unlocked. I did this a few times hoping I wouldn't tear the steering wheel off the column. It unlocked and the next morning I took it to the dealer for repair. I had to pay because it was out of warranty. I brought in a corvette magazine that showed 38,000 other corvette owners were having the same issue but chevrolet had not done a recall. About 7 months later a recall was submitted and I got my money refunded. 0nce the car was paid for, more issues started. My drivers side window would not come down. The gate guards didn't like me opening the door to hand them my ID to get on the base. I got on the forum to see what to do. I was advised not to buy a new motor because it would do the same thing. I ended up taking off the door panel and tapping the motor with a small hammer to help the brushes make contact. It worked for a few months and I had to do it all over again. Then the passenger door started doing the same thing. I was just too frustrated with having to work on the car and it not being dependable. Now that Chevrolet is Government Motors, I switched to Toyota for good. No more GM even though I hated getting rid of my 2008 Z06. I couldn't get my wife to learn how to drive the stick so it had to go. Now I drive a 2008 Sequoia. It tows my 8,000 pound travel trailer and all my grandchildren and nieces when we go camping. My wife had a 2007 Camry XLE which was also very nice. We had no problems in the 3 years we had it but in 2009 she was rear ended while at a traffic light and I got rid of it. I have since bought her a Lexus ISC 350 to replace the Corvette. She said she wanted a corvette again but I kept reminding her of all the problems we had before so I convinced her to try the Lexus. She is really impressed. It doesn't have the outright power of a corvette but it is still fun to drive. It actually has more horsepower than our first corvette which was a 1995. The Lexus is so much fun and the electronics my wife won't even touch. I set everything up for her and showed her the basics so she could drive it. This Lexus is by no means an overrated Toyota. The engine size is the same as the Camry she first had but the Lexus has 38 more horsepower which can be felt. The car is so quiet and comfortable. The Lexus sound system is great and all controls including the GPS are really pretty simple to use once you learn them. My wife lets down all the windows holds down a switch and the top goes into the trunk. She really loves the car. My coworker bought an Audi Q5 for his wife because they couldn't find the Toyota 4Runner that they wanted. He has had it repaired already and said he is dissapointed that he didn't wait for what he really wanted. I subscribe to Consumer Reports because I want to see what the owners say about their cars and not someone who gets paid to advertise like JD Powers. According to Consumer Reports the Audi Q5 is rated worse than average and the Lexus is rated better than average. Of all the automobiles that had enough respondents to the survey, Audi is 3rd from the bottom of the list of most reliable automobiles. Lexus is second from the top. The only automobile better is the Scion which is made by Toyota. Hope this helps you in your decision.