The Lexus LS 460:
A beautiful, well-engineered, and exquisitely built luxury car to which
the
joy of using is almost totally destroyed by horrible software.
"Software" you say in a car review?? Let me explain..
I used to judge a car simply by its build quality, ability to run well,
provide road feedback while still providing comfort, and reliability at a
reasonable cost. I believe the Lexus has all of this to a degree few
vehicles can claim. The BMW 7 series may be more of a driver's car and
the
Mercedes S series may be more luxurious, but the Lexus met my personal
needs
quite well at a price point hard to ignore. But I drove all these
vehicles
more than once when shopping for my new Lexus and I believe they all
qualify
as "well-engineered and exquisitely built luxury cars".
When you think about it, all luxury cars represent the best the
manufacturer
has to offer so the preceding criteria should be reasonably well met.
However, what can really distinguish a luxury car today are the added
features that each manufacturer uses to claim bragging rights. In a Lexus
LS 460, nothing proves that point better than the tag line "The car that
parks itself". Likewise, this feature is a perfect example of how Lexus
software disappoints the buyer.
I have tried to use the self parking feature for 6 months now and I must
regretfully acknowledge that I have never so horribly wasted a thousand
dollars. To explain all the steps required to 'Program' the vehicle to
park
itself would take more time than I am willing to take; but you can read
all
the pages required in the vehicle manual yourself to get the full picture.
Anyone considering this option owes it to themselves to force the salesman
to train you on how to use it to park the car in less than a minute. You
will quickly see how long it takes to use and how foolish the whole
concept
is. If you lack the skills to park your car, how could you possibly
master
the steps to program the system to park the car for you? A $500+
inconvenience system.
But believe me, that small bit of software is far from my biggest gripe.
I
think I would have to classify the music software in the car as the single
most frustrating aspect of the Lexus ownership experience. Now let me
preface this by saying the sound quality of the Mark Levinson system is
far
and away the best I have ever heard in a vehicle. IMHO, there is no equal
in the automotive industry. However, using the required software to
listen
to your music selection is far and away the most poorly designed I have
ever
had to tolerate. Again, let me explain...
The Mark Levinson audio system in the Lexus has a great variety of
flexible
media options. It allows radio, XM, CD's, DVD's, portable media player
interface and mp3's (either CD's you can rip to the small hard drive or a
CD
you have burned). With all this flexibility one would think that the
Lexus
was the iPod of luxury vehicles. Imagine, thousands of your favorite
songs
at your fingertips while driving cross country! Nothing could be further
from the truth. There are so many ways the interface software hobbles
your
use of the audio system I don't think I can even list them all, but I will
detail the worst ones:
1.. Inability to play, import or create Playlists..duh?
2.. Inability to download to the Hard Drive (HD) any of your favorite
mix
CD's (courtesy of Digital Rights Management incorporated into the system)
3.. Most search and view options not available while driving - imagine a
list of 200-300 artists, albums, whatever. Then, WHILE DRIVING, look for
one of these by moving up or down the available list option 1 item at a
time
to find your selection. And you thought cell phones were distracting!
4.. Display of Folder names from CD's limited to 13-15 characters
displayed in a font so large the driver of the car next to you could read
it.
5.. Inability to play mp3's from DVD's
6.. Fairly long delay to read TOC from each mp3 CD in the 6 disc changer
whenever you load it - does not retain TOC when you switch to another
disc.
7.. CD/DVD's in changer not identified by Title or Volume Label; Simply
labeled 1,2,3, etc.
8.. Labeling of ripped music to HD is from an old Gracenote database so
forget labeling that newest CD you just bought. Must update database at
the
dealer. There has got to be a simpler way to update!
9.. Editing files names: No curser movement without deleting everything
from end of line to edit point.
10.. XM Built in; no Sirius option; no HD Radio. Lexus should pay me
for
accepting this crap - I'm sure they get a kickback from XM. As an aside,
I
once had XM on a truck I own; cancelling the service took over a half hour
of my time arguing with their representatives. Consequently, I refused to
activate this radio or ever do business with XM again.
Imagine yourself on a multi-hour drive, knowing you have all your favorite
music at your fingertips to keep you company, and not being able to get to
it unless you pull the car over to the side of the road, stop and enable
the
Lexus search options. 1st solution was to carry a bunch of CD's. My
solution now: bought a dedicated iPod Classic for use in the car. Now,
remind me to kick myself in the ass for spending over $6,000 for this
"Media
System".
OK, you get my point about software. Let me briefly describe a few other
software annoyances
1. GPS Software
a. Similar menu restrictions as on the music system - I am just
appalled
at the lack of usability here.
b. Extremely limited routing flexibility, display and option selections
-
a $300 Garmin portable can do circles around this thing.
c. Route choices are simply obscure; often taking excessively long
routes
while ignoring direct paths - I cannot even figure out a pattern here.
Frequently you can see a more direct route to your destination but the
guidance ignores it?
2. Telephone Directory - Similar menu restrictions as on the music
system - I just continue to be appalled at the lack of usability here. As
insane as this sounds, it is possible to pick up your cellphone, use the
cellphone's directory to find your party, dial on your cellphone, then the
Lexus will intercept your call and interface via Bluetooth. Can anyone
explain that logic? (Just trying to demonstrate here how alternatives to
using built-in menu's and screens are much less safe while driving;
however,
I am sure the Lexus legal group has assured Corporate that they can deny
responsibility in case of an accident. I can't wait to see that one
tested
in court!)
3. Voice Command? So limited and inaccurate even the salesman cringed
at
trying to demonstrate it. Not surprisingly, the huge instruction manuals
rarely mention this feature. Again, part of the $10,000 worth of
inconvenience 'features' that simply don't work.
4. Accessory ports all turn off when key is off - so forget charging
you
cell, ipod, portable GPS, etc during lunch.
Other comments:
a.. Bluetooth telephone interface works great and is seamless.
b.. MPG is awesome! In town typically around 23-25 and on the highway
low
30's!
c.. Outstanding build quality - no flaws, issues or broken items after
over 8,000 miles.
d.. Lexus link a waste of $900. An excuse to sell you a subscription.
Use the money to pay for your cellphone and a Garmin GPS.
e.. Keys - If you have more than 1 car in your family, it is unlikely
you
will carry this large, fat key often (very inconvenient). So, I
frequently
find myself in the Lexus and my wife's key (which she keeps in her purse)
actually operates the vehicle. Now if I let her out of the car to go into
a
store or something and I go park the car, I find I can't lock it as I
don't
have the key. A warning buzzer or something that the key is missing and
car
is running would be nice. Now, if you have multiple vehicles, key habits
for this one is unique so you've just added another 'inconvenience'
without
any benefit (other than hype).
f.. Trunk opener - So slow I find myself waiting impatiently for it to
open almost every time I use it. Another inconvenience feature for $400.
g.. Noisy as my truck at highway speeds; especially on a windy day.
Forget about listening to classical music on the expressway.
Now, I am not bashing the car here. I do admit I am bashing the software
on
multiple aspects. That is my point. I love the style, finish, fit, build
quality, power and many other aspects of this vehicle. But the software
that operates so many of the 'extras' is just so bad it detracts
significantly from what would be an otherwise outstanding vehicle. If you
are considering a LS 460, I would take serious pause before I spent a dime
on the GPS, parking or stereo. Actually, I would buy a bare bones LS460,
save $10,000 and put in an aftermarket Audio/GPS system (if this is even
possible?). It probably would not sound as good as the Mark Levinson, but
the usability could not be any worse.
Every car must have a market, and it appears this car was designed for
your
grandmother. That is, a consumer who is clueless about technology, afraid
to drive over 45 mph, and wants the car to prevent her from ever doing
anything that might jeopardize her safety and security. (My apology to
all
the hip grandmothers out there who don't fit this paradigm.)
So, next time I shop for a new car, I will spend a couple of hours in each
car determining exactly how each vehicle's software works. I suggest you
carefully evaluate that as well before purchasing your next luxury
vehicle.
Learn from my mistake.
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