Too good to be true?

A car with built-in Nav, cellphone wireless charging bay, various infotainment features: completely uninteresting to me. Just more crap destined to fail or become obsolete.

 

I sort of have a similar "Anti-Technology" anti-extra's attitude. BUT....
Before I owned my Prius...I was totally against keyless entry and even push button start seemed like a waste.
Once I had those "extra's"...I quickly learned to appreciate them and enjoy them.
In fact...I purposely chose a Honda Fit EX to maintain the baseline of having keyless entry and push button start.
2 features, that before the Prius, I would of probably ignored or NOT thought I'd like.

I also just think it's inevitable. The technology and "infotainment" bar is just going to keep on being raised. Most people want it, and expect it. How supportive and interactive a vehicle is with modern available technology has become a big selling feature and/or conversely a deal breaker for many people.

With new vehicles....the days of "Keeping It Simple" are pretty much over.

 

Around here 2010' go for trade-in since hybrid sale r down. U could get a 2012 for that money

 

When we first bought our used '08 Prius about 2 years ago, the aforementioned Mrs. TV conducted her own side-by-side experiment using the new Garmin system simultaneously with the integrated Toyota system. There was no comparing the two: the Garmin was faster, more precise, and the voice recognition was light years ahead of the Toyota. After a couple of days, she ended the experiment, and has never used the Toyota system again.

 

We find the newer Garmins not as good as the previous models for lane assist instructions. Many times the instructions are too late or non-existent.

 

There was a time in the early '60's, where all-in-one "stereos" were popular. Single box systems with amp, receiver, turntable, speakers: all-in-one. The big issue though: one or more component would fail, or just become dated.

Component systems overtook them quickly. The only enduring "combination" I'd say is the "receiver", where amplication and radio tuner remained combined in one box. And nowadays less and less users use the tuner, listen to over-the-air radio broadcast, which is kinda sad.

But peripheral components: cd players, turntables, reel-to-reel or cassete decks: they are all separate, can be added/deleted, as their popularity waxes and wanes. Same thing for speakers,

 

Here in the US, for some reason, many home theater audio systems also have a radio receiver built in.

 

Yeah, I think the terms they came up with are amplifier and tuner. Put 'em together: receiver. Receiver is the ubiquitous option in home theater, I think it's uncommon to not have built-in tuner, ie: have just an amp.

 

I was on a new road today. 4 days old.

Of course my year old Toyota nav update knew nothing about it. Had I my 10 year old TomTom, it would have had 4 official updates a year and might even have had a user submitted update only a week old. And all for 1/4 the price of the on-board Toyota product initially and 1/4 the yearly cost for updates. And my navigator could have manipulated the destination while moving, unlike the Toyota where I'd have to make mods to have that functionality.

Now if the v's nav only had the capability the salesman promised ... the ability to get updates over the cell phone via download.

Looking forward to AndroidAuto or ApplePlay. Haven't traveled in a car so equipped yet but judging from the number of times my cell phone app has been superior ...