2008 Honda Accord: Navigating to San Diego Part 2

Great video! The seamless integration of the navigation system with the other functions makes it very compelling (although the price is a high one).

any estimates on gas consumption?

Yea I like that too, The Mazda's do this too, have the different screens so everything isn't mixed together...

I averaged 22 mpg on this trip, which is exactly what the EPA combined figures are.

Portable GPS unit - 'nuff said.

jriz, are the buttons on the center stack back lit? It seems like the lighting was very low in the video. If you turn on the headlights, do all of the buttons and labels light up or do you have to turn on the dome light to see?

Yes, the buttons are sufficiently lit. Because of my camera's limited abilities, lighting is not exactly representative. Also, the screen dims when the lights are in auto mode and there is also a dimmer button. At night, the map is black, during the day, it is tan.

altimadude00
 
I agree with you. I really like the Garmin Nuvi 660. I have had really good luck with that unit. And, as you stated, it goes from car to car to car. Nice.
 
The Accord's system looks to work really well. I have heard some less than flattering comments on the GM SUV ones.

James, I think you did an excellent job on the video and thank you for following up on Part 1 like you said you would.
(:

Voice commands are something I just can;t get used to. Don't ask me why. A number of functions in the Altima are voice controlled (though not the climate control - which I tend to leave at the same temperature setting anyway) - but I find that I feel kinda foolish talking to my car - particularly if I have a passenger. Still - the Honda system seem to work very quickly and efficiently and that is all to the good.
 
I do find the riot of buttons and switches in the cente stack a bit confusing and rather more than seems necessary. I am sure the driver would get used to it, but I don't think it is a model of ergonomic efficiency. People get used to BMW's dreaded I-drive, too (not that he Honda is that bad).
 
Very well-presented, by the way.
 
Jaeger

Excellent vid. Superbly seamless and simple. Does that radio/AC display exist on non-nav Accords?

Great video, James! Through a mic, you don't sound too different from Brian (Moody). :o)

looks good. I honestly feel that if you have to do that much looking down to program anything on the car, you are not paying enough attention to the road. I know you said its fast. But it seemed like it took you 40-50 seconds to get the addy in there. not slow. But I can see alot of people paying more attention to that nav then the road, even while talking.
 
the 2 level screens though. Thats a great idea. and one of those little touchs a portable device cannot touch. Though I still feel the price tag between a protable unit and a built in one should not be $1500

Cool vid James, the system looks extremely well-engineered and user friendly. I'm impressed.
  
Oh, and altimadude, Mr. Clarkson would call them "roundabouts".

Great video!!

honestly the nav system on this car is probably its most compelling stand out feature. That said, most buyers wont pony up for it. The voice control is very high tech but in the end I fail to see how you are saving much time. As for XM stations, presets more or less prevent you from needing to scan through hundreds of channels. I think hitting a preset button (or using steering wheel controls) is about as fast as saying which station you want via voice control. I assume most cars with XM can do the same things you can do on the GM head unit but you can lock out categories you dont need and scan through the ones you want which greatly cuts down on searching, if you chose to search.
 
I hope the voice recognition on the Accord is better than Onstar's recognition. I often have to repeat things or speak more slowly to get my commands understood. It also thinks my wife is saying "8" when she says "6".

I have never been one for voice control on anything. My dad loves using it on his phone, but I just find it easier to press and hold the speed dial button while he repeats the name over and over until the voice recognition software matches up. As Jaeger said, I'd just feel like I was talking to my car, and that's just silly. Or is it...?

Some of the best conversations I have ever had, have been with my car. Is it bad when the car starts talking back?

Speaking of talking back, I should probably mention that you can have the Accord speak back your commands to you. Theoretically, this would allow you to keep your eyes on the road more. However, I find that this slows down the process so much that I just turn the thing off. Doing so does shut the voice prompts off during navigation guidance, which I prefer, but some people might not like that. Either way, it's pretty quick to turn on and off. You also have a choice between female and male voices (although I've never met anyone who preferred the latter).
-James Riswick

In BMWs a female voice is used for navigation instructions while a male voice is used for all the other voice command responses (climate, radio, phone, etc). I told BMW I was highly disappointed that neither voice has a German accent. :-(

In "Tomorrow Never Dies," Bond's 750iL had a female voice with a German accent. I was hoping that Bimmers really would have that now, pitty.

I wonder if the voices are identical to those used in Acura. For an '05 TL with navi, I prefer the male voice. Not to mention the fact that I think of my car as a "he". :)

They are indeed. And it's good to know there's one person who likes Honda Man.

can you mix fm, am and xm presets on this car's head unit?

Bimmerjay,
 
Where do you find voice command list? Is it in the manual. I know my car has it but I never really used it. When I accidentally press the voice command button on the wheel my car tells me it doesn't understand.

The voice command list for the Accord is probably in the manual, but it's also in the small spiral-bound quick reference guide that comes with all Honda/Acuras.
 
No, the Accord doesn't mix and match FM, AM and XM presets like GM and Nissans do. I do prefer the GM set-up in this regard, however, a few tweaks could make it perfect. First, there should be a FAV button on the steering wheel. Second, say you're in FAV 1 and cycling upward through the channels using the wheel buttons. Once you pass #6, it doesn't go to #1 in that list, but rather #1 in the next list. Small thing, but it's one area where the Nissan is preferrable. All in all, mix-and-match lists are a great idea. Who really needs 6 AM and 12 FM presets nowadays anyway?

For that matter, jriz, who listens to AM or FM anymore? Sirius and my iPod are all I need for audio.

stephen987,
 
I own an iPod but neither of my parents' cars have an AUX jack, so I either bring my iPod in the car, and let them listen to the radio, or we both listen to the radio or CD.

blacke61-
 
I'm assuming you have an E61 with iDrive - in the back of the owner's manual, right before the index it should list all of the available voice commands, including the shortened versions. You can also hit the voice button on the steering wheel and say "options". The male voice will speak to you all of the possible voice commands for the function you're currently in (climate, radio, phone, etc).