I had our 2006 Lexus RX 400h this weekend and it's no Mini . I kid, heh. Anyway, the one thing I liked about it, apart from how aah-somely silent it is idling at a stoplight, was how the radio interface is separate from the navigation one. So I could change radio stations without having to cycle through the screens...
Huzzah! Same sorta goes for climate controls. I liked being able to increase/decrease temperature and fan speed just by pressing buttons. A little window pops up on the nav screen, not interfering at all with the map on display. I could spend more time watching the road than staring at a touchscreen, trying to find the right function and making sure to press the correct button.
Caroline Pardilla, Deputy Managing Editor @ 30,637 miles
Caroline Pardilla, Deputy Managing Editor @ 30,637 miles
cts24 says:
12:32 PM, 03/17/08
I would agree--But as a former Lexus owner, I HATED to have to go into the Nav screen menus everytime I wanted to adjust the fan speed. I know my '07 IS350 was like this--and from the pic the RX seems to follow suit. Irritating.
louiswei says:
01:26 PM, 03/17/08
The car has fully automatic climate control, leave it at auto mode, set the temperature then forget about it...
Adjusting the fan speed, what the point?
ahightower says:
01:41 PM, 03/17/08
Sometimes you want manual control, even with auto climate control. When it's cold or hot outside, no problem, let the car do its thing. However, sometimes (like now) when the weather is pleasant, and you just want a little fresh air, over-riding the automatic climate control can be annoying.
cts24 says:
03:37 PM, 03/17/08
Louiswei,
Maybe in 72 degree-everyday LA. Where I live the temp can vary throughout the day and the Auto Climate control in my Lexus very rarely kept up with the changes. It forced me to dive into the NAV menu just to get a little more air. My point was not on the validy of Auto-Climate control--it was that having to use a screen for any function that has the POTENTIAL to be used frequently is just a stupid idea.
louiswei says:
03:49 PM, 03/17/08
cts24, I have only been in LA for about 8 months. Before that I've spent a year in Melbourne, FL and about 10 years in Atlanta, GA. The A/C was able to keep up regardless whereever I am. The auto climate control works just like the home A/C to me.
That being said, I do agree with you that frequently used functions like A/C and radio should have their own stand alone controls.
johnmarco says:
06:54 AM, 03/18/08
Huzzah! That's funny. Are you Monty Burns' long lost granddaughter?
The whole automatic climate control thing doesn't appeal to me. Maybe you get used to it, but all I know is that, at this moment, I'm hot, so hit me with some cold air. Later, I'm cold, so hit me with some warm air. Don't make me estimate that, gee, I really need the cabin to be 83.44 degrees.
louiswei says:
09:17 AM, 03/18/08
"I'm hot, so hit me with some cold air. Later, I'm cold, so hit me with some warm air."
So do you operate your home A/C like that as well?
johnmarco says:
09:41 AM, 03/18/08
No -- I use the windows to cool off and a sweatshirt to warm up. But it's not really an issue; the temperature variability of my apartment is probably 5 degrees in a day, whereas in a car it's probably 30 degrees.