bell2

Hi, I own mdx 14 and I can't stand the new on screen limitation of almost everything (no change in settings, no phone control, no gps control, etc..) while the car is moving. I was wondering if that is that same for '16, and if anybody knows about upcoming '17.

This is a such stepback with this limitation

thanks.

irobot2090

Yeah, they did that for a reason "for your safety" you have to put your car in Park in order to use all of those functions.


*I feel kind annoy too, I can't change my map while driving. But I think it is just for Safety.

bell2

"Thanks for clearing that up for me", but it was a very pussy move that I thought they will realize by now.
Knowing that their competitors (everything other than Lexus) don't have any limitation and they adding more and more features, this is indeed a huge step back for Acura.

Rexorg

Anything you do while driving can be a distraction. While some members here bemoan the nanny functions, I do value my own safety while they are using their free hand, or hands, to do whatever they think they need to do besides driving.

beach109

Massively different operation between a 2014 and 2016.

They fixed almost everything in the 2015, with all new software, new audio, new nav, etc.

Small list:
-Radio now has proper controls and shows you more on touch screen
-When on the phone, you can go to and roll through your entire Call History, entire Phonebook, etc with zero lockout (2014 used to only let you see the first 6 then lock)
-On nav, you can go through entire previous, address book, points of interest, etc when moving
-You still can't type a destination or place name on the touchscreen when moving, but have full voice control for it
-Voice control in 2015 and 2016 is 100% different, and much faster

Very, very different operation, to the point it almost makes a 2014 unusable in comparison, when you've been in a newer model.

Ron.s

Good to know. IMO the lockouts actually create a hazard in many cases as drivers fumble with the phone trying to make a call.

merlin the wrench

this is an old thread but my 2015 locks out when I try to scroll the info for the accident a couple miles ahead. It will list highway congestion for the same spot 5 or 6 times and one cannot scroll to the first incident. Totally stupid and asinine. Also the system that HERE uses for this is about as basic programming as a 6th grader could do. If there is congestion on a major road that has intersections every city block, it will list 4 entries for each block. One east, one west, one north and south on the cross streets. Do you know how many typical city blocks are in a mile? 16 or 17. X 4 = 64 congestion events in the next mile. That is scrolling thru 10 screens. Useless. My 2015 has the 2018 NAV software, and all the dealer software upgrades.

DJ Iceman

I agree, Merlin, which is the main reason I dropped my AcuraLink traffic subscription--the thing was useless due to crazy programming like that.

I also share the OP's disdain for the safety nanny lockouts of so many functions while the car is moving. I don't see why they can't tie those functions into the same sensor that activates the passenger airbag when someone is sitting over there--why do they assume only the driver wants to get into the infotainment system while we're moving?

Comfy

I totally agree with the huge limitations on functions while moving and other automakers somehow get around it without much hassle.
One of the reasons is that if there is a possibility that one could misuse the privilege, it WILL be misused by many (including some idiots) which could drag Acura into a lawsuit.
The passenger settings potentially could be easily overridden by placing a heavy bag on the passenger seat and latching the seatbelt.

DJ Iceman

Yeah, legal liability is almost certainly the reason Acura has gone to such a restrictive system. IANAL, but I would think Acura would have a rock-solid case if somebody went to that much effort to defeat the safety protocols. But heck, I just wish our society would go back to people accepting more personal responsibility for their actions and their consequences...

florissant

The 2018 and 2019 MDX's w/Navi allow you to enter destinations,make menu changes etc..while the vehicle is in motion. Unless 2016 is the only one you're concerned about. Acura came back to their sense's

jbawden

On average if those controls were not in place the number of distracted driving incidents would go up dramatically. It's for my safety all right, so I don't get slammed into at 60mph while you're trying to input an address.

merlin the wrench

why put Nav in a car if you can't use it? Why put a connection to a phone in a car if the commands fail? Frankly, it was a waste of money on my 2014 and 2015 MDX. It worked well in the 2006 RL, and was never a distraction. I am more distracted by the things my 2015 doesn't do than what it does. The 2019 NAV update did make things better than the 2018 however.