Just About To Buy 450h

Ravo · April 6, 2008

Hi guys,

Just about to take the plunge and buy a 2006 450h sel from my main dealer. looking at the forum there seems to be confusion about the satnav and bluetooyh capabilities. I have to use my phone on a regular basis when driving, am I right in assuming that that calls can be made using the sterring wheel buttons or voice control whilst on the move.

Can the satnav have a new destination entered whilst on the move.

Does the sat nav choose an alternative route if congestion is found.

Any good or bad feedback on the car would be appreciated.

Thanks

Ravo

kns · April 10, 2008

Hi guys,
Just about to take the plunge and buy a 2006 450h sel from my main dealer. looking at the forum there seems to be confusion about the satnav and bluetooyh capabilities. I have to use my phone on a regular basis when driving, am I right in assuming that that calls can be made using the sterring wheel buttons or voice control whilst on the move.

Can the satnav have a new destination entered whilst on the move.

Does the sat nav choose an alternative route if congestion is found.

Any good or bad feedback on the car would be appreciated.

Thanks

Ravo

I have a GS450h SE-L, which was bought new in October 2006.

The phone can only be used when on the move to dial from the 'Speed Dial Directory', which gives you the choice of around 18 preset numbers. These numbers are initially selected from the phone book.

When stationary or travelling very very slowly you have full access to the phone book, phone keypad, and off course all other functionality.

In terms of voice activation, you can not voice dial a phone number, but can program a further, I believe approx 10-15 further numbers which you assign a name tag too. However it’s worth mentioning that several commands are required to dial a number -

1. Press voice activation button driver says 'dial by name' car responds 'dial by name, say name after beep'

2. press voice activation button wait for tone-driver says 'home' (for example) car responds 'phone dial home please say yes or no after the beep

3. Press voice activation button car says 'please say yes or no,, wait for beep-driver then responds 'yes'

Also if you don’t wait for the tone and press button too early you will end up cancelling the whole operation!! :shutit:

With reference to the Sat Nav whilst on the move:-

1. You have the option to select either by voice (at least only one command required) or screen five preset destinations, or your home address.

2. By voice and more limited extent on the screen you can ask the system to show you a category of POI on the map screen, and then select it as destination or way point.

3. You can re-route, and if the system detects congestion, providing there is an alternate route available it will tell you and give the option to re-route.

I don’t use my car that often- as I have mentioned before only about 3,000 miles in 19 months so the limitations don’t bother me all that much. However I did some research same as you before buying, and realising the phone issues, I came up with a possible solution - get hold of one of the flexible arms that via a 'sucker' sticks to your windscreen to hold the mobile phone, and then any phone numbers can be dialled using the phone keypad, and the call will operate through the car as if dialled through the cars own system. Not exactly ideal but it is a legal solution.

I have heard rumours there is a way to disable all the inhibit functions, but not certain. I maybe being cynical but IMO clearly Lexus/Toyota are worried about litigation most likely in the U.S (there biggest market) from drivers having an accident whilst dialling a number or entering a destination whilst driving.

Also whilst on the subject a couple of other inhibited functions:-

1. The CD has the ability to display Disc Name and Track details for discs that have this feature, allowing you to select a track accordingly- this function won’t work on the move!

2. If you have Adaptive Cruise Control (I think a great feature), if the wipers go into high speed it disables the Adaptive function on the cruise control.

Lexus will off course argue this is all for safety reasons, as I said above I think its for other reasons... but having owned several Jaguars they have the same limitations on the Sat Nav, although I was in their new XF model and they seem to have dropped the inhibit function for that car.

To conclude all these limitations may seem ridiculous, but IMO these limitations are out weighed by the other benefits of the rest of the car.

Let me know if you need any other info.

Regards

Keith