J.D. Power Survey - Nav System Questions

I just completed a J.D. Power survey about the navigation system.

Some of the questions dealt with hands free operation, which begs a couple of questions from me.

What hands free capability does the Leaf have?
Do I need bluetooth to use the features?

I don't recall the dealer going over any of this at delivery and frankly never read Nav System the documentation (I seldom use it since I usually drive to known locations).

The hands-free/voice recognition features in the Leaf are very limited. You have a modicum of control over dialing the phone and calling up some nav destination functions and that is about it. You do it via the microphone in the overhead and the button on the steering wheel. Just like the nav system itself, it is rather underwhelming...

jcesare said:

What hands free capability does the Leaf have?
Do I need bluetooth to use the features?

Click to expand...

It was surprisingly long. I had trouble with the questions about the voice recognition since I have never used it or even tried to understand how it works. Even though I said in an early question that I did not use it, the survey still required me to answer questions about how good it was, etc. I had to just mark all 1's for those. I was put off by all the questions about how important was it to be able to share with friends about locations from the car's nav system. I'm really not going to buy a car so I can chat with friends about the restaurant where I just ate, using the GPS system. I was amazed that the feature list they asked about included probably 5 times the number that I ever use, maybe more, and I consider myself a pretty frequent user of GPS systems, although I've never had one in-dash.

I just got my survey in the mail. I feel like I'm the most surveyed guy on the planet!!!

We have both a 2011 LEAF and a 2011 Infiniti G37. The latter has the features that I predict I will be surveyed about.

The number one complaint I have is that the left thumb "rocker" button on the steering wheel just runs the SOURCE of the radio (AM, FM, XM1, XM2, XM3, etc) and you select through those pre-programmed selections within each source by moving the switch up and down.

In the Infiniti, which presumably has the latest generation of Windows***, which is what they must be considering for the LEAF. I really like that the SOURCE button is the ENTER button on the Infiniti. I can scroll through stuff, and select, all with my left thumb while driving.

The speech stuff I don't use that often.

Tony

Why Nissan Tapped Microsoft for the Electric LEAF
By Josie Garthwaite Oct. 21, 2010

***"Unveiled this week at the SAE Convergence conference in Detroit, the latest version of Windows Embedded Auto includes Tellme speech recognition (allowing voice control of the in-dash interface and text messaging), tools for integrating third-party systems, and a version of Silverlight for 2-D and 3-D graphics.

In the Nissan LEAF, an earlier version of the Windows Embedded platform will power what the companies are calling an “information hub.” This is part of the EV-IT system first described during the vehicle prototyping stage last year. It encompasses an onboard transmitting unit connected through mobile networks to a data center. In-vehicle IT services include a display of the radius that the car can drive using the current battery charge, as well as the location of nearby public charging stations.

Perry told us in July that the automaker is working with AT&T to provide a connection for digital services for the car, which also has a dedicated iPhone application. Using the app, LEAF owners will be able to remotely monitor the state of charge of the battery, and can pre-heat or pre-cool the car. And as we all know, the iPhone — one of the most important platforms for mobile application development — is still exclusively on the AT&T network.

According to Perry, using Windows Embedded for the LEAF was a joint decision by Nissan and Clarion, which is supplying the hardware box and touch screen for the information hub. Nissan gave Clarion a set of specifications, he said, and then Clarion, a subsidiary of Hitachi selected the best platform to deliver those requirements. "

Original article here.

Clearly Nissan needs to learn how to write better, more detailed, and tighter specifications... :lol:

TonyWilliams said:

According to Perry, using Windows Embedded for the LEAF was a joint decision by Nissan and Clarion, which is supplying the hardware box and touch screen for the information hub. [Nissan gave Clarion a set of specifications, he said, and then Clarion, a subsidiary of Hitachi selected the best platform to deliver those requirements.]

Click to expand...

Ability to get up-to-date fuel prices and types by fuel station
Collision Notification (e.g., in a collision where the airbag is engaged, a trained specialist will contact occupants for status, and alert emergency services of vehicle location and condition, if necessary)
Ability to get airline flight times/delays
SD card connectivity
Speed and stop light camera alerts
Speed limit information (e.g., notifies driver of posted speed limit in current area)
Integrated night vision (e.g., night vision images that are shown on your navigation screen)
Ability to get up-to-date sports, stocks, etc.
Emergency Assistance (e.g., if in an emergency situation, driver can press a button and a trained specialist will coordinate emergency assistance)
Front view/side view camera (i.e., displays both front/side-view and navigation map)
Ability to wirelessly view/share content from your phone to your vehicle's multimedia system
Roadside assistance displays emergency phone numbers in your current location
Ability to get movie showtimes
Location sharing (e.g., ability to send vehicle location directly to specific members of your social networking site, as well as see the location of other members with this same feature)
Weather updates (Real-Time) or weather alerts (e.g., tornado, hurricanes, blizzards, flooding, earthquakes, fires, etc.)
Ability to wirelessly send destinations to system from Internet sites (Google Maps, MapQuest, etc.)
Ability to view/share content from your smartphone to your vehicle's multimedia system via USB or HDMI
Ability to exchange address information from/to smartphone, memory cards, etc. with navigation system
Geo-fencing (e.g., allows owner to set boundaries which vehicle can be operated in and notifies owner via text, email or call, when vehicle moves out of acceptable area)
Dual navigation/split screens
HDMI input
Rear-view camera, (i.e., displays both rear-view and navigation map)
Eco-routing option (i.e., routing that uses the least amount of fuel, based on road conditions and terrain)
Wireless Router/Capability to turn USB broadband card or Smartphone into wireless router
Speed Alert (e.g., allows owner to set acceptable speed limit, and notifies owner via text, email or call, when another driver of the vehicle is exceeding this limit)
Map displaying 3-dimensional buildings
Ability to navigate in off-road conditions
Ability to dictate text messages or emails using voice recognition

Ugh, gave up in the online survey after about 10 minutes.. That's a lot of questions for free..

One thing that does bug me about the nav system though.. When you ask to see things on the map (like restaurants), I can't seem to click on them for more info... Am I missing something? My 2005 Prius nav system did this really well. I hate the "list" method of items with distances as half of them are always in the wrong direction and I don't know which ones.. Just show me on the map!
Also, even with voice directions volume set to zero it still partially mutes the stereo for every turn.. Is there an "off"? I do like the freeway traffic info though...

GregH said:

Ugh, gave up in the online survey after about 10 minutes.. That's a lot of questions for free..

Click to expand...

You did better than me. I think I gave up after the third question. I got the time but no motivation to do this kind of survey for free. I've had other much shorter survey from my power company and they deposit $1 into my PayPal account for the trouble. It's not even about the money. I feel like I'm being taken advantage of grossly without being given any respect for my time based on the large amount of questions they have. They haven't done anything to show that they deserve that time from me. It's not even about the Leaf specifically, it's only about the navigation part, which I rarely use.