netjazz

Good friend just got a 2005 Mercedes SL65 AMG and its "Comand DVD Navagation System" has the first Voice Activated imput for destination on Nav that I have seen.It ask for State,City, Street, number and you verbally imput each as it ask you for it. Very impressive, I must admit. This is really the ultimate in voice activation. A real WOW feature, and in a German car, not Japanesse.
Maybe I am behind the times, but does anyone know of any other brand of auto with it? Sorry to mention the MB brand on our BMW Forum, but this is really the future ( thought it was worth a mention) and I hope BMW gets there soon.

Iceman

Don't worry, they will.

wnrussell

I wonder why Mercedes does not have Bluetooth yet. They seem on top of most other technology.

In 2005 these seventeen brands offer or will offer Bluetooth

Acura
Audi
BMW
Buick
Chrysler
Dodge
Ford (dealer installed option)
Infiniti
Jaguar
Jeep
Land Rover
Lexus
Lincoln
Mitsubishi
Toyota
Volkswagen
Volvo (late 05)

http://bluetoothcar.typepad.com/main/

Rudy

I haven't used it but I'm pretty sure Lexus/Toyota have voice activated nav. Also, I think Acura/Honda does too.

The fact that BMW has integrated voice recognition (speech-to-text) into the phone directory gives me hope that they'll do it for the nav system as well. It only makes sense...

netjazz

Hi Rudy,
Was curious if Lexus or Acura had destination by voice input on their Nav system, so went to their web-site. It appears they do not have it yet either. Score a first in Nav. technology for the German car makers.
Netjazz

Rudy

Link to Lexus voice-activated navigation informaton...

Link to Acura voice-activated navigation information...

browellm

I hear a lot of anecdotal evidence that the voice system in the Merc works extremely poorly.

netjazz

With the Acura nav you can ask for restaurants or gas stations or points of interest, etc. but after again checking their web sites I still don't see where it is possible to enter state, city, street, and number destination with VOICE input in either the Lexus or Acura. Don't believe they are that advanced.

swajames

I took a test in the 2005 RL before getting my 545i, the nav does let you enter destination including street name etc completely by voice. One thing about the acura that really did impress me is the level of integration between the different systems on the RL - everything works together very well and the active traffic feature on the nav is awesome - real time traffic data is sent to the NAV via the XM radio and freeways are color coded based on the traffic data. It's probably the best implemented technology I've seen on a mainstream car. I'm very happy with my 545 (who wouldn't be!), but if BMW could implement the technology piece as well as Acura have on the RL I'd be even happier. Not to say BMW isn't at the cutting edge - they are - but acura have done a superb job on the RL from that standpoint. Then again I got the car to drive and for me at least that's the area that everyone else plays catch up to BMW!

subterFUSE

Well Acura is a japanese car company, so they will ALWAYS be ahead of BMW when it comes to the electronics. Hence, they were the first with Bluetooth, DVD Audio, Voice Recognition NAV, Traffic info integration, etc...



My voice activation on my 545 is hit or miss. Sometimes it works great, other times it is always wrong.

BMW needs to work on voice recognition a lot more before it will be good enough to enter Navigation inputs.