Carwow YouTube video review of the mk4 Leon FR

Seriously?

Active Member
Apr 20, 2018
1,237
831
Thanks for sharing - it pretty much seems to back up a lot of the misgivings about the infotainment set up. Voice/gesture control is hit and miss, and too many submenus to drill down through to get the the important stuff like HVAC (and those sliders at the bottom of the screen aren't actual sliders but touch controls)
And who in their right mind thought a touch panel out of line of sight for lighting controls should also include the rear screen heater control?? 100% Fumble Potential
 

SRGTD

Active Member
May 26, 2014
2,388
1,279
Yes, agree 100% on the poor positioning of the lighting controls. I can envisage a few scary moments; people fumbling for the rear screen heater control at night and they inadvertently turn off the car’s lights, plunging themselves into darkness!

Not well thought out at all IMO.
 

BigJase88

Jase
Apr 20, 2008
3,767
1,069
Watching that review it sums up what most think, the previous generation was better looking and it makes it even more obvious they have went the wrong way with the infotainment. It will put a lot of potential buyers off. In example there is no way on this planet my mother could ever operate the system. If you are over 45-50 then you have no chance of operating that ipad unless you are into tech.
 

CupraGeezer

Active Member
May 11, 2018
357
163
If you are over 45-50 then you have no chance of operating that ipad unless you are into tech.
You're entitled to your opinion on the car but ageist insults are unnecessary. Not everyone over the age of 45 has Parkinson's or dementia, you know.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bedlam

SRGTD

Active Member
May 26, 2014
2,388
1,279
I’m certainly above the 45-50 age group and using a touch screen is still within my physical and mental capabilities :).

My preference though is not to be forced to use a touch screen one while driving; IMO whatever age you are, having to hunt through on-screen menus and sub-menus to find a function previously operated by a simple, effective switch, knob or button while driving at the same time is a potentially dangerous distraction, and not something manufacturers should be forcing us to do.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rob66 and Bedlam

BigJase88

Jase
Apr 20, 2008
3,767
1,069
You're entitled to your opinion on the car but ageist insults are unnecessary. Not everyone over the age of 45 has Parkinson's or dementia, you know.
There was no insult there.

My mother is 56 and she can just about send a text message. She wouldn’t be able to drive that car as she wouldn’t understand it. Just stating facts.

you reference parkinsons / dementia not me.

i have to reset her tyre pressure warning for her on her 2008 bmw, thats how much she would struggle.

a majority would be in the same bracket. It would even fry my brain trying to navigate menu’s to adjust the heating while apparently meant to be concentrating on driving.

can’t answer a phonecall with a phone but deemed acceptable to mess about with slider bars while driving to adjust the cabin heat. Never heard as much nonsense in my life.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Sochaux

CupraGeezer

Active Member
May 11, 2018
357
163
The insult was the extrapolation of your mother's abilities to everyone in and above her age group. I'm 59 and am more than capable of operating an iPad so your so-called facts are not facts at all but bigotry.

Whether or not it is a suitable device for controlling a car is another question altogether.
 

BigJase88

Jase
Apr 20, 2008
3,767
1,069
The insult was the extrapolation of your mother's abilities to everyone in and above her age group. I'm 59 and am more than capable of operating an iPad so your so-called facts are not facts at all but bigotry.

Whether or not it is a suitable device for controlling a car is another question altogether.
Yes that is one example
What i am saying is they have went from a userface that was accessible to everyone to one now that requires a decent knowledge of tech and that is not everyone and generally speaking with advancement of age then knowledge of tech decreases. That isn’t blanket ageism it is a fact. People had to adapt to tech and not everyone did.

My mother grasps it enough to send a text message but other than that she would struggle and a lot of others will be in the same boat.
 

vc-10

Active Member
Mar 29, 2016
330
112
I'm 29, a massive techie, and I'd rather real climate controls.

I believe the touch sensitive light controls thing is more like a laptop touchpad than a touchscreen- it physically 'clicks'. Certainly that's what the one in the ID3 does, or at least the one VW had in their Berlin promo place in January!

Regarding ageism... my 21 year old sister is totally inept beyond instagram, whilst my 57 year old mum is pretty good with tech. She has an iPad, iPhone, and PC, and uses all three perfectly well. As does my 65 year old dad.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Seriously?

Seriously?

Active Member
Apr 20, 2018
1,237
831
Irrespective of one's tech savvyness (if that's even a word) or not, the major issue I have with the "iPad glued to the dash" is it forces you to avert your attention from outside the vehicle to inside it. There are laws against using your phone whilst driving for that very reason and rightly so.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SRGTD

vc-10

Active Member
Mar 29, 2016
330
112
The 'iPad on the dash' isn't particularly the issue- it's the relocation of so many more functions into it. BMW for example have a good compromise- the screen is a touchscreen which works great for things like destination input on the satnav when you're stationary, and then there's the rotary controller for when you're moving.
 
Adrian Flux insurance services - discount for forum members.