Chevy Spark and Sonic Are First Cars to Get Siri 'Eyes Free'

[PracticalMac]

Originally Posted by Ingot

awww... What about FORD?

Microsoft has them in its pocket with "Sync".
Works, but like Windows tells you a lot of useless information.

[JayDude132]

Of course this didn't appear on last year's Sonic, since I purchased one.. Although maybe it's just me, but I hardly every use Siri anyway.

To all of you concerned about these vehicles, as far as the Sonic goes. It is a great car. One day I happened to go on Chevy's website, saw the Sonic, and decided to go for a test drive just to see what it was like.

I ended up trading in my Lexus for the Sonic later that week, and the car has been great! These cars are built much more solid than previous subcompacts by Chevy *cough* Aveo *cough*. I can't speak for the Spark, but I would assume it is built on-par with the Sonic.

[AppleScruff1]

Originally Posted by MacDav

So you think they will be using a different OS in the car than out of the car?

No, I said I hope it works better than it does in iOS. Perhaps if I added, "than it currently does" it would be clearer to prevent nitpicking?

[AustinIllini]

Originally Posted by JayDude132

I ended up trading in my Lexus for the Sonic later that week, and the car has been great! These cars are built much more solid than previous subcompacts by Chevy *cough* Aveo *cough*. I can't speak for the Spark, but I would assume it is built on-par with the Sonic.

Wait until it breaks down. You'll take it to the shop and it will...

...GET FIXED? For just a fraction of the price of any competitor? Really?


Great post. GM cars are far better than they were ten short years ago.

[Kwill]

Nice that Chevy is finally catching up to features of Griffin SmartTalk Solar, which can be added to any car.

[Muscle Master]

Lot of idiots in this thread

If anyone had half a brain.. GM paid back 93% of its bailout.. Won't be able to call it government motors without looking like an idiot soon

As for Chrysler outsourcing jobs to China.. What are you Slow Fiat is basically the parent company of Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep now. Which before they've entered the picture had dozens of Europeans and Asia operations

And regarding reliability.. All you BMW snobs.. I remember when the current gen M5 was release.. Owners couldn't even start their car cause the engine would blow up.. FAIL!!

Oh.. Bout those high pressure fuel injectors in the twin turbo 3.0 (335i engine)... Lol

And regarding Audi being unreliable... That's the only European car maker I would buy from under Porsche.. The rest are really junk

[SmileyBlast!]

I wish car companies would offer a modification to the dash to dock you phone in landscape or portrait mode and maybe even include the charging cables for the type of phone you use as an option.

It could be a snap in plastic molded part that fits your preferred phone just right.

Just putting the phone on the passenger seat just seems wrong.
You are driving, turning, phone slips off seat, you lean over to try to retrieve it ... crash!

[imola.zhp]

Originally Posted by Muscle Master

That's bs to a degree.. I have driven both

The manual is ass, but the auto is damn near perfect. I have a question. how long have the 3 series been out. and how long has the ATS been out?

wait until GM iron out the kinks and release there 8 speed autos. BMW can't even make a reliable turbo engine

BMW better watch out

lmao, they outsold all competitors by a landslide in 2012, I'm sure they will do just fine...

As for transmissions, no car can be considered a "sports" car/sedan/etc without a proper manual transmission. IMO. Super cars and hyper cars do not count here.

Keep on dreaming in your Cataract, if you were "smart" enough to buy one. You'll regret it at resale time...

[Muscle Master]

Originally Posted by imola.zhp

lmao, they outsold all competitors by a landslide in 2012, I'm sure they will do just fine...

As for transmissions, no car can be considered a "sports" car/sedan/etc without a proper manual transmission. IMO. Super cars and hyper cars do not count here.

Keep on dreaming in your Cataract, if you were "smart" enough to buy one. You'll regret it at resale time...

you got some facts to back that up.. as for for 2013, expect the ats to outsell the 3

[princigalli]

I am amazed that Apple never thought of making Siri helpful to people with impaired vision.

[k2k koos]

While I have nothing against Chevy, or other GM car brands, I am surprised that Apple didn't choose a more 'up market' brand to introduce this.
I'd expected to see it in for example a BMW , or Mercedes first, and other more mundane cars later...

oh well, as long as Apple doesn't start making GM standard computers etc I am happy.

[Muscle Master]

Originally Posted by k2k koos

While I have nothing against Chevy, or other GM car brands, I am surprised that Apple didn't choose a more 'up market' brand to introduce this.
I'd expected to see it in for example a BMW , or Mercedes first, and other more mundane cars later...

oh well, as long as Apple doesn't start making GM standard computers etc I am happy.

That would be stupid...

look at it this way, How many people can afford a $16,000 car compared to this who can afford north of $30,000 for one

[blitzkreig]

The alternative of a Windows product would never pass the safety tests. It would give the term "Blue Screen of Death" a whole new meaning ...

[darkcoupon]

Maybe it's just me, but the whole "Siri Eyes Free" thing sounds like a fancy name for "Bluetooth." Every single one of the abilities that were listed can already be done by anyone with a Siri enabled iPhone or iPad and a car stereo that has bluetooth connectivity.

I personally have a 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport with bluetooth connectivity from the factory. It does have a built-in, voice-activated dialer and contacts/music database, but it's so convoluted and unreliable that it's just too frustrating to use. Instead, when I want to make a call or use Siri in any way I just connect my iPhone via bluetooth and use Siri from the phone. The only thing I'm not able to do with this method is have Siri give me directions on my in-dash nav, but I didn't see that ability listed here either. Is this thing really worth looking into when buying a new car? Or would you be better off paying $100 at Wal-Mart for a stereo that has bluetooth?

[qwerter]

Originally Posted by rcread

I would rather walk 12 miles through a snow storm than drive either of those cars.

Just bought a Spark. Love it.

Happy to give you a lift out of the snow.

[portishead]

Originally Posted by Optheduim

Yes yes, you aren't the only one that thinks I am crazy. I have an '07 A4 Quattro. The only two things I love about it is the 6spd manual & the awd.

Bought the car new, but since the month after my purchase it has been nothing but problem after problem. Every 3 months she is in the shop, and the problems are just getting costlier with post-warranty.

My parents & one of my brothers drive a ford and all they do is rave about it. My other brother just bought a '12 Audi Q7 and the problems just started rolling in on him.

as long as it isn't a GM (didn't approve of the bailout), Siri eyes free could suede my purchase.

I had an 06 A3. Essentially the same car assuming you had a 2.0T, maybe you had a 3.2. The only problem I had was faulty thermostat. Other than that, it was pretty good, even for a turbo. Well I can't disprove a bad experience, certainly you're not the only one. That's too bad though. I have a CT200h now and a Subaru Legacy. I think i'm going to get the 2014 A3, but we'll see.

[twoodcc]

Hopefully Toyota will follow suit

[NewAnger]

Originally Posted by Eduardo1971

That's a pretty ugly interior-there's a lot of inexpensive-loooking plastic; but then this again this is an lower-tier price range auto. You get what you paid for.

I wonder when BMW and Audi automobiles will finally street with 'Eyes Free'?

My late model Honda Accord has a great deal of plastic in it and I wouldn't consider Honda low tier priced brand.

Back in the 90s, when my dad was still alive and working at a Toyota dealership prepping new cars on delivery, he mentioned bacj then that they were switching to a lot of plastic back then and parts were beginning to not fit as well as they used to.

The first Chevy that I owned new that was loaded with plastic parts, the whole dashboard was entirely made of plastic was a Camaro.

[rjohnstone]

Originally Posted by twoodcc

Hopefully Toyota will follow suit

Toyota uses Microsoft Windows Embedded Automotive 7 for their Entune in car system.

[aarond12]

What is this "Siri"? Oh, the app I had on my iPhone 4 that Apple unceremoniously removed just because they wanted it for marketing the new iPhone 4S?

I'm gonna stir up some bees: I like vehicles to be as simple as possible, allowing the driver to focus on driving. I see technology-laden vehicles (especially 3-ton SUVs) with drives so distracted they can't stay within their own lanes.

My car? A Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric vehicle. Nearly maintenance-free and distraction-free. As close to an appliance as possible. Do I enjoy driving? Actually I do. I even learned on a manual transmission. However, as the technology has improved, a simple, electric vehicle suits my needs quite nicely.

The car is about as no-frills as you can imagine. I got the base model without Bluetooth, navigation, rear camera, or any of that. My previous car had none of that either. Is it interesting to have on rental cars? Sure, but I've found it distracts me more than helps me.

[raggdoll]

Originally Posted by rjohnstone

The Spark and Sonic are anything but "sophisticated".
That disaster of a system in the 2013 Corvette proves GM has a long way to go.

Explain please

[AidenShaw]

Originally Posted by raggdoll

Explain please

Yes, please explain - since the Corvette is mostly irrelevant.

Why do we need a 7.0 litre two-seater? Is there really such a big market for men in mid-life crises who need to wave their willys?

[twoodcc]

Originally Posted by rjohnstone

Toyota uses Microsoft Windows Embedded Automotive 7 for their Entune in car system.

well hopefully that will change in the future

[Rizzn]

I was recently buying a new inexpensive car and gave Chevy a look. Test drove the Sonic and it was a terrible experience; such cheap materials on the inside. There was nothing pleasant about it except for some of the exterior styling.

Didn't even consider the hideous, unpractically sized Spark.

Ended up with a used 2008 VW Rabbit (clearly I wanted a hatchback). I think I'll drive Euros for life now... Until my first repair bill. XP

[zioxide]

Originally Posted by AustinIllini

Stop with the nonsense. American cars are on the rise (This doesn't even include Ford)

Unless you want something reliable and doesn't break down all the time.

Consumer reports top brands for reliability in 2012 was: Toyota, Mazda, Subaru, and Honda (in that order).

Originally Posted by Optheduim

So I'm buying a ford, because I love it. Americans are making better cars than before.

You're talking about the same Ford that was dead last in the 2012 consumer reports reliability ratings right?


Anyway, basically the only difference between these setups in these new cars here and the setup I have in my current car (iphone 5 hooked up to AUX via lightning) is that you press the Siri button on the steering wheel instead of pushing the home button on the phone sitting in the console?

Siri is actually quite convenient when driving, mostly because it's nice to say "play this song" instead of having to look at the screen while driving, but I don't think it's worth all the extra money just to move the button to the steering wheel.