Test drove it - very nice, especially with the traction control turned OFF. I drove it hard. It was fast but not that fast. It could use a little more power(I think the '06 Vette is kind of slow so...) Oh after break in I am sure it will have more to it..

Anyway, I am new here and have been reading around and I have some questions.

DVD/Navigation: Can DVDs be played back on the screen? When? How? While the vehicle is moving?

What are these Nav restrictions while moving? Is there a known workaround/Hack for this and the DVD playback for the 2007 models?

MP3 playback. Reading the manual it looks like I cannot transfer my MP3s from a CD/DVD/CF Card to the hard drive, but only rip CDs and compress via the stereo. Can anyone verify for sure?

iPod/mp3 - I read there is an iPod interface for several Nissans and something for the 1st gen G35 - is this an option for the new G35? I mean interface not RCA jacks..

4 wheel steering. Can anyone say if this option has any value and also if the suspension is modified by it?

MT vs AT performance. Are there any performance reviews of the 07 MT vs AT? Who wins? I will get MT regardless but I am curious.


I think that is all. I have never had DVD navigation and don't really care as I actually enjoy reading a map. I guess being alive 37 years means I am old now. Still, If I pay through the nose for it I expect it to be available any time, moving or not. Plus, the passenger should be able to operate it while driving..

Lastly, any word on the new coupe model regarding horsepower, chassis, or performance?

Thanks in advance.

 

you can talk to it or use the controller for all of its functions any time

I felt the same way about maps, but the nav in daily use is so handy and flat out competent it has changed my mind about wanting to read maps instead

I never had ANY interest in sat radio but the real time traffic info has already paid for itself so I am hooked into yet another bit of tech

the cd player is limited to cds; you have it right re ripping cds to the hard disk

the road tests so far seem to indicate that if you are are are paying close attention to being in the right gear you could beat the average AT driver in a drag race from a dead stop - and that its pretty much even everywhere else; to me it is a trade off of the considerable satisfaction of driving an MT vs the considerable convenience of the AT in traffic; one the other hand, I don't think there are too many pro drag of F1 cars with MT anymore....

 

The nav manual says otherwise. Section 2-6 is called "Functions disabled while driving":

To ensure safe driving, some functions cannot be operated while driving. The on-screen functions that are not available while driving will be "grayed-out" or muted. In some cases, certain text will not be displayed on the screen. Park the vehicle in a safe location and then operate the navigation system.

Unfortunately, it doesn't list all the functions that are disabled, but it shows four example pictures of things grayed out or blanked out. Perhaps the stupidest is that it won't show you the address or phone number of a POI.

I guess they forgot there might be someone in the passenger seat. Idiots.

 

Here's something to consider regarding AT vs MT.

I have seen someone mention that the gear lever is a little
far back for comfort. I didn't notice this during test drive,
but now that I've brought her home I see what they mean.
While holding onto the lever my upper arm rubs against
the edge of the curved seat back. It gets a little uncomfortable
after a while.

I'm not that tall, though (5'7"), so I keep the seat a bit forward.
For taller people this may not be an issue.

Other than this (which I can certainly live with), the car is a blast.

 

You are correct some areas are grayed out. However most of the commands will work using voice. For example you can't enter a location using the controls but you can using voice.

 

It doesn't display phone numbers of POIs. What if you want to call a POI with a bluetooth phone? Can you use a voice command for that?

What about a non-bluetooth phone? I guess you're out of luck?

 

With bluetooth phone you're just connecting thru the car. You can dial a phone number by voice.

With a non-bluetooth phone you are out of luck. In fact I bought a new phone just so I could have blue tooth. Works great.

 

Fully agree, the Nav has some absurd quirks. It also needs a "shut up" voice interruption command. I have not mastered the voice command set and a heads up display, (or at least that Deadpixel would publish a cheatsheet version with a larger font for we elderly reading eyesight-challenged Acrobat non-owners)

So all in all I rate it just astoundingly good with fairly thoughtful feeback and far better than I thought these things could be considering all the factors, including Microsoft was apparently involved with the interface.

 

You can turn off voice feedback thru the console.

 

You don't need acrobat to view PDF files ....

there are quite a few freeware programs out there to view PDFs

 

My probem isnt viewing the file on the screen- it is printing it out with a larger font so I can view it on the cheat sheet in the car!

Without the full Acrobat program I can't manipulate the font or save it in a format to do so. Copying the text and pasting it looses your nice layout.

 

Alright -- now I see your problem .....
sorry for assuming it was something else ....

Maybe its time to start keeping a laptop in our cars

 

One of the biggest limitations on the nav while moving is scrolling. Say you are looking at the nearby traffic information and there are 40 or 50 entries (typical daily amount here in DC). You can only see what is on the current screen while the car is moving. Once you stop you can continue scrolling through the list. Just a safety issue so you aren't looking at the display and not the road. Once you go through the Nav tutorial with the car, you can pretty much control everything through the steering wheel and voice commands. Just remember to say your numbers slowly and phonetically. It has a problem distinguishing between 2 and 8 for some reason.