Easy-to-Use Navigation System - 2014 Kia Cadenza Limited Long-Term Road Test

Comments

• jli585 Member Posts: 8

  October 2014

  Too bad the keyboard isn't QWERTY. We're so used to typing on those that alphabetized layouts like the one here actually end up being more confusing.

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• chol92594 Member Posts: 208

  October 2014

  Touch screens are normally the best interface for infotainment systems, but sometimes, they can be more of a hassle than others. Some cars I've been in mount the touch screen too high up or too far out of reach of the driver, requiring them to stretch forward to reach the screen. Of course, different screen placements may work better for different drivers, since people sit closer or farther away from the dash, depending on their height.
  
  The screen on my mom's 2013 Tiguan is easy to reach, but it's small and isn't angled towards the driver at all. It also has no sort of glare protection, so it can be hard to read in direct sunlight. That's one of the big benefits of iDrive or Audi's MMI; most of the models integrate the screen into a part of the dash that provides some glare protection while also keeping the screen higher up and more in line with the view of the road. Acura/Honda has a decent idea with using a touch screen to control a larger primary display, but so far, its implementation has been somewhat awkward. I normally prefer knob-based controls like MMI or iDrive unless a touch screen is exceptionally good. It's still more comfortable (and safer) to use controls down by the shifter (where you normally rest your arm while driving) instead of having to glance down at a screen to figure out where to touch. The less time your eyes spend away from the road, the better.

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• cadenzaguy Member Posts: 4

  October 2014

  There is an option to switch between key board layouts

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• dg0472 Member Posts: 89

  October 2014

  The Cadenza's touch screen is reserved for nav and audio functions, and even some of those have repetitive buttons on the dash and/or wheel. Climate is displayed there, but controlled by hard buttons, some of which are visible in this picture. Voice commands are pretty easy for the nav, too, meaning that a controller knob really isn't necessary. Though I admit, some streets don't work well. I have to say jev-VASE for Gervais St. (pronounced as jer Vay) to get the system to accept it, though the system says it as jer Viss, but won't accept it if I say it that way. It also said White Hars Road for White Horse Road, though that wasn't my destination so don't know if it'd take horse said the correct way or not.

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• gslippy Member Posts: 514

  October 2014

  The nav in my Leaf is terrible - difficult to use and inaccurate.

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• dg0472 Member Posts: 89

  November 2014

  I recently updated mine and first, here's the great news: ignore the disclaimer and it'll eventually go away on its own. Now, for the bad news: many times it goes to the map by itself even if you had the SAT display up when the car was turned off. Pronunciations aren't better. I was nearly driven batty by hearing "Tacker Boulevard" instead of Tucker. The whole system seems slower to respond now. You can now turn off some of the voice prompts in an "expert" mode, but that doesn't save much time because often the response is, even if you distinctly wait for the beep to end, is "You spoke too soon; please try again after the beep."
  
  Even though this was just released, most of the exit numbers that I was given around Louisville, St. Louis, and Nashville didn't match the signs. True, most of the roads in all three of these cities seem to be under construction, but they weren't even close.
  
  I was told to keep right onto I-40. But going right would have taken me onto I-26/I-240. And though the arrows on that screen correctly pointed me to the left towards Knoxville, the other signs for Asheville and Johnson City were shown blank.
  
  I took a side trip to Springfield to see the Capitol, but on the way back, the system showed the signs wrong and I took the wrong exit. I realized I wasn't headed towards downtown St. Louis and I finally just pulled off because it was obvious I was going to be well to Kansas City before the system ever recalculated. In fact, it never did; I ended up canceling the route and resetting it using the Previous Destinations function.
  
  I was told to keep right onto Tenn. 6, which was actually signed as US 31E! The drawing of the road wasn't clear that how I should go.
  
  It wanted me to detour off US 25 SB to avoid a traffic jam that wasn't there and I seriously doubt ever existed just outside downtown Travelers Rest, SC.
  
  And a few times, after the system default timed-out on the shortest time function, guidance never actually started until I hit Menu and pressed Start Guidance even though I'd already said that to the voice command system.
  
  Lastly when I got home I found that it wanted me to turn left onto a different street to get to my house, which would require driving by my house. I tried to use the error reporting system on the MnSOFT website, but it's absolutely useless to even try to do so.
  
  I don't think Edmunds has much time left with the Cadenza, but considering it's a press fleet car, I think it'd be worth asking Kia for the drive and doing the update to see what the results are. Mine aren't good.

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