Toyota Adding Alexa to Select Cars in 2018

DooKey

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Toyota has joined a growing group of companies that are jumping onto the Alexa train and plans to add the voice assistant to all models that have the Toyota Entune 3.0 App Suite and Lexus Enform App Suite 2.0 in 2018. All of Alexa's skill will be available in the car. Overall, this isn't a bad move by Toyota and it will make their cars more attractive to the scores of Alexa users out there.

Customers will be able to access Alexa's range of skills — as its voice applications are called — while in the car. So apart from asking it some of the usual things, such as playing music or giving a weather report, passengers can also use the service to interact with smart-home devices to turn lights on in their homes or open their garage doors. Users can also ask it to identify nearby businesses in the middle of a trip and offer directions to them.
 
Something people need to realize is that modern cars are difficult when it comes to putting in an aftermarket stereo. Toyota, and especially Lexus are by far the worst. Recently bought a Lexus IS250 and there's no easy way to put in an aftermarket stereo. Just to remove the stereo in my 07 Lexus would disable the climate controls, even though the controls are far away from the stereos location. Also, if you were able to get a stereo in the car, you might get a airbag light as well.

Normally in this situation where a car comes with something stupid like Alexa I could just replace the stereo with something aftermarket, but that's not how cars are built today. Luckily for me someone in China did make a replacement aftermarket stereo for my car, but otherwise I would have to get used to the stock radio. Probably the biggest loss in the automative world is the ability to just put in a 1din or 2din stereo in our cars.

https://www.alibaba.com/product-det...ml?spm=a2700.7724838.2017115.2.2d2ee25fy2kdVq
 
Lol. No thanks. If i want alexa, i'll put it on my phone. I don't need some crappy outdated version being put into a car. Cars should last a hell of a lot longer than my phone, and to be honest auto manufacturers don't really update their consoles like a phone or a computer.
 
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Something people need to realize is that modern cars are difficult when it comes to putting in an aftermarket stereo. Toyota, and especially Lexus are by far the worst. Recently bought a Lexus IS250 and there's no easy way to put in an aftermarket stereo. Just to remove the stereo in my 07 Lexus would disable the climate controls, even though the controls are far away from the stereos location. Also, if you were able to get a stereo in the car, you might get a airbag light as well.

Normally in this situation where a car comes with something stupid like Alexa I could just replace the stereo with something aftermarket, but that's not how cars are built today. Luckily for me someone in China did make a replacement aftermarket stereo for my car, but otherwise I would have to get used to the stock radio. Probably the biggest loss in the automative world is the ability to just put in a 1din or 2din stereo in our cars.

https://www.alibaba.com/product-det...ml?spm=a2700.7724838.2017115.2.2d2ee25fy2kdVq

this isnt just toyota, it's any car with a touch screen that does anything. replace that screen with a 3rd party one and you'll likely lose all functionality the original screen had
 
I have this in my truck via my phone. With Ford's Sync 3 system it will run the Sync Apps from the phone over Bluetooth. So install the Ford+Alexa app on the phone, and now all of the sudden my truck has Alexa. It's pretty interesting actually. I like being able to tell it I'm headed home and have do a few things to prep the house as I'm driving out of the parking lot at work. I tell Alexa I'm leaving and it will automatically start the truck for me, turn off all the lights, lock the door behind me, etc..

Is any of it needed? Nope. Is it nice? Yup.
 
Looks like ill be sticking with my 09 BMW 128i for quite awhile.

This post is useless. It doesn't reference Toyota or Alexa. In fact, the only purpose it serves is to tell the rest of the forum that you have a 2009 BMW 128i. Who cares?
 
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Damn kirbyrj,..harsh. :)

Well, this (along with other things they are doing to cars) is one reason I went back and did a resto-mod on my old Ranchero and the Wife has a 62 Corvette (C5 drive train and suspension bits). She has a first generation IS250. Nice car, but boring and forget any type of customization.

Cars are just disposable appliances and getting worse each year. Better than that, they are now hackable. New feature I can do without.
 
You can avoid Toyota, but where they go, most everyone will follow, eventually.
 
At some point in the near future, a pair of arguing kids on a family vacation is going to make a thief very happy when the kids accidentally trigger the "Open Garage Door" feature while the family is 1534 miles away.
 
This post is useless. It doesn't reference Toyota or Alexa. In fact, the only purpose it serves is to tell the rest of the forum that you have a 2009 BMW 128i. Who cares?
Doubt it was his intention. That car is nothing to brag about.
 
At some point in the near future, a pair of arguing kids on a family vacation is going to make a thief very happy when the kids accidentally trigger the "Open Garage Door" feature while the family is 1534 miles away.

If that would be the worse thing that could happen. Imagine them arguing and the car starts, then the AI driver takes off with the kids and gets tired of them arguing and drives into a concrete wall. First AI kidnapping and murder/suicide.

You laugh now,....but just wait.
 
^ this lol

I'll be avoiding Toyotas that have Alexa.
Why not make it a feature that can be installed if you choose.
An off setting doesnt inspire confidence.
 
Doubt it was his intention. That car is nothing to brag about.
Christ no its nothing to write home about. There are better equipped KIAs out there. Its fairly minimal and thank god i dont have i drive. Ive had my share of issues with it, but im not interested in a connected car.
 
Me: Hi wife, where's our daughter tonight?
Wife: She's out with a friend.
Me: Which friend?
Wife: That boy that has been helping her with her homework, she says they are just friends.
Me: Alexa, drop in on daughter's car.
 
Me: Hi wife, where's our daughter tonight?
Wife: She's out with a friend.
Me: Which friend?
Wife: That boy that has been helping her with her homework, she says they are just friends.
Me: Alexa, drop in on daughter's car.

Sarcasm aside, this baffles me: Old enough to drive but not old enough to be responsible for herself and have privacy? Doesn't match up.
 
You can avoid Toyota, but where they go, most everyone will follow, eventually.

Actually others follow Mercedes Benz. Toyota is a follower and deviates only on few things. Such as having hideous body design, poor performance and plastic interior.
 
I want my Apple CarPlay dammit. The Lexus Enform is the exact opposite of their fantastic engineering and interiors. The Mark Levinson sound system isn't bad for a factory set up but the interface is a disgrace.
 
This after amazon was found to be just shoveling the data to those that requested it.... No thanks.
 
I don't know why there is so much hate in here. Hell I like this idea. I just bought my wife a Maxed out Camery XSE and an Alexa for Xmas. I would love to be able to be driving and be able to say play my play list or show me directions to where ever. Toyota's don't have Apple car play or Android car. So Alexa would be nice. I personally don't care who listens to my son or wife ask if we are there yet 100 times on the way to the beach lol or where were going to eat or so on. I think it to be a nice add on, I don't have to take my eye's off the road to use the touch screen to get to XM radio or play back off my phone or what not. I have been in the Marines and worked for the Government they have my dna and everything else at this point so letting them listen to me talk about my bad day at work doesn't bother me.
 
I don't know why there is so much hate in here. <snip>

You don't know why? Well, if you do not care about your right to privacy, then that is your choice. I hope most people actually do care about it.

If, one day, someone kicks down your door, hauls you off to a cell and never tells you anything, or allows you to contact anyone, then you can look back on this day and ponder if it all began here.

That is what you get when you give up your right to privacy. You may not be able to figure out how it all came to that, when it does happen, but that is where it will go if it is allowed to happen.

If you did not grow up during the early years of the cold war, then you are probably not going to get it, as history of that era is taught,....belay that,.it is not being taught.

Yes, my tin foil hat is fine and I need to go check my trotlines.
 
Alexa, stop the car! Sorry, I can't do that, brakes are disabled. Now accelerating to full throttle...
 
It's going to have to boot up a hell of a lot faster to be of any use for my driving.
 
It's going to have to boot up a hell of a lot faster to be of any use for my driving.

Ahah, hope she isn't scared in car ; )

Joking aside, they need to stop adding tools we already have on cellphone... simply make a damned middle console that can glue/hold phones, wireless charge and wireless AudroidAuto / Apple Carplay... Problem solved.
No need to put a cellphone in the car... Simply make use of the one we have in our pocket... it could even act as a keyfob (granted, I fear that will get pwned too quick).
 
Well, I wasn't going to buy a Toyota anyway, but now I'm DEFINITELY not buying one :p

Do not want digital assistants or IOT anywhere on or in anything I own.
 
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