The only thing Acura has the Volvo beat is price. Which other carmaker can offer the acurawatch package (similar safety tech) at $56k (current prices dealers are offering the advanced for)?
BMW comparably equipped: 66k
Infiniti comparably equipped: 57k
Volvo comparably equipped: 58k
Lexus: Has no direct competitor. RX is a 5 passenger vehicle.
MB has no direct competitor as the ML/GLE only has 5 seats and GL has 7 but is a larger vehicle in both physical specifications and $$$$.
Audi doesn't offer anything as their products are influx new generation and the current one has nothing in line with safety tech minus a adaptive cruise and bsm.
BTW the ML is going through it's mid cycle refresh and new moniker but same ole product.
Infotainment systems currently in use by Honda products are garbage. Excellent idea terrible execution. Will it get better? For sure the sheer amount of outrage this gen of Honda/Acura owners has probably got the ball rolling in the next wave of products.
The German automakers are the standard for infotainment currently. Previously it was Honda and Toyota who had good systems and the Europeans were terrible. But the tides have turned.
BMW IDrive: Very snappy, Ultra high res display (at least for a car display). Handwriting recognition, 4G LTE, both phone based and car based voice recognition work.
MB Command: Very old, outdated in the ML. The new S, C have a very advanced system, with almost the same useability as the Idrive unit. Only problems that I can knock it with is thats it not offered in too many vehicles.
Audi MMI: The q7 screen is old. The next gen moves to touchpad and knob but its on a whole new level. The system takes the instrument cluster and MMI screen and integrates that into two physical seperate but UI connected. Again I would have loved a bigger screen for the MMI, but since they make the instrument cluster an additional screen for only the driver cannot complain. Google Earth was already a feature with this system from the start so makes it even more amazing now. Plus for all those in the know, this one utilizes Nvidia hardware guts so it can really pack a punch.
The basics of infotainment systems is objectified by the phrase "it just works". If your system doesn't make 90% of users say that after using it, its crap.
With the Acura system, the hardware is slow.
-I mean iPhone 3G after iOS 4 was installed. It needs more compute power.
-Next off the interface needs to be standardized. It makes no sense to have 2 separate displays. Keep one large one and be done. Touchscreen and knob.
-Next update the screen to have at least iPhone 4 ppi.
-Get a higher density maps db.
-Integrate CarPlay and Android Car from the get.
With the Volvo system its a ground up interface.
-Tablet screen with a home button. One click and your back at the most important functions of the system
-Dedicated ribbon for climate
-Snappy response due to hardware and also IR scanners that "sense" where your finger is and what the system is displaying at any moment
-Gestures on the screen mimic a common tablet (so theyre playing on familiarity most drivers have nowdays)
-The Instrument cluster is no longer analog. Its also a screen that can display the most pertinent information that you need along a journey like maps etc.
-Glove compatible.
The Materials that have been previewed are far more premium. Leather wrapped dash, crystal gear shift level, the texturing on the leather. Again these are all materials and design that are necessary for a premium CUV.
The engines also produce 315 HP and 290 Lbs from a 4 cylinder with DI/FI. Due note the DI "ticking" sound that everyone has posted here is also there. However since the XC90 is a modern design the interior NVH is far more refined and thus you cant hear it. 8 speed is I believe from Asin (not sure on that).
Driving experiences most reviewers are in the same spot. Compliant ride but wont win over an X5, Cayenne. However I think that could change with the adaptive suspension they are planning to offer.
Driver safety tech is bar none. Its a volvo lol
BMW comparably equipped: 66k
Infiniti comparably equipped: 57k
Volvo comparably equipped: 58k
Lexus: Has no direct competitor. RX is a 5 passenger vehicle.
MB has no direct competitor as the ML/GLE only has 5 seats and GL has 7 but is a larger vehicle in both physical specifications and $$$$.
Audi doesn't offer anything as their products are influx new generation and the current one has nothing in line with safety tech minus a adaptive cruise and bsm.
BTW the ML is going through it's mid cycle refresh and new moniker but same ole product.
Infotainment systems currently in use by Honda products are garbage. Excellent idea terrible execution. Will it get better? For sure the sheer amount of outrage this gen of Honda/Acura owners has probably got the ball rolling in the next wave of products.
The German automakers are the standard for infotainment currently. Previously it was Honda and Toyota who had good systems and the Europeans were terrible. But the tides have turned.
BMW IDrive: Very snappy, Ultra high res display (at least for a car display). Handwriting recognition, 4G LTE, both phone based and car based voice recognition work.
MB Command: Very old, outdated in the ML. The new S, C have a very advanced system, with almost the same useability as the Idrive unit. Only problems that I can knock it with is thats it not offered in too many vehicles.
Audi MMI: The q7 screen is old. The next gen moves to touchpad and knob but its on a whole new level. The system takes the instrument cluster and MMI screen and integrates that into two physical seperate but UI connected. Again I would have loved a bigger screen for the MMI, but since they make the instrument cluster an additional screen for only the driver cannot complain. Google Earth was already a feature with this system from the start so makes it even more amazing now. Plus for all those in the know, this one utilizes Nvidia hardware guts so it can really pack a punch.
The basics of infotainment systems is objectified by the phrase "it just works". If your system doesn't make 90% of users say that after using it, its crap.
With the Acura system, the hardware is slow.
-I mean iPhone 3G after iOS 4 was installed. It needs more compute power.
-Next off the interface needs to be standardized. It makes no sense to have 2 separate displays. Keep one large one and be done. Touchscreen and knob.
-Next update the screen to have at least iPhone 4 ppi.
-Get a higher density maps db.
-Integrate CarPlay and Android Car from the get.
With the Volvo system its a ground up interface.
-Tablet screen with a home button. One click and your back at the most important functions of the system
-Dedicated ribbon for climate
-Snappy response due to hardware and also IR scanners that "sense" where your finger is and what the system is displaying at any moment
-Gestures on the screen mimic a common tablet (so theyre playing on familiarity most drivers have nowdays)
-The Instrument cluster is no longer analog. Its also a screen that can display the most pertinent information that you need along a journey like maps etc.
-Glove compatible.
The Materials that have been previewed are far more premium. Leather wrapped dash, crystal gear shift level, the texturing on the leather. Again these are all materials and design that are necessary for a premium CUV.
The engines also produce 315 HP and 290 Lbs from a 4 cylinder with DI/FI. Due note the DI "ticking" sound that everyone has posted here is also there. However since the XC90 is a modern design the interior NVH is far more refined and thus you cant hear it. 8 speed is I believe from Asin (not sure on that).
Driving experiences most reviewers are in the same spot. Compliant ride but wont win over an X5, Cayenne. However I think that could change with the adaptive suspension they are planning to offer.
Driver safety tech is bar none. Its a volvo lol