When I was at this Toyota R&D center tour (more will come on that soon), I had a bit of an epiphany. I’m pretty certain it’s not the epiphany Toyota was hoping I’d have, but I’m not here to provide epiphanies for major multinational corporations. They don’t own epiphanies, at least not just yet. Anyway, this epiphany happened in the middle of a tech demonstration in a new Toyota showing off some of their new infotainment software. Specifically, the voice commands.
Now, I want to be clear that the epiphany I had covers all cars that use voice commands and not just Toyota. In fact, the updated software Toyota was demonstrating worked quite well and incorporated some thoughtful features, like how their AI assistant now runs on the hardware inside the car, instead of sending all requests into the cloud, for improved speed and, even more importantly, privacy.
The demonstration was given to me by a member of the voice team, and she did a fantastic job of showing the software. My epiphany had nothing to do with her, I want to make that clear. She just happened to be there at the moment it happened.
This was my epiphany: voice controls in a car are, for the most part, useless. They’re a tech gimmick, something that we thought we wanted for so long that once we got it, we can’t admit to ourselves that, really, we don’t care. Here’s my question: does anyone actually use the voice commands in their car?
Actually, I maybe should qualify this a bit. I think voice commands sometimes make sense when it comes to using the nav system, and asking it to take you somewhere, because in most in-car nav systems, it’s a pain to do otherwise, and it commands a lot of your focus and attention. So, I’ll admit that voice controls for that one particular thing makes sense. But for almost everything else? I don’t understand the appeal.
Take changing temperature, for example. You can say something like “Hey Toyota, I’m hot,” and then the car will lower the HVAC temperature. If you meant that you’re hot in the context of how sexy you are, that information will be lost on your car, so sorry about that. It’s not you.
When the basic “I’m hot/lower temperature” exchange is written out, it seems almost reasonable, but in practice? It’s awkward and stupid. It’s not exactly quick, and it’s definitely not any easier than just reaching over to the climate knob or buttons and turning the temperature down a few degrees. You can usually even do it while talking about something else to another person in your car or while listening to music or whatever. You just kind of do it, almost without thinking.
But when you have to tell your car to do something like that, you have to address the car, pause as it recognizes the attention word (or you hit a button to make it start listening) and then tell it you’re hot or cold or reduce/raise the temperature or whatever, then wait for it to acknowledge that, repeat what it did back to you, and then change the temperature.
Or you could just turn a little knob a few clicks.
Don’t believe me? Here’s that situation in action:
It actually works fairly well, considering, but it’s still a slow ass-pain compared to just moving the big temperature-control knob that is right there. The same thing goes for voice commands for almost any physical control in the car, like adjusting the volume. Using the knob is always quicker and easier and less obtrusive than talking to your car and asking it to do it.
Here’s another example, in a Kia, for turning on heated seats:
Here you have to remember to say “seat warmer” instead of “heated seats,” which it doesn’t understand. And, again, while this technically works, there’s a button right there that you don’t have to ask to do anything. You just poke it and make it do your bidding, which, in this case, is gently warming your ass.
I can’t fathom the point of any of these voice commands. They make nothing easier. They take tasks that you can do while listening to music or talking or thinking about something – all while focusing on driving – and turn them into a an irritating little conversation with your car that forces you to pay attention in ways that just instinctively pushing a button or turning a knob don’t. Sure, you may not be doing anything physically, but mentally getting your car’s attention verbally and asking it to do things is far more distracting than letting muscle memory guide your hand to a knob.
If you really want to hate voice commands, and perhaps even the very concept of speech itself, and maybe even all of humanity, you can watch this Volkswagen voice command instructional video, which combines an inane script and cloying acting direction to make an experience about as annoying as walking around with your underpants filled with cat litter and marbles:
I’m so sorry. That was terrible. And confusing. And stupid. And it sure as hell didn’t make me think I really need or want to tell my car any commands.
Again, for navigation, okay, I can see how voice commands have some use. Fine. If you’re connecting a phone with CarPlay or Android Auto, then you likely have that feature already. But I think if every automaker announced that all of their unique voice commands would be gone tomorrow, hardly anyone would really care.
Maybe I’m wrong here; maybe there are people out there who really love using voice commands to adjust volume or temperature or to open tailgates. Maybe they have valid reasons, like, say, they’re legally blind drivers or something like that. It’s certainly possible. But I’m really skeptical.
I think voice commands are the sorts of things that, if used, get used during the first few months of ownership of the car, and then are promptly and happily forgotten about, because they don’t actually make life any better. Maybe we can call this experiment in voice controls a success, quietly mothball it, and move on to more important and interesting things.
How’s that sound to everyone? If it’s cool by you, just focus on your computer, say “Hey Autopian, to hell with voice commands,” and that should do it!
Top graphic images: DepositPhotos.com; Toyota
My Sportwagen has voice controls that seem incapable of understanding human speech. I could say “call Dad” and it would say something like “calling Michael Smith.” What’s weird is I had a VW CC with the exact same system and it always worked fine for calls.
Maybe it knows something you don’t about your mom and Michael Smith.
My 2013 SHO has voice commands with the wonderfully shitty Sync system. The ONLY useful voice command is to place a phone call and it is still stupidly annoying. Press button on steering wheel, say, “call wife”. Car asks, “call wife on cell or home?”, despite there being no home number in her contact. “Cell”, I say. And that is IF it can even understand that I said wife in the first place. For absolutely anything else, it’s quicker and easier just to use my stylus on the screen or a button. And don’t even get me started on the dumbass auto-park feature.
The other useful voice command is “Bluetooth Audio”, to not have to push the button(s) like 4 times.
By about 2016 they at least have the stereo remember which audio input it was using.
Never tried that. But mine remembers the last input anyway. It somehow can’t remember to not randomly shut off the climate control a few times for no reason. I’m told that it’s the (no longer available) FCIM, but I just live with it.
The fact that Volkswagen felt the need to create a six minute video wherein a guy gets scolded by a car and his passenger to explain how voice commands don’t and do work speaks volumes about the viability and utility of this technology.
Do they also have six minute explainers about steering wheels and throttle pedals?
He says it in the first 40 seconds. “I just wanna drive my car and go.”
Ha! That was the real clincher for me, too. Drive? A car? What madness this?
It’s not so bad. When I’m asleep in the back of my car in a snowbank waiting to be pulled out, I can use voice commands to adjust the volume on the soothing music keeping me from trying to claw my way out through the roof.
Is your car the Outlook Hotel, perchance?
If the car is running while you’re in the snow bank, I can hazard a guess as to why you’re so sleepy.
I hate hate HATE voice controls and firmly believe nobody really wants to yell at their car. I’m fine with texting-via-CarPlay if I’m alone in the car, but that’s it. If I have passenger(s), you have to shush them first, say “Hey [Brand],” wait for the car to respond, and guaranteed the instant you start issuing the command your passenger will talk again and ruin it all. Even if they don’t, it won’t quite know what you’re saying half the time.
Give me real buttons and knobs for all key controls. Put everything less critical in a touchscreen that is easily laid out and designed by someone who has driven a car before.
I mean, who among us can resist yelling “LICK MY BUTT! SEND!” as soon as someone around us activates voice texting?
The need for silence is a huge limitation, especially if you have kids. I’ll use voice commands for navigation occasionally. From my kids’ perspective, it’s an ordeal where daddy inevitably becomes frustrated while having a conversation with his car. Stupid.
As you’ve covered, I think the biggest issue is just how unintelligent the systems are. You literally have to memorize what to say, and when you get it even slightly wrong, the resulting inaction can be super frustrating.
The worst offender was in my old work vehicle where the only method to pair your phone was through voice commands, which I’m sure was ostensibly for “safety.” It sucked. Again, you had to say specific things, in a specific order, which means you have to just have the car’s manual open while you did it. It is in no way safer and is much slower and more distracting than a “pairing” button that I can hit when I’m in Park on a newer vehicle.
The future is here, and it’s a lot like middle school drama class. Say the wrong line and everyone clams up awkwardly and nothing happens for a while.
They’re playing the long game. In a few years it’ll be voice only but hey, for $4.99 a month with a 3 year contract they can enable the physical temperature control for you.
Wait, they are going to give me the option of completely disabling voice commands in my car by NOT giving them money? This sounds like the greatest deal of all time.
You read it backwards. You’ll have to pay to use the physical controls. Voice-only on the free model!
Yeah, I screwed that one up out of wishful thinking.
Hey that VW guy is gonna be pumped when he hears he can now control the HVAC with his Base Voice Control System.
ALL YOUR HVAC ARE BELONG TO US.
HEY VOLKSWAGEN
MAKE ZIG FOR GREAT JUSTICE
*crash*
No, it’s “Bass Voice,” so the womenfolk will quit t’ messin’ witcher settings.
As someone who puts subwoofers in all their cars, I can’t wait to have my subs regularly change settings.
Yeah but what about when you need to zoom and enhance a photograph of a Volkswagen?
that’s not in a car! It’s on my desktop photometronic workstation unit!
How big a salami do you need to store a CGA image of a VW?
Sorry, I must disagree. I’ve got a 2025 Mini Cooper and I love the interior–even if they’ve put too many controls on the touchscreen instead of using knobs and switches. That being said, the voice commands work great. I can set temperatures, control the heated seats, heated steering wheel, seat massage, and open and close the sunroof. I can also change the instrumentation graphics, and even deactivate the stop-start.
Would I prefer physical controls? Sure. But remember there are so many different things to control these days it’s hard to have a knob or button for everything–hence the usefulness of voice commands.
I disagree. I very much want my dashboard to look like I’m piloting a 737. BUTTONS FOR EVERYTHING.
Does it understand “natural” speech or did you have to memorize a bunch of prompts?
Maybe Adam is a robot.
Nope—completely human, except for one heart valve. I also have a ‘72 Mini, so I certainly appreciate the value of physical controls.
That’s exactly what a robot would say.
I think the only thing I got wrong was saying “massaging seat” instead of “seat massage”. Everything else seemed to work pretty naturally…
What about BMW’s ridiculous gesture controls?
I disabled those the first week I had the car. I thought it was an electrical gremlin.
I mean, I do have gremlins, but that isn’t one.
Mercedes has them but you have to pay extra for the hardware. One of the few options I did NOT take.
voice commands are a needed stop-gap since manufacturers moved to only screens and no buttons. Anything with a button does not need voice commands.
But voice is more useful for more complex actions like directions or calling/texting.
I dunno man, my 5er has Gesture Control which I think is even more useless.
Beyond using Siri for texting(which still isn’t 100%) voice commands for simple car functions hold not interest for me. It’s quicker, easier and more reliable to just flick a switch.
Yeah, I like voice for nav, phone, and really nothing else. Once in a while, I will tell it to play [artist] (usually The Mountain Goats), but I am not telling my car I’m too warm or want seat heat or whatever else. I just want physical buttons and knobs for those functions.
Lately Spotify has been so terrible at following voice commands (playing a shitty live version, playing the instrumental version, or just plain playing the wrong artist altogether) that I usually don’t even mess with it. Even at home with the smart speakers I’ve had to resort to starting most music from my phone because the voice interface can be so irritating.
I started using Apple Music because they pay the artists better and started using voice commands again (but only easily predictable ones–I don’t try for song or album titles, just artists). I definitely agree that Spotify is terrible for them.
“Play relaxing music.”…”Got it! Playing ‘relaxing music music for relaxing office working relaxing music instrumental music relaxing Playlist.'”
Not sure what commands you’ve tried, but I’ve found with Apple Music that if you say, specifically, “Play *the song/album* [name] by [artist]” that works nearly all the time (the rest of the time it’s wrong or chooses, like, a live or remixed version of that album, ugh). Just saying “Play [song/album]” even with the artist name gives, somehow, the worst result every time.
This is the way. I ripped all my CD’s to a USB in the car, quicker, easier and safer to just tell the car what album I want to play rather than scrolling through hundreds of titles.
“Hey Buick, play the Goatwhore/Infant Annihilator split EP”
Voice commands for navigating to a specific address or making a phone call are the only useful ones I’ve found. Occasionally I send a voice text, too, but I tend to just wait until I’m at my destination.
Voice commands to set climate control, turn up the volume, or turn on heated seats is about as useful as voice commands for controlling the steering or brakes would be.
Oh and I’m exclusively using the commands from my phone, not the car itself. Fortunately the “listen” button taps directly into Android Auto.
My 2008 Civic has voice comands. Press a button, wait for a beep acknowledging it was listening, provide a clear request using the specific recognized phrases to complete the task. I used it a few times for the novelty, but it was more trouble that just using the physical controls as stated in the article. It was also to dumb to set a nav destination with voice like Google maps.
My 2017 Mazda6 has voice controls as well. I think the only time I use it is when I want to make a hands free phone call while driving, which is very rare; perhaps averaging once a year.
I likewise have a 2017 Mazda. Other than making phone calls, I’ve not even bothered to learn what other things the voice commands are capable of. I can’t think of anything else that I’d want to control with my voice.
I’ve found that the vehicle based voice recognition systems are spotty at best with the worst part being getting them to understand addresses in the navigation part.
It is much easier to get your phone to call or text than sticking another system into that process.
For the navigation system have to be stopped and enter it on the screen because the system won’t let you tinker with the navigation while the vehicle is in motion even when it knows you have a front seat passenger. That one is my wife’s biggest pet peeve with the in cat systems.
*updates shopping list*
Complete agreement for most vehicles and functions.
I mostly use voice to tell Spotify to play something specific, or to more quickly enter navigation destinations.
Party trick on Teslas (who do the best voice controls in my experience): “Open Butthole” results in the charge port opening.
Darn. I thought you were going to say that the “Open Butthole” command in a Tesla resulted in the infotainment displaying a big picture of Elon. : (
It’s a pic of Elon, but one where you can’t see his face.
Here I am frustrated that it doesn’t wait for the rest of the command and open Butthole Surfers’ best-of playlist.
I don’t mind the sun sometimes, the images it shows…
I got obsessed with that song a couple years ago and would watch the video over and over on YouTube. It’s absolutely hypnotic. I hereby propose it be featured in TMD sometime soon.
You never know just how you
looksound through other people’seyesears.For a select few, that’s a very long list. For most, it’s extremely short.
Oh this ought to work well.
After 5+ years my damn iPhone still can’t figure out WTF I am saying…
Sure, give us something else to piss me off, why don’t cha?
Your voice is always muffled, Col Lingus.
If only companies would stop putting controls SO FAR AWAY on the steering wheel or dashboard, maybe we could eliminate the need for voice controls.
No, I’ve never used them, and that’s because I spent too many years with kids and passengers screaming that the mere idea of “Everyone shut the f*ck up, I need to adjust the temperature” would not have gone over too well.
“ok ash, raising fuck to a more comfortable temperature”
If I was in a car with someone and they literally said, out loud, “Hey Toyota, I’m cold” to turn on the heater, I would think less of that person for the rest of my natural life.
Remember, they also would have had to say to you “hey, hold on a sec” so they could talk to their car.
Yet somehow the idea of saying that to a Tesla using “Hey Elon” makes perfect sense in my head.
It’s all about that branding.
What if they were driving a Hyundai at the time, would that change your assessment?
I only use the voice commands once and a while in my Polestar 2. Funny thing is you mention the seat warmer thing in the Polestar I can tell it to turn on the “butt warmer” and it will turn on then again theirs is a Google based system so probably a smart system then a lot of these automaker developed ones. Most of the time though I only use voice commands to reply to text or ask it questions (normally about vehicle prices or specs of other vehicles on the road haha)
With the lack of physical controls, the need to go a few levels deep in the menus structure, and the unfortunate occasional screen lag, the voice commands in the Polestar 2 are sometimes helpful.
Yeah it sucks there are really no physical controls for the HVAC besides defrosters. So there are times it is much easier to just yell at the car and safer then trying to touch through a screen.
Only thing I have used voice commands for in my Polestar 2 is adjusting audio volume. I guess I’m not much of a talker.
I’ve had a couple of Volvo rentals with the Google system and I think they’re the only instances where I’ve had voice controls work with both reliable comprehension and usable speed. I was mostly using for navigation, but worked fairly reliably for other functions as well. Given they were rentals and I didn’t intuitively know the infotainment organization structure, I found it pretty helpful.
Preach it brother!!!!
Get into new car: “A door is ajar.”
This is fun and novel.
Two weeks later…
FU*K OFF!
IT’S NOT, YOU STUPID CAR, A DOOR IS A DOOR