MK8 Infotainment System

[Abr126]

Hi All, anyone that has a MK8 what are your thoughts on the infotainment system? What are the positives and negatives. Been watching a lot of videos on YouTube and they all seem to be negative so interested to hear from people that actually have a MK8. Weighing up whether to stick to a 7.5 or 8. Thanks all.

[Cyberman]

I think it's great, really great. Those videos are from people who haven't given themselves time to learn it. It's easy to be negative when they haven't bothered to read the flamin' manual (or listen to the salesman when he shows you around it, which is all quite logical). The first thing I learned was, when driving, to steady my hand by resting my fingers on the top of MIB. You can setup shortcuts to get to various selections quickly. Some of my learning was from watching tips/shortcuts videos on YouTube.

I keep learning more & more wonderful things about it. I've had my car 4.5 months. I often watch music videos (or I could watch movies) on it while I wait for someone. I can ask Siri to give me GPS directions, and it integrates brilliantly (including directions on the head-up display I ordered in the option pack with Harman/Kardon sound system). It's easy to change the aircon temperature or just speak "Hello Volkswagen" and tell the polite lady that you're hot (I just wish she would tell me that I'm hot), or tell her what temperature you want.

Another thing to use is the gesture. If you want to change to a different display, just swipe your hand in front of the display from left to right (or vice versa), but be sure to start your gesture at the corner of the screen, not start it half way across (that was the cause of my confusion why it only worked sometimes, until I realised that). For example, I swipe if I want to change from my list of music to the current playing song with its full-sized artwork. Massively better quality graphics than my mk7 Golf, too.

Don't forget there are quick access buttons below the display, around the hazard lights button.

The only negative is on the odd occasion it takes a bit of time for it to have all functions available. No big deal. You just wait a couple of seconds. Also VW is fixing a bug where the clock got confused when daylight saving started (but setting the clock manually sorted it, and you're in Qld, so it's irrelevant to you).

Give it a week, maybe two, and all other cars will look very old fashioned. I can access various functions which on my mk7 I couldn't access without paying the dealer to change, or the options weren't there at all, or they needed a strange sequence to operate (such as moving the wipers to "service position"), which are now easily done on the mk8.

The assisted steering on freeways (and even around town, as I found out after I bought the car) plus the many accident avoidance features are the main reasons I swapped my mk7 for the mk8.

I loved my mk7. I'm not in the least disappointed with my mk8, in fact I'm thrilled to bits.

[Abr126]

Thanks for the detailed response, good to hear positive feedback. How do you find changing the air con temp and fan speed? Interested in that function as that’s something you use everyday. Can this be controlled via the bottom touch buttons? Or needs to be done through the touch screen itself.

Also, I read somewhere to turn off the on/off engine feature (saving petrol as they say) you have to click through a few options? Whilst on the 7.5 there is a button next to the gear stick. Can this be created as a short cut?

[Cyberman]

The temp can either be changed by voice control ("change the temperature to 24 degrees"; or "lower the temperature by 3 degrees"; or just say "I'm cold" which would turn up the temp by 1 degree); or either tap or slide on the temperature control buttons, just below the screen (it has 3 zones, so even the rear passengers can change their temperature without affecting the people in the front). It also hears where you are in the car, so when you use voice command it knows you're in the front right, so it will change that zone (and tell you "changing the temperature at the front right").

Quick access to various car functions are around the hazard light switch:


There's Classic climate control and Smart control (see attached photos). As it's climate control, I let the car choose the fan speed. I've never felt the need to change it manually (but apparently you can, by using the Classic screen, photo below, with the fan speed at the left).


Here's a photo of the Smart climate screen:


Concerning start/stop (on/off) engine, all you have to do is swipe down on the screen and it gives you instant access to a few functions, including start/stop (also "Home" which gives instant access for GPS navigation to your home). I don't remember if start/stop was factory standard on the swipe-down menu, or whether I set it as a shortcut. Anyway, if you watch videos and they say you have to go through various options, they don't know anything about the system.

[AJW]

I've had my MK8 GTI for 6months now.
Pretty much agree with what Cyberman posted about the controls/head unit.
All the reviewers use it for 10mins don't like it and complain - after a couple of months I really understand what VW have done and think it's a step forward in design.
It completely cleans up the dash so there isn't 100's of buttons everywhere.

But one thing I don't understand is why people are constantly playing with the Aircon, temp & fan speed everyday???
Isn't the idea with a Automatic system you set the temperature you want and it maintains this.
I spent a bit of time getting the air-vents adjusted as they're lower than normal but after the initial first few weeks tweaking it a bit I might have changed the temperature 5 times in 6months, same as my Mk7.
As Cyberman said you can adjust it by voice, it will even detect if the passenger asks and do their temp independently from the driver.

Even all the complaints about the steering wheel buttons from the 10min reviewer brigade , after a couple of months use, being able to swipe across the track fwd button to skip 15 secs in a podcast with haptic feedback, or swipe up/down for 10km increments on the adaptive cruise control is way better/faster then "dumb" buttons.

Its a system that does take some learning, just like a new phone, if you don't like learning new things don't buy the car.

[Cyberman]

Excellent points, AJW.

With climate control, no matter what time of year, University of Adelaide sets all the temperature controls to 21 degrees, as that temperature is most comfortable and keeps people alert.

AJW's analogy prompted me to realise the mk8 is like a smartphone – much more powerful than my old Nokia push-button dumb phone. Why would you stick with a push-button phone instead of taking advantage of a smartphone? The mk8 even has voice-command assistance, like Apple's Siri (admittedly not as powerful as Siri), but I can still use Siri through Apple CarPlay, and get her to navigate me, including directions on the head-up display, and show the speed limit on the MIB.

I'm 65 years old, and didn't have trouble operating the MIB, so the younger reviewers are not the brightest, or they're just trying to create drama and get more hits, views or whatever they're called.

AJW – Thanks for the tip about skipping forward 15 seconds with a swipe.

But AJW, I think your forum signature needs updating – "MY16 Golf GTI PP".

[Abr126]

Great feedback AJW and Cyberman, good to hear some positive comments. I think the new system looks great and a step forward. Totally agree that it’s new and would take some getting used too compared to the 7.5. Overall the MK8 is another advancement compared to the 7.5. I’ll pop into a dealership and have a play.

Cyberman - I enjoy the volkswizard YouTube videos as well. He made some really good reviews.

Cyberman and AJW - as you have had the MK8 for a while have you experienced any issues? Can relate to anything. One more with the infotainment system, have you had any issues with it freezing or just going blank? I’ve read some reviews on the Skoda and they have had those particular issues. Assume a software update would fix those issues.

[AJW]

Cyberman and AJW - as you have had the MK8 for a while have you experienced any issues? Can relate to anything. One more with the infotainment system, have you had any issues with it freezing or just going blank? I’ve read some reviews on the Skoda and they have had those particular issues. Assume a software update would fix those issues.

Yes I've had some issues.
Rear camera flashes sometimes, about 3 times I've had the Air-con go into a simple mode were I think it has lost connection to the headunit, once I lost Audio. All of these things have gone away after turning the car off for a few mins.
They're all known issues and VW are releasing a software fix this month in Europe to fix them.
I've already spoken to my VW service centre and they're aware of what's going on.

[Cyberman]

I haven't had issues with the car, except once when I started touching the panel furiously when I'd just turned on the car, and didn't wait a few seconds for it to start up. (Like when you press the pedestrian button at traffic lights, and keep hitting it furiously in the false assumption it will make it change faster.)

My own fault.

So my car has been far, far, far more reliable than I expected. I guess it's the case that people without problems don't tend to start a thread that they don't have any problems.

BTW, Abr126. I felt reasonably comfortable with the display as soon as the salesman took me through the system when I took delivery. It's just that over time I have found all the bonuses (easter eggs?) that he didn't mention. However, you may like to make it clear to your salesperson that you expect a proper run-through at delivery. I told mine that I wasn't going to use my previous sales person at the same dealership because when I took delivery of my mk7, all he said was "you'll work it out" (and 6 years later I still hadn't worked out how to get the car to self-steer into 90 degree parking, or whatever that's called).

Nice new signature, AJW

[AJW]

Nice new signature, AJW

Finally worked out how to change it!

Some comments from Deutsche Auto Parts, US MK8 golf about the interior and lack of buttons.
Are the MK8 Buttons as Terrible as They Say? - YouTube
Interesting he doesn't use any voice commands, wondering if it's been deleted on US cars.