GTI MK8 infotainment questions

[TurboTrev]

Many thanks Exonian, reasurring words.   I think I need to see one live in action, which I will try to arrange.  In the meantime, I'll just man up and look forward to it arriving although that probably won't be for another 8/9 months, which might be a good thing as all the glitches should hopefully be resolved.  

[Foxy367]

  I'm useless with ipads, smart phones etc. and the thought of everything being controlled through a "computer screen", combined with all the glitches that everybody is having was making me have massive 2nd thoughts about my order.  I was also concerned with the safety aspect of making adjustments whilst driving. 

Anyhow, your comments are reassuring so I'll leave my order for the moment and in the meantime I'll try and see if I can get a demo at my local VW dealer.

You manage to get on here Trev and post up comments so you’re not totally hopeless with tech! 

A little bit of familiarity with the system is all it takes. There are a lot of sub menus you’ll use once or twice and never again, just like on a mobile phone, iPad, laptop or whatever. Once the car is set up how you want it, that’s it.
Moving between any of the different series of Golf sees certain controls placed differently or operated differently. Mk2 heater sliders becoming mk3 rotary controls moving gradually to climate control buttons and wheels, now haptics and screens.
Kind of reminds me of a grandfather passing comment to his grandchild who is sat playing a video game, “in my day you’d be out in the fresh air, getting pram wheels and wood from the dump to make a go-kart using your dad’s tools” then half an hour later the kid would be showing grandad how to set up his iPad and make use of the apps. Each a child of their time, each using the tools of their day to get by in their respective worlds.
A bit of mental adjustment and regular use works wonders.
A press on the climate hotkey will bring up the screen, it’s best to familiarise with it a little before moving off as like any new series of Golf, you don’t want to be taking your eyes off the road even briefly once underway, so you do need to know roughly where each individual control is by memory.
Resting fingers on top of the screen and poking with your thumb is the most accurate way once on the move.

 

If you ever drove a Mark 4 with climate control they were the most un-intuitive set of buttons set far too low for normal use. The amount of times i had to take my eyes off the road to change the temperature (It also didn't seem to regulate the temperature that well. The Mk8 is far better at least the controls are at eye level!

People overthink the controls on the mk8 far too much.

To de-mist the front screen there is an illuminated ‘button’ on the light switch control pad alongside the rear de-mister.
Any more complex choices such as directing warm air to feet are done via a hotkey button in the centre of the dash under the iPad unit which will pull up a full display of options on the screen. It’s relatively easy to use that on the move, certainly no worse than reaching down trying to stab buttons located just above the central console. The icons are clear and more or less in your line of vision.

Agree with the top part of this quote and the online reviewers seemingly looking for click bait don't help either!

The demist button it took me far too long looking through the menus with a misted over front and rear screen before I realised these buttons existed!!! 

[Exonian]

Foxy, the light switch pad is probably not the most obvious place (understatement) to look for the de-mist functions when the other climate functions are grouped elsewhere. I’d imagine most people find them by accident.

I *think* I can just about remember the mk4 climate, if memory serves me correctly it’s a DIN sized panel full of small buttons just above the ashtray (remember those?!)
My mk4 just had normal aircon but I had a good test drive in a V6 4Mo trying to decide whether I wanted one.

Damian, I’ve not had an issue like that before! Mind you I prefer wired connection as the camera lenses make the phone move around too much on the wireless causing phone charging/phone not charging/phone charging/phone not charging all the time.
I’ve definitely not seen Apple Pay come up.

[fredgroves]

Yeah the demist button for the windscreen eluded me for over 6 months... was previously rummaging in the menus... which does work but not as quickly as pressing the button!

[fredgroves]

Yes. Eco tips. Can't remember where the option is but it's definitely there.

[DoomedHippie]

https://youtu.be/kAYQGc1sSH0

Just watched this regarding steering wheel/button less controls. Genuinely, I think he sums it up really well. Having done a little over 1000 miles in mine now, it's not the controls that frustrate me, it's the glitches in the software!

[Verve34]

Yes. Eco tips. Can't remember where the option is but it's definitely there.

Ohh I never knew you can turn that off  I’ll have to look into this immediately 

[Foxy367]

https://youtu.be/kAYQGc1sSH0

Just watched this regarding steering wheel/button less controls. Genuinely, I think he sums it up really well. Having done a little over 1000 miles in mine now, it's not the controls that frustrate me, it's the glitches in the software!

Couldn't agree more 6 months of life with my Golf and I really quite like the haptic steering wheel controls and the last few weeks its been cold enough for the heated steering wheel to come on each time so I Can't even do that by mistake!

Its like anything new it just takes time to get used to

[fredgroves]

Yes. Eco tips. Can't remember where the option is but it's definitely there.

Ohh I never knew you can turn that off  I’ll have to look into this immediately 

Press the assist button, press the three lines (aka hamburger... Top left) and scroll down to "eco assist", click on it to turn it off.

I did it tonight... I'd turned it back on when petrol was hard to find.

[fredgroves]

https://youtu.be/kAYQGc1sSH0

Just watched this regarding steering wheel/button less controls. Genuinely, I think he sums it up really well. Having done a little over 1000 miles in mine now, it's not the controls that frustrate me, it's the glitches in the software!

Quite interesting but there are a few things he's not realised too... Its not that the system is complex it's just that there are some shortcuts you might not realise.