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CUE is clewless

10K views 40 replies 15 participants last post by  inspectorudy 
#1 ·
I am very underwhelmed with the CUE feature in the new caddilacs.

My keeps loosing paired phones and favorites settings and I have to go back and start all over again. Regrouping my radio stations every other week is a pain in the rear.

The Nav system isn't nearly as sharp as my $200 Garmin.

Are there any up grades or fixes in store for this mess?
 
#4 ·
I believe that what is happening to the owners of the CUE system are what happens to any new system that is introduced in that after a brief period of time when it is totally new and unknown there are a lot of complaints and questions about it. We are now in the complacency stage where most of us have accepted the system with its flaws and shortcomings as well as its innovations and realize that there will probably be no more BIG alterations to it. I think there will be some minor updates to correct interface problems with individual devices but the user interface will not be changed. CUE is a first step that should have been of a higher caliber but it is what it is. I personally have not seen any improvement in my CUE system since the update and I don't think I will ever see anything that truly makes it user friendly. I am getting more used to it and know what it takes to use it but that doesn't mean that it is a good design. I do hope that GM does not abandon us, the first generation users, and goes to a better system that leaves us behind. I think that they owe us for being the research monkeys that helped them improve their product. In your case you must have something that needs to be replaced because what you are experiencing is not typical. I will say that as a long time Cadillac owner I am still very happy with my dealer and the support they have given me.
 
#5 · (Edited)
Inspectorudy,

I agree fully with you.

I am not particularly happy with CUE. It's been a headache since day one, and I have
had their engineering team work with me over the past several months to resolve problems
associated with my phone and iPod.

I have written extensively about these problems elsewhere, you can search for those posts
by my username.

I do believe we are in a complacency stage. The thing is, Cadillac owners should never have
been subjected to having CUE in their vehicles until it was perfected. At this point, it's not
perfected and as such, owners have to live with its bugs.

Personally, I think the fact that CUE erases and reuploads/reindexes all your phone contacts
and music every time you enter and exit the vehicle is just inane. Most all the problems with
the units would be solved if they just allowed the information to be stored on its internal flash drive.

...but alas, I have beaten my head against the wall trying to get the CUE team to change
their philosophy on how they designed their units.
 
#8 ·
Do you remember the first release of MS Windows?

Actually, your belief that "CUE erases and reuploads/reindexes all your phone contacts" may not be exactly true. I have discovered something very weird, which hints that they may be using a cache for contacts (and not resetting the cache after unpairing blu-tooth). I added 3 new contacts in my iPhone5 and CUE refuses to display them. I've tried deleting some, but changes are not made. I've attempted every variation of using the first name field, last name field, both in one or the other, and still nothing!
 
#6 ·
Amen, and in the meantime I set my XM and FM stations manually and do not connect the phone. Don't use the Nav system much so what I have is a $2000. trinket that
doesn't work worth a damn.
My Garmin still works great.

I say to Cadillac, ditch the CUE and get a good system that works.
 
#7 ·
The really insulting thing is that the new Chevy will have a much better system than the Caddy and we helped them get it with our inputs into CUE. I truly hope that Cadillac follows up with us and eventually offers us a newer version that works without all of the glitches. I am not sure that the foundation they have offered us is the one in which to build the future system on however. There are many functions that I use only occasionally and it is not intuitive to find or remember how to use them. I'm sure if any of you thought how to do such and such you would have to rack your memory to come up with the answer. There needs to be some way to access those functions without total memory recall or the thick hard to read manual. I have thought that a simple help system like a lot computer programs have that would allow you to enter a key word on the CUE system and then it would take you to step by step to your request. Would that be that difficult? Things like "Rename favorites" or "Enter present location to the favorites" and many more things like that that we do not use every day or even every week. As far as the voice system goes it's just a novelty and not a serious functional tool to help with anything. Think about making a phone call using the voice system or just using the steering wheel control. Their is no contest for speed or error free dialing and the wheel control wins every time in my car because the CUE has such a hard time understanding me or my wife. My wife also has a real hard time with the parallax problem with the touch screen because the normal reach puts your finger slightly below the icon as you look at it and the system will not respond until you bring your finger above the icon. This is the opposite of a smart phone or Ipad type device since you are looking down at it and you put your finger right on the icon. In our cars you have to be slightly below the icon to see it and this is simply a design flaw. There are many more issues that we must make known to Cadillac as they come up and it is my hope that they will listen to us and respond with improvements.
 
#11 ·
I just got my new edition of "Car and Driver" and in it they compare the new XTS and the Avalon. The Avalon won of course since any foreign car always wins in these magazines but the XTS actually beat the Avalon in handling and styling. All three judges agreed on the "Terrible" driver interface of the CUE system. I know it's getting tiresome but the system is not user friendly when you are just renting or driving a car for a short time. They even mentioned those silly silver thingies that are below any center console input point. They concurred with my findings that they work sometimes and then they don't. How many times has it taken some of you to get the vertical slide arrow on the screen that usually comes up when using a menu that brings up more choices? I have given up on the touch and slide and try for the less troublesome touch the up or down end of the slide. This isn't brain surgery but it is annoying when it takes three or four times to move the data line. I've had this forum, the manual and five months to play with CUE can you imagine what it is like for someone using it for a day?
 
#13 ·
I just got my new edition of "Car and Driver" and in it they compare the new XTS and the Avalon. <snipped> All three judges agreed on the "Terrible" driver interface of the CUE system. <snipped and bolded last sentence> I've had this forum, the manual and five months to play with CUE can you imagine what it is like for someone using it for a day?
Well said!
 
#14 ·
There is an interesting piece in the WSJ today about Ford and their infotainment interface currently being used in their high end models. They have decided to bring back the knobs and buttons for the radio! It seems that most people just like to know where their favorites are and having the tuning knob where you can use it without too much effort. They also claim that they have found the answer to their voice recognition system and users say that it is a big improvement over the earlier system. Maybe our CUE guys can rent a Ford and give it a try.
 
#15 ·
Tried to get somewhere to day using navigation and it was a total mess.

First, had to sit and wait for the module to load, so it wasn't instantly available as soon as I got into the vehicle.

Next, neither by voice or manual input was navigation able to recognize the address.

I am so fed up with CUE it isn't funny.
 
#16 ·
I agree CUE is pretty horendous, even with six months of practice. While the idrive on my '11 BMW Z4 generally was much easier to use, I wasn't happy with the nav on that either. Its awful when you have to type in addresses with the knob controller, and it frequently gave many different possible entries for the same address on an interstate, but then when you clicked on specific addresses none of them corresponded to the street number I had put in. Extremely frustrating.

That said, i feel like I'm a beta tester for CUE, and I'm finding it very frustrating to use. Thank God for the steering wheel buttons. Otherwise I might have broken down and traded it in by now and taken the loss. Been a very long time since I bought a GM and not sure I'll be stickng with GM after this.
 
#18 ·
Been a very long time since I bought a GM and not sure I'll be stickng with GM after this.
I have already decided this will be my last Cadillac.

I give kudos to everyone at GM for addressing my problems (they have been phenomenal), but the point remains that they put a beta product into their flagship brand. I am always finding something about this system that I find frustrating beyond my initial problems playing music and placing a phone call.
 
#21 ·
relax, it's OK if you don't like the car, but to write off a brand because of a model that's only been available for 9 months, is a little extreme. it's age old knowledge to NOT buy the first run of anything for this very reason, unless you're of the personality type that likes being on the leading edge, in which case, you just have to have a certain amount of intestinal fortitude for this sort of thing.

believe me, i've vented and been angered more than a few times by CUE, but when i think on it it's just one of those things, 1st and 4th iphone had major problems, early android phones had problems, bmw idrive had major problems, Audi's MMI had useability problems too. The thing to consider is all of those problem items listed have become fantastic, and there's no reason CUE can't be as well, so long as Cadillac has the will to do the right thing (and if they consider themselves competition to the germans they better)
 
#19 · (Edited)
CUE is definitely a train wreck. Or as C&D just said: "CUE is as excellent as Herpes". I knew that going in and basically decided I'd put up with it since it only added around $300 to the cost of the car.

Nav + upgraded audio = $1300 in Lux. Nav = $800 in Perf. So upgraded audio = $500.
CUE + upgraded audio = $1350 in base. So CUE = $850 ($1350 - $500 for audio)
CUE came with iPad which sells for $500, so CUE in a 2013 ATS just adds $350 ($850 - $500 for the iPad) to the car's MSRP (unless you are buying a base and hate the upgraded audio) and most people sure don't pay anywhere near MSRP.

I would have preferred a system like iDrive that works rather than a half baked CUE. But I can understand how it happened. If the rest of the car was an A+ and CUE wasn't ready, they can't very well delay the car for another year. I definitely am glad they didn't do that because I would rather have an ATS with CUE than any of the competition I would have been forced to buy if the ATS hadn't been available. I couldn't wait an extra year.

The ATS led me to parole GM for its crimes (against me) in the late 70's thru early '90s. If I am anyway typical they better eventually fix CUE for us 2013 customers or GM will be goiing back in for parole violation.

Tick tock.
 
#20 ·
Yea

It's so small and compact...
I can open the passenger door from the drivers seat

What a waste of resources too

Cadillac USE to make nice Luxury automobiles, even tho their interiors left much to be desired...

Who ever their Asian Concept Designer is needs to be promoted to the PR Dept. so they can get and idea of what consumers Don't Want their Cadillac to be

Small and Compact would be a Example as what NOT TO DO.


Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App
 
#27 ·
It's funny that you mentioned the ATS POwookie,
"I don't think CUE was built in the dark, I think CUE was an attempt to leapfrog the competition by adopting a tablet/smartphone paradign, GM does do the knob interface thing as seen in the current buick regal, but i see this as a bold move, because had they just copied, they would allways be years behind the knob camp because the Germans won't just stand still and let Cadillac catch up."

I don't think leapfrogging is necessary on some items. Would you like the light switches in your home to require that you touch a screen and tap three times to get the lights to come on? There are always going to be some items in our lives that defy "Smart" solutions, your belt for example or socks. Now if they went to a voice recognition system that actually worked then the game would be changed for Cadillac.

"as far as reverse engineering the competition, they do that masterfully, the ATS is proof, I was told by cadillac reps and have read that cadillac when targeting the 3 series, they took note of the dissapointment BMW owners had with the newer models, and zero'd in on the most beloved of 3 series the e46 (1998-2006). I was told by the rep that after cadillac pulled the car apart they put it back together and component by component they replaced segments of that car (most notably the suspension) with new ATS developement parts and worked on them until it outperformed the BMW part it replaced. this very much shows in how the ATS drives, it is stellar, absolutely top notch. pretty much every auto magazine in comparison test after comparison test have said they like the ATS very much (sometime more than the BMW) but there are still a couple of things left to improve, mainly transmission, and gearing (needing an extra shift to 60 slowing it down) and CUE gremlins keep it from taking the overall crown. now lets think about this..... this is cadillac being spoken of as within a nose hair of the best of the best. that is an insane jump up in quality/features/performance, pretty incredible if you ask me".

I just read a comparison of the two brands that the ATS competes with and it came in third. The final report said that if it were only the handling and ride the ATS would have come in first. But due to CUE, which they said was as welcome as herpes, and some cheap appointments on the interior it fell to third place. So it would seem to me that on the areas where Cadillac used the competition as a measure it won but on the area where it decided to one up them it failed miserably. I'm sure that it will all work out but I do not understand GM taking their top brand and turning it into a beta lab. I also know that the car magazines are not American car friendly but not one of them has one good thing to say about CUE.
 
#29 ·
If you have the WSJ today look at the article about JD Powers car rating for 2013. Cadillac went from fourth to fourteenth! Can anyone guess why? You guessed it CUE. It mentioned GMC and Chevy placing tenth and added that these two brands did not make the conversion to an all touch screen system like Ford and Cadillac did. It actually went on to say that knobs were making a comeback on other GM models and also said that the XTS, ATS and another model that I can't remember would have all placed in the top if not for CUE. I guess the down side of all of this is that Ford just went ahead with their redo of "My Touch" and left the older owners out of the new system so I'm sort of figuring that Cadillac will do the same. I see the potential of CUE but the present level of development it's just not there. If I were sitting beside Codeman at the next meeting of the designers I would say work on the voice system since that would alleviate a lot of the manual tapping and frustrating non-responsive taps as well as the scrolling to get to where you want to be.
 
#30 ·
Agreed, here is something interesting to add to this, the new radio in the new GMC trucks is CUE, although they call it intellilink, touch screen and all. One fundamental difference between GMC 2014 intellilink and CUE is intellilink has knobs.....GM has learned something at our expense.

as a side note, if you want to have fun with CUE making it's voice command fail, those with CUE nav say:

"point of interest" - wait for it to ask for name and city

then say:

"Maderas golf club poway california"

and all CUE owners can say:

"play Lenny Kravitz"

those just will not work for me, and I was raised in San Diego so i have virtually no accent to get in the way
 
#32 ·
I kinda wish, they would give up on the natural language speech and focus on perfecting the basics, the CTS and Escalade voice command systems are rock solid and do what you want, i believe this to be the curated list of commands, giving the machine certainty (either its said correctly or its not) making this so. as a side note, google voice search and Siri use their datacenters to bring major major power to bear onto what we say which explains the decent result, no way CUE's processor could ever be as good at deciding what we are asking, but i'm know CUE is way more powerfull than the CTS and Escalade, so it seems to me giving up natural language would go a long way towards improving the experience.
 
#33 · (Edited)

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#34 ·
#36 ·
I've had my ATS Premium for almost a month now, having traded in my 2009 CTS. I have found the whole CUE experience to be both frustrating and disappointing on many levels.
The worst part of the center stack on the CTS was the GPS, which frankly sucked. I found the free Google navigation on my smartphone to be better on every level.
Otherwise, I found it to be intuitive in most respects and not a distraction while driving. I had hoped that 4 years later the ATS would be a great improvement, sadly it's not.
I get the feeling that GM wanted to give you the iPad experience on your dash. The problem is that while you're staring at your tablet's screen to find an app, you're not doing 75!!
The GPS is prettier, but it's still sluggish, hard to use on the fly and the XM traffic still sucks. I still find that using my smartphone much easier and more accurate.
Not only that but using Tunein gives me far superior reception. Perhaps it would have been better to use something like Entune, where the infotainment works in harmony
with your smartphone. And it would be much more cost effective. But if GM wants a real high end system, they should look towards Audi, I test drove an A7 and it was lights better
than CUE!
 
#37 ·
Yesterday my wife and I went to a dinner party in Atlanta and as we normally do put the address into the NAV system just for a reference. We were under way with me driving and my wife inserting the data for the destination. She is right handed and had to do everything with her left hand so that could be the cause of some of her difficulty but CUE is a monster when you really need it. If any of you have tried to use the touch screen while driving on a bumpy road then you know that mistakes are common. When she tried to enter the address in the address box and got a number wrong the red "X" at the top right of the box that we all know is the delete-the-last-entry button routinely deleted the entire entry. Over and over again this happened. Finally I used voice NAV commands using "Address". I spoke clearly and normally and every single time CUE responded with the correct numbers plus the number "1". Over and over it did the same thing. The last digit in the address was "Four" which has no lingering syllable to be confused with the number one. Also, when we finally got the number in correctly the street name had two words in it and every time we entered it the second street name became the city. I finally pushed the blue OnStar button and they down loaded it to our NAV in about one minute. Folks, this a piece of junk. I'm sorry to be negative but this thing is almost useless. I still love the car and enjoy driving it but wish I had the opportunity to have it without CUE. My wife had a hard time keeping her little finger from touching the radio volume slide while trying to use the touch screen and the radio volume bar would appear on the screen. Also, the "Exit" button is so close to the red "X" that half the time she would exit the program by mistake. Oh, and ONE time the red "X" actually only erased one number instead of the entire string of numbers. Have any of you had similar problems? I think we have been had and that there will not be a fix for us but the next gen will get the "Updated" system.
 
#39 ·
..... Finally I used voice NAV commands using "Address". I spoke clearly and normally and every single time CUE responded with the correct numbers plus the number "1". Over and over it did the same thing. The last digit in the address was "Four" which has no lingering syllable to be confused with the number one.
Mine is doing the same thing basically. It's adding numbers to the end of addresses which no rational reason why. It's not just me; I have a speech therapist in the family and it does the same thing no matter how precisely the address is spoken or how fast it is spoken. And CUE Navigation can not understand some words at all. For example, I wanted directions to a Restaurant called Ajo Al's (Ajo is pronounced ah-hoe). No matter who said the name or how they said it (4 different people) it would ask if we meant Taco Bell. It's almost like it doesn't hear consonants. All attempts were made in a parked car with windows up and no audible background noise. So I gave up using voice commands for navigation.

I don't seem to have problems with voice commands in audio or at least not enough to be memorable. I take that back. CUE did have an attention span issue when I asked it to play S&G's "A Simple Desultory Philippic or How I was Robert McNamara'd Into Submission" but I cut it some slack on that one.
 
#38 ·
As far as navigation is concerned, the problem I have
is that it won't find some addresses in its database. It
also takes considerably longer to load than it should when
getting in the vehicle and wanting to input an address.

I have a leased vehicle and I am trying to unload it.

I hate CUE that much.

Going to talk to the dealer first (for which I know I will
get nowhere) and then see if I can simply unload it online.

I do sympathize and understand the complaints. I will give
credit to the folks from GM for trying to make me happy, but
in the end, I have to drive this vehicle and put up with the
bugginess of this technology. Should never have been put in
a Cadillac vehicle.
 
#40 ·
I have a leased vehicle and I am trying to unload it.

I hate CUE that much.

Going to talk to the dealer first (for which I know I will
get nowhere) and then see if I can simply unload it online.
Mine is purchased, however I fully agree with your assessment here. I've actually tried to sell mine with little interest from people.
I feel CUE is THAT bad!..
It was marketed with many options we still don't have, navigation that is subpar to say the least, and less options than the lesser priced Mylink system that seems to keep getting better..

I've seriously considered removing it and putting in an aftermarket radio, however the amount I paid for CUE and it being required to modify different car parameters have made this not very feasible, so I'm pretty much stuck with it. Which is unfortunate, because the rest of the car is pretty fantastic!..
It's too bad too because admittedly CUE (or the techie side of the car) was a BIG reason for me choosing the ATS.
 
#41 ·
I traded in my 2011 SRX to get the better engine and CUE. Boy is that a screw up. I know we all sort of drift in to a state of complacency and we just do not put out the effort any longer on the parts that do not work very well. Like my cell phone works very well and has from the beginning. Radio works well too if you know the frequency to ask for. I have even gotten used to the center stack and the climate controls but the NAV and voice commands connected to it are just impossible to use with any certainty. I am not usually a quitter on anything that I care about so I will continue to complain until Cadillac offers a fix. I believe it will take a major overhaul to get this thing right and not another update. GM must be aware that those of us who are displeased with CUE will probably never return to Cadillac if there is no resolution.
 
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