Taycan PCM is an embarrassment

[Dee]

I have to agree that the PCM sucks.
1. Many items are buried deep - not safe in a car going 100 mph on average
2. HomeLink - does not work like it should, again buried.
3. Airplay/Itunes - enough said!
4. Chargers - not seen as well as Tesla/have to hunt for them
5. No way to access favorite radio stations easily from steering wheel (a know Porsche problem for decades)
6. Random reboots (not as often now after upgrade/recall done).
7. Optics (or software) on back up camera is so ... retro! Like a 1990s bad camera. In a 200k+ car!
8. Overly complicated charging settings - minimum means maximum, except when it means minimum

Thx for your contribution.
1. Get to know your car and menu structure before you drive.
Also, with ACC or Innodrive activated you have room for quick searching but then again, you shouldn't be doing this while driving.
2. Homelink works perfectly if your door is compatible, simple.
Nothing buried, it's a button on the home screen.
3. Agree.
4. You mean on the nav?
But for me no issue, I use separate app which is much more accurate so kinda agree there.
5. No issue.
6. Not a common problem but I'm sorry to hear that.
7. It works and I don't think it's an issue, matter of taste.
8. Agree, should be more pointed to less experienced users but then again, it's not an issue.
We are here for you.

So, not a bad score if you ask me.

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[PanameraFrank]

Sometimes when I read threads like this I wonder if my Taycan has a different system. I like the PCM in mine. I like it more than the Panamera/Macan/992 , although mostly just because it's superior aesthetically.

Are there bugs and we should discuss them? Yes. But every first gen infotainment has bugs.

What $30k car has a better infotainment? I was bouncing around rental cars for 9 months and I didn't see one.

Toyota, Subaru, Nissan, Mazda are worse. I thought the JLR system was worse, talk about a buggy system.

I also hate how the BMW/Audi/Merc systems look so I don't even care if they have more functions.

Now the backup/surround cameras I agree with 100%. They're garbage quality and it seems like it's the software distorting the images. I also don't understand why the Taycan doesn't have cross traffic backup alert when other Porsches do. Annoying.

So if we're lumping that in than you have a point, the camera system in the Taycan IS worse than many $30k cars. But the climate + info setup is very nice.

 

[thenaimis]

1. Many items are buried deep - not safe in a car going 100 mph on average

100 mph on average? Clearly I've never been to that part of Houston...

 

[jimithing]

I totally understand what you're saying and agree on most of it.
But...
I come from BMW i3/i8 which is very user-friendly in menus...
Ha! I'm just kidding.
Also some features are way hidden in the menu, very annoying but...... it's there and works.
Actually, it works very good but that's after 6 years of production.
So, the Taycan is different.
That was annoying in the first place but....after a while I got used to it and now I navigate through the menus no problem whatsoever.
It takes time.
Also, some small "problems" take time.
If we collect these "common problems", Porsche is better able to address them.
A rant is fine and perfectly understandable but please be constructive.

I came from BMW as well & have no regrets. The Taycan will be my third pcar & definitely won't be the last one. I gave suggestions to & will provide those same suggestions, sans rant, when Porsche sends me a survey. I'm confident they'll get it right & the good part about the all-screen setup is that we should all benefit from it, unlike with the old PCM units where you had to buy a new car.

 

[GaryT]

The following is my wish list for required PCM improvements (not already addressed, above):

1. Android Auto - Porsche has a considerable number of customers that prefer Android to the iPhone. Not providing for Android customers was clearly not an oversight but a deliberate and ill-advised decision and should be reconsidered by Porsche management.
2. GPS MAP - The GPS map displayed in center console in NAV mode does not update smoothly as the car moves. As a result, the display jerks as the image refreshes.
3. HomeLink - HomeLink does pair with my garage door opener but the GPS location function does not work; it always shows the car as "off-road".
4. Wi-Fi Hotspot - The Wi-Fi hotspot pairs with my phone, but it will not connect to the Internet. Porsche says that this is an ATT problem. I don't know if it is an ATT problem or a Porsche problem, but it needs to be fixed, fast as my car has the Thermally & Noise Insulated Glass which can interfere with my phone's ability to maintain a clean 4G Internet connection. Without the Wi-Fi Hotspot functionality, which would give my phone access to the outside world, I am at times, cut off (other than phone service which does penetrate the glass).
5. Programs: - At times, the list programs available on the individual tuners takes a long time to populate. For example, at times it takes five minutes for my list of favorite audio tracks to appear.

I am sure that I will have other items to add to my list, but these are the key issues that come to mind, for now.

 

[Miwa]

When iOS 12 came out and CarPlay started supporting Waze, I switched from Android to iOS for the Macan. No sense fighting that battle when both iOS and Android suck, and I really wanted good integration with the head unit.

Porsche says 90% of it's customers are on iOS.

 

[Scandinavian]

Thx for your contribution.
1. Get to know your car and menu structure before you drive.
Also, with ACC or Innodrive activated you have room for quick searching but then again, you shouldn't be doing this while driving.
2. Homelink works perfectly if your door is compatible, simple.
Nothing buried, it's a button on the home screen.
3. Agree.
4. You mean on the nav?
But for me no issue, I use separate app which is much more accurate so kinda agree there.
5. No issue.
6. Not a common problem but I'm sorry to hear that.
7. It works and I don't think it's an issue, matter of taste.
8. Agree, should be more pointed to less experienced users but then again, it's not an issue.
We are here for you.

So, not a bad score if you ask me.

You must have the most rose tinted glasses I have ever heard of.

 

[Scandinavian]

You mean on the nav?
But for me no issue, I use separate app which is much more accurate so kinda agree there.

Yes I love getting into the car with three phones running separate apps. One for navigation Sorry meant music , one for Ionity charging stations and one for general navigation. Sucks

 

[Dee]

You must have the most rose tinted glasses I have ever heard of.

No, realistic.
Thx for your constructive reply.

 

[tnikolov]

I have a 992 Turbo S, whose PCM while smaller in screen real estate is arguably better than the Taycans. It's a tad more responsive and way less buggy. The Taycan is still the more futuristic of the two. But the 992 also has WIFI CARPLAY and unlock through the app!

 

[GaryT]

I have a 992 Turbo S, whose PCM while smaller in screen real estate is arguably better than the Taycans. It's a tad more responsive and way less buggy. The Taycan is still the more futuristic of the two. But the 992 also has WIFI CARPLAY and unlock through the app!

What is "WIFI CARPLAY"?

 

[Mwa3aan]

What is "WIFI CARPLAY"?

You can leave your iPhone in your pocket and apple CarPlay will work wirelessly. No need for a USB cable.

It's one of those features that you can argue isn't critical but once you have experienced it it is nice to have for short drives to the store.

 

[GaryT]

You can leave your iPhone in your pocket and apple CarPlay will work wirelessly. No need for a USB cable.

It's one of those features that you can argue isn't critical but once you have experienced it it is nice to have for short drives to the store.

That feature is usually called "Apple Carplay".

 

[Mwa3aan]

That feature is usually called "Apple Carplay".

Correct but it can work with a USB cable or wirelessly using a combination of Bluetooth and WiFi.

Porsche started supporting the wireless version in their 2020 cars.

It works exactly like the USB CarPlay version but doesn't require a cable.

 

[tnikolov]

Correct but it can work with a USB cable or wirelessly using a combination of Bluetooth and WiFi.

Porsche started supporting the wireless version in their 2020 cars.

It works exactly like the USB CarPlay version but doesn't require a cable.

Not in all 2020 cars, as is the case with the Taycan.

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