Voice control in cars is a fascinating area of innovation. As we all know, the age of “voice” arrived with Siri and Alexa a few years ago, and then ChatGPT really moved the needle up further. It’s now possible to ask ChatGPT to write an entire research paper, then use your voice to make adjustments. Not that anyone would do that in a school setting, of course.
In cars, voice control has evolved slowly. Recently, I tested the 2025 Lexus LC 500 convertible and was impressed with how the commands make it easier to focus on driving and not so much on all of the dashboard settings. Even better, there are signs that Lexus will dramatically improve voice control in future vehicles as well.
One reason I know that: In Europe the Lexus LBX already lets you roll down the windows by voice command and control the climate with vague instructions like “I am feeling cold” which leads to the car turning up the heat. You can also ask the LBX to turn on the seat warmers.
In the LC 500, it was fun testing out a few commands just to see what worked. For example, I asked the voicebot to “raise the heat” and that worked really well. I was also able to lower the heat. Like many modern cars these days, it is also possible to ask the car to play a specific radio station, I prompted the bot to play a sat radio station and it worked every time.
An important detail here: This was with the top down on the vehicle. So even with a lot of wind noise and traffic the command “He Lexus” came through loud and clear each time.
I then tried asking about navigation and I would say Lexus has improved this prompt over the years. At one time in the evolution of cars, you had to be pretty specific about your destination, even stating the exact address. I had no problem asking about gas stations, libraries, and places to eat. I liked how I didn’t need my phone connected for any of this.
I know in Europe there’s a new model called the Lexus LBX that goes a few voice prompts further than this. You can ask the car to lower the windows, which is cool. And, you can be really vague about your climate control commands, telling the car you are cold. The LBX will respond by raising the temp for you. The dialogue seems to be more conversational.
I expect all Lexus cars to adopt these features soon, but I’ve been wanting voice prompts to go even further. I’d like to talk to the car about maintenance needs and even receive guidance about what to do on my own. I’m hoping to ask the car to pop the trunk and close the top.
Beyond that, I’d love to be able to just converse. Supposedly, a new version of Alexa will engage in witty banter with you using a voice that sounds eerily real, like you have a friend standing in your kitchen. On long drives, engaging in a conversation where the bot expresses viewpoints, can relay news and tell me about traffic problems, or just shoot the breeze would be ideal. That would be particularly handy in a car where the breeze is blowing free and wild.