Hallelujah! Toyota and Lexus will finally add CarPlay soon

If you haven't driven a current Toyota or Lexus, do yourself a favour and go to a dealer and play with the media system. This story will make a lot more sense once you do.

The reason we're singing 'hallelujah!' about the addition of Apple CarPlay is because the infotainment systems in Toyota and Lexus cars are, without question, the worst.

TechCrunch reports that the new 2019 Toyota Avalon 'attainable premium' sedan unveiled at the Detroit motor show this week will run CarPlay, making it the first car to do so from the big-selling Japanese brand. Lexus hasn't yet offered it in any of its models.

That'll undoubtedly please half of the population - iPhone users - while Android users could miss out, with Android Auto seemingly not included. But Toyota will have Amazon Alexa available in some cars, so that's something... right?

TechCrunch reports that the new 2019 Toyota Avalon 'attainable premium' sedan unveiled at the Detroit motor show this week will run CarPlay.

We've asked Toyota Australia whether we can expect CarPlay in any of its models soon. We'll update the story if/when we hear back.

UPDATE: Here's Toyota Australia's comment on the matter: 

"As far as CarPlay in Australia is concerned, we have no announcement to make at this point in time about the roll out of this technology. We are however considering its adoption along with other multimedia and connected solutions, as we seek to provide the best product and spec combinations for Australian Toyota buyers."

Mazda is another brand that hasn't ventured into CarPlay territory, but the vast majority of mainstream brands now offer Apple CarPlay mirroring tech, including Volkswagen, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Hyundai, Kia, Holden, Ford and more.

Okay, so you don't have to go sit in a Toyota or Lexus, because here's what makes Toyota and Lexus media systems worse than the other systems out there... and it's a plethora of reasons.

Most Lexus models feature a touchpad system that has vibrational feedback and is kind-of like a touchpad on your laptop, but really hard to use. (Lexus NX 300h F Sport pictured) (image credit: Richard Berry)

Toyota models aren't inherently fidgety over Bluetooth, not allowing you to connect a phone while the car is moving, nor will it allow you to dial a number on the move. And the on-screen buttons are often illogically placed, and very small, making them hard to hit correctly if you're driving.

Lexus models have that same annoyances with Bluetooth, but most feature a touchpad system that has vibrational feedback and is kind-of like a touchpad on your laptop, but really hard to use. It is designed to control a cursor on the screen, but in reality it's kind or like trying to pick up that last grain of rice with your chopsticks... bloody near impossible, and enough to make you swear against dexterity and stab your fingers at it.

Is Apple CarPlay or Android Auto on your 'must-have' list? Let us know in the comments section below.