Pick your car, pick your infotainment
The way we interact with our cars has changed in the last decade. In years past, all you needed was a Rand McNally map, your book of CD’s, and you were set. Now, many affordable vehicles offer navigation systems, and almost every car comes with standard or available Bluetooth hands-free calling and streaming music. If you are buying your first car in a decade, it can be overwhelming, and some may overlook these useful features altogether.
Based on the system you choose, the driver-interface can either be a help, or a distraction. Here are some of the best infotainment systems on the market, and they are more attainable than you think.
First,a word on Bluetooth. Many still hold onto the notion of the Blue-tool: the strung out businessman talking into a Bluetooth earpiece, which he never takes out. Bluetooth has far more capabilities now, and when linked to your car, it lets you place and send calls without taking your eyes off the road.You can also stream music from your phone- without ever taking it out of your pocket.
Bluetooth also makes systems like Toyota Entune possible.
Entune is a series of in-car apps, which use your smartphone to connect to the web. It includes Bing searches (sorry Googleusers), streaming music with Pandora, and even makes restaurant reservations with OpenTable.
This system is similar to Chevrolet MyLink, which also features Pandora. Chevrolet has seen how younger buyers almost exclusively use their own smartphones for music, and has ditched the indash CD player in favor of USB ports to connect to a portable audio device.
Being connected is just one part of the equation. Having all this new technology at your fingertips can potentially be distracting, but it doesn’t have to be. Companies like Apple have shown that ease-of-use is just as important as the power and capabilities beneath the hood.
Perhaps Chrysler took inspiration from the iPad with Uconnect Touch, found on the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Journey, and forthcoming Dart. It is easily the most intuitive and helpful interface on the market today. It features iPad-like icons at the bottom of the 8.4-inch touch screen. Each icon represents a different major vehicle function: Radio, Climate, Navigation, Phone, etc.
Before anyone crabs about“why can’t I have just the good old fashioned buttons?’’ real-live tactile controls are provided for the most important functions. Essential climate and radio controls are nestled right below the touch screen. If its 5:30AM, cold and dark, you can find the basic controls you need.
Equally simple touchscreens come from Hyundai and Kia.The former owns the latter, so it should come as no surprise that they would have similar interfaces, albeit with varying aesthetics. Kia ups the ante with UVO, a powerful voice-command system for your phone and music co-developed with Microsoft. It is similar to Ford’s SYNC.
Several luxury brands think that reaching for the touch screen is distracting or too much work.These high-end automakers feature varying forms of controllers nestled in the center console. Like BMW iDrive or Audi MMI, they allow the driver to interact with all of the menus and functions discussed here, but with your arm in a natural position on the center console. MMI features a terrific touch-sensitive pad that allows the driver to actually draw a letter or number, making entering an address or number incredibly simple.
The latest-and-greatest luxury-brandjoystick system is Lexus Remote Touch and it is the future of howwe will interact with our car. Debuted on the CT 200h, and updated for the all-new 2013 GS 350, it consists of a trackball-type controller, operating a free-floating cursor on a massive 12.3-inch high-resolution display.The controller has force-feedback, like a video game controller. When the cursor is over a selectable item, the controller“snaps’’to signify it’s over that item. It takes moments to learn, and is the most intuitive non-touchscreen system available.
Almost the every carmaker offers some sort of infotainment system. Because of the system’s varying complexities, it should never be an afterthought when purchasing a new vehicle.The systems listed here are among best, but the only way to really know is to check it out for yourself.When test driving a car, also test drive the interface. Just like the car, you’ll be using this system every day. Pick the wrong one, and it will drive you nuts every time you use it.
Pick the right one, and your commute will be more productive, more entertaining, and less distracted.
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