Most In-Car Infotainment Systems Are Terrible

It is now time to release our inner curmudgeons. Except this time it’s justified and goes well beyond Clint Eastwood memes telling people to get off his lawn. This is pure 1970s-level protest march worthy stuff.

In-car infotainment systems, those screens that are used to interact with the radio, streaming options, navigation, and all the rest, are terrible. Not because they are huge distractions from the road (which they are). Nor because they are often break points for new cars (they are). But because they are the least intuitive item with the smallest amount of actual impact on improvement in today’s vehicles.

New vehicles today are more economical, safer, and smarter than they’ve ever been before. Improvements to powertrains, safety systems, braking, and even tires have brought massive upgrades to our automobiles in just a handful of years. Infotainment? Not so much.

To be fair, there have been steady improvements to the look, feel, and functionality of infotainment systems over time. They’re now sleeker-looking and have more options and functions than ever before. But that hasn’t meant improvements in usability and practicality. Or safety. With rare exceptions, most in-car information and entertainment interfaces are clunky and horrible.

The exceptions are the future. Mercedes-Benz and BMW, for example, have gone almost entirely hands-off with their systems. Rather than look over and then touch the screen to do something or reach down for a knob and look at the screen (both of which mean you’re no longer looking at the road), one simply just asks for something.

Me, still looking at the road: “Hey, Mercedes.” “How can I help?” “Navigate to the nearest restroom. ASAP.” “There is a fuel station with public restrooms at the next exit. Would you like me to navigate there?” “Yes!” “Take exit 391, bearing right..”

Easy. I never once looked away from the road. It was all just talking. And I did it at 75 mph, adding no further delays to bladder relief.

These systems can also be more personable. “Hey, Mercedes.” “How can I help?” “Tell me a joke.” “I’m sorry, I cannot do that. My engineers were German.”

And it’s not just me complaining about in-car infotainment systems being terrible. New car buyers back me up on this. For two years running, J.D. Power’s Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) study has shown a decline in consumer satisfaction with their new cars. In large part because of, I’m sure you’ve guessed, infotainment.

It turns out this added technology does little to enhance daily driveability for the car.

“Despite the technology and design innovations that manufacturers put into new vehicles,” says Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at J.D. Power, “owners are lukewarm about them.” .. “This downward trajectory of satisfaction should be a warning sign to manufacturers that they need to better understand what owners really want in their new vehicles.”

Many new car buyers, for example, forgo the built-in music and streaming services their new car has to offer in favor of using their phone (via Bluetooth) or its apps (Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, etc). Even fewer use the built-in navigation and phone call services their vehicles offer. The survey results are true of both standard and luxury buyers.

As a professional reviewer of cars (yes, that is actually my job), I’ve been noting the near-uselessness of in-car infotainment for years. A decade ago, some leeway was given for the newness of the technology, but there’s little excuse for systems today to have improved mostly in cosmetics alone. Crisper screens and nicer icons don’t make the system better.

It’s clear that bigger, more distracting, and more frustrating-to-use screens are not what consumers want. Cue the overlay of protest marchers chanting, Creedence playing over the top.