Photo: MotorTrend
A J.D. Power survey of car owners shows that many continue to be frustrated by infotainment systems. However, that frustration is alleviated if the car supports Apple CarPlay and/or Android Auto.
The J.D. Power survey says:
However, one area that continues to put a damper on excitement across all vehicle fuel types is infotainment—one of the 10 factors on which the study is based. Despite satisfaction improving 5 points this year to 823, infotainment remains one of the lowest-scoring categories industry wide. While satisfaction with in-vehicle infotainment systems averages 805, it is higher among owners who use Android Auto (832) or Apple CarPlay (840). This shows that customers prefer to have the simplistic usability of their phone extended into their vehicle more so than what manufacturers are providing.
In my years of testing cars, I’ve found that infotainment systems are increasingly challenging to navigate. They are getting bloated with too many menus and sub-menus, which makes certain features or functions difficult to find.
I’ve also yet to see any automaker with a native navigation app that is as good as Apple Maps, Google Maps, or Waze.
Furthermore, relying on Apple CarPlay or Android Auto means you can access data such as your contacts and saved addresses easily without having to transfer or sync them to your car and worry that they can be seen by someone else.
Despite this, some automakers are vehemently staying away from Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Last year, GM declared that it would “phase out” Apple CarPlay and Android Auto from its cars in favour of its own in-house developed system. Rivian also said that it will never support Apple CarPlay.
The highest-ranking premium brands in the survey were Porsche with 891 points, Jaguar with 886, and Land Rover with 882. In the mass market category, the leading brands were Mini with a score of 858, Ram with 854, and Kia with 853.
The survey is based on responses from 99,144 owners of 2024 model-year cars. They were surveyed after 90 days of ownership.
Source: J.D. Power
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