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Best car infotainment systems: From UConnect to MBUX, these are our favorites

Declaring one infotainment system the best over any other is an inherently subjective matter. You can look at quantitative testing for things like input response time and various screen load times, but ask a room full of people that have tried all car infotainment systems what their favorite is, and you’re likely to get a lot of different responses. For the most part, the various infotainment systems available all share a similar purpose. They aim to help the driver get where they're going with navigation, play their favorite tunes via all sorts of media playback options and allow folks to stay connected with others via phone connectivity. Of course, most go way beyond the basics these days and offer features like streaming services, in-car performance data and much more. Unique features are aplenty when you start diving through menus, but how they go about their most important tasks vary widely. Some of our editors prefer systems that are exclusively touch-based and chock full of boundary-pushing features. Others may prefer a back-to-basics non-touch system that is navigable via a scroll wheel. You can compare it to the phone operating system wars. Just like some prefer Android phones over iPhones, we all have our own opinions for what makes up the best infotainment interface. All that said, our combined experience tells us that a number of infotainment systems are at least better than the rest. WeÂ’ve narrowed it down to five total systems in their own subcategories that stand out to us. Read on below to see our picks, and feel free to make your own arguments in the comments. Best infotainment overall: UConnect 5, various Stellantis products Ram 1500 Uconnect Infotainment System Review If thereÂ’s one infotainment system that all of us agree is excellent, itÂ’s UConnect. It has numerous qualities that make it great, but above all else, UConnect is simple and straightforward to use. Ease of operation is one of the most (if not the single most) vital parts of any infotainment system interface. If youÂ’re expected to be able to tap away on a touchscreen while driving and still pay attention to the road, a complex infotainment system is going to remove your attention from the number one task at hand: driving. UConnect uses a simple interface that puts all of your key functions in a clearly-represented row on the bottom of the screen. Tap any of them, and it instantly pulls up that menu.

GM announces 3 new recalls affecting 1.7M vehicles in North America [w/video]

Still embroiled in the ongoing ignition switch recall, General Motors announced today three more discrete recalls, affecting a grand total of 1,546,900 vehicles in the US. The Detroit News reports that some 1.7 million vehicles are affected overall in North America. The first and largest of the trio of new recalls concerns some 1.18-million Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia crossovers from the 2008-2013 model years, Chevrolet Traverse from 2009-2013 (pictured above) and Saturn Outlook vehicles from 2008-2010. All of the crossover utilities may have an issue with the wiring harness for their seat-mounted side airbags. Apparently, the vehicles are equipped with a Service Air Bag warning light that, if ignored, "will eventually result in the non-deployment of the side impact restraints." Those restraints include the side airbags, a front-center airbag if the vehicle is so equipped and seatbelt pretensioners. Dealers of affected vehicles will be instructed to remove driver and passenger side airbag wiring harness connectors, and then "splice and solder the wires together." The second recall affects 303,000 Chevrolet Express (pictured right) and GMC Savana vans from model years 2009-2014, and with gross vehicle weights under 10,000 pounds. Said vehicles do not comply with a head impact requirement for unrestrained occupants, and will need a reworking of the instrument panel material to be sent back on the road. It doesn't sound as though there's a quick fix for this one, as the GM press release states: "Unsold vehicles have been placed on a stop delivery until development of the solution has been completed and parts are available." Finally, the third recall affects 63,900 Cadillac XTS luxury sedans from model years 2013 and 2014. A brake booster pump may be susceptible to corrosion by way of the relay, potentially causing and electrical short, overheating, melting of plastic components and even engine fires. GM says it is aware of two engine fires in unsold XTS models and two cases of melted parts. Repairs for the issues affecting the XTS have not not mentioned by GM in the release. The Detroit News is also reporting that along with news of the triple-recall, GM is taking a $300-million credit to help pay for the repair costs, and to deal with the ongoing costs associated with the ignition switch recall. In an attempt to explain just what GM has been doing in the face of these very serious issues, newly minted CEO Mary Barra has addressed the issues in a new video.

2019 Cadillac CT6-V preorders start at $89,785

Cadillac's top-of-range sedan will start at less than $90,000, just barely. At the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Cadillac announced it is opening preorders for the 2019 CT6-V, which will start at $89,785. Keeping things exclusive, Cadillac has 275 preorder slots available to the U.S. market for the CT6-V. It will briefly join the ATS-V and the CTS-V to give Caddy a trio of powerful sedans before the ATS-V and CTS-V bow out after the 2019 model year to make way for new models. Cadillac offers less powerful V-Sport variants, as well. The CT6-V, formerly the CT6 V-Sport, uses a Cadillac-exclusive powertrain. The twin-turbo 4.2-liter V8 makes a claimed 550 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque. This engine is hand-built and nicknamed the "Blackwing." It is linked to a 10-speed automatic transmission, which puts power to the ground through Cadillac's all-wheel-drive system. As an added luxury perk to buying the CT6-V, Cadillac will include 2 days at the V-Performance Academy at Spring Mountain. The trip is essentially all expenses paid, with tuition and luxury accommodation part of the package. Cadillac estimates the first CT6-V models to arrive in mid-2019. Now, it was widely reported that the Detroit-Hamtramck production facility that builds the CT6 would be among those closed by GM. Cadillac President Steve Carlisle told Automotive News, however, that the company is exploring production alternatives to keep the flagship luxury sedan for sale in the United States. Apparently, it was never actually on the chopping block, and instead, officials at the time of the plant closure announcement failed to mention that CT6 production would be moved rather than cancelled. Where that new facility would be has yet to be announced, but Carlisle told Automotive News that moving production to China, where the CT6 Plug-In Hybrid is built, is "the least-preferred option." Related Video: