2021 Ram Promaster High Roof on 2040-cars

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Best car infotainment systems of 2022

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 them all what their favorite is, and you’re likely to get a lot of different responses. Some prefer systems that are exclusively touch-based with a simplistic user interface. Others may prefer a non-touch system that is navigable via a scroll wheel. You can compare it to the phone operating system wars. Just like some folks 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 overall: UConnect — Various Stellantis products If thereÂ’s one infotainment system that all of us agree is excellent, itÂ’s UConnect. Both UConnect 4 and the latest UConnect 5 software are included in this praise, too. 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. We like the radio/media interface — itÂ’s super easy to swap stations or sources. The menu structure is easy to grasp, and of course both Apple CarPlay/Android Auto are available if you want them. UConnect 5 is a big visual improvement over UConnect 4, but thankfully it retains the same ease of use as the outgoing system. WeÂ’ll also point out that Stellantis is able to adapt UConnect to different screen shapes and sizes with great success — it works stunningly well in the vertical 12-inch screen of the Ram.

Ram shows off its 2019 Heavy Duty trucks in Laramie Longhorn trim

It may not be everyone's bag (baby), but Ram's high-end Laramie Longhorn trim level has proven quite successful for the truck maker. The Southwestern-themed kit has won the Luxury Pickup Truck of Texas award three years in a row, and you know how popular fullsize pickups are in the the great state of Texas. No surprise, then, that the truck is making its debut today at the Houston Auto Show just a week after other trim levels of Ram's 2019 2500 and 3500 Heavy Duty pickup truck line were displayed in Detroit. Like other 2019 Ram HDs, the Laramie Longhorn comes standard with a 6.4-liter gasoline-fueled Hemi V8 sending 410 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque through an 8-speed automatic. Two diesel engines are optional, both sourced from Cummins, both displacing 6.7 liters, and both mated up with 6-speed automatic transmissions. The first step up the diesel ladder nets the buyer 370 hp and 850 lb-ft. But the big dog is the High Output inline-six-cylinder diesel with 400 horsepower and a superlative-defying 1,000 lb-ft of torque at just 1,800 rpm. What sets the Laramie Longhorn apart from lesser models are its interior furnishings. It's heavy on full-grain leather, but now boasts a new alligator skin-embossed surface over the center console, instrument panel, seats and door-panel inserts. Warm-hued satin chrome and brushed nickel trim are unique to the Longhorn, as are barn-wood accent pieces. The interior color offerings include a two-tone brown and a black and tan package. Outside, the Laramie Longhorn offers optional RV Match Walnut Brown bumpers and flares for those who want a unified towing experience. Wheels measuring 20 inches in diameter are offered in various finishes, and the badges are inspired by large belt buckles. See for yourself in the image gallery up above. If you find the style appealing, prefer to travel with your vacation home in tow, and don't mind a starting price that's sure to approach $60,000 with the base V8, Ram promises its Heavy Duty haulers will ride better than their Ford or Chevy equivalents due to their five-link coil and air-bag supported suspension systems. Plus, with a max tow rating of 35,100 pounds courtesy of the the Cummins H.O. powertrain, Ram has bragging rights as the baddest truck in town... for now. Related Video:

2021 Ram 1500 could finally get tech handed down from HD lineup

Based on details gleaned from spy shots of a 2021 Ram 1500 Laramie Sport Quad Cab 4x4 prototype, Mopar Insiders believes the 2021 Ram 1500 will adopt a few serious pickup convenience features, two of which have found homes on Ram heavy duty pickups for years. The first is towing mirrors with cameras as part of the pickup's 360-degree camera system. The Surround-View Cameras can be had as part of the Advanced Safety Group on the 1500 now, but they haven't been available with the trailer tow mirrors. On the heavy duty Rams, the Surround-View Cameras come as part of the Towing Technology Group. It's possible Ram will address the omission with next year's 1500 pickup. The same mirrors have been seen on the Ram 1500 Rebel TRX prototypes as well. The second hand-me-down from the heavy duty range is a bed-view camera mounted on an LED brake light at the back of the cab — Ram calls it the Center High-Mount Stop Lamp with Cargo View Camera. Some Ram owners making mods to their trucks, like installing a Tazer DT plug-in to access more vehicle settings, have discovered the camera line already installed as part of the harness. Next year could be when Ram decides to activate it. The last feature is trailer steering knob that serves a similar function to the Pro Trailer Backup Assist that can be optioned on the Ford F-150. The knob has been seen on leaked interior shots of the Rebel TRX, so it's assumed to spread to the rest of the 1500 trims. When backing up with a trailer, a driver turns the steering wheel in the opposite direction he wants to trailer to go. To make the job easier for occasional haulers, in a truck with trailer steering feature, the driver turns the dial in the direction he wants the trailer to go, and the software takes care of turning the truck to make the request happen. Since the fifth generation Ram 1500 only arrived for the 2019 model year, we don't expect substantive changes for 2021. Another big addition would be Uconnect 5, which debuts on the 2021 Pacifica but could slide to the Ram side of the family before the new model year. Related Video: