Auto blog

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.

2021 Cadillac Escalade shown inside and out in leaked photos

Fresh off the official reveals of the all-new 2021 Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe, here come leaked images showing the redesigned version of their upmarket sibling, the Cadillac Escalade, inside and out. The images were posted on Instagram by user @allcarnews, with a hat tip to Jalopnik, and give us our best look yet at the unadorned exterior and the new interior.           View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by A L L C A R N E W S (@allcarnews) on Dec 11, 2019 at 12:22am PST Let’s start with the body design of the large luxury SUV, with bears strong echoes of both the aforementioned Suburban and Yukon, albeit with a chrome stripe along the lower doors and chrome trim framing the windows. Then thereÂ’s the redesigned grille, which looks like a larger-maw version of the XT6Â’s grille and adopts the same horizontal LED headlights. Instagram commenters also liken the exterior to the new XT6, CadillacÂ’s smaller three-row crossover, and even the Hyundai Palisade. The swept-back, slightly tapered rear end in profile even reminds us a little of the Lincoln Aviator. All of which will beg the question of whether Cadillac has done enough to distinguish its flagship SUV to compete against the Lincoln Navigators of the world.             View this post on Instagram                   (UPDATED) LEAKED: 2021 Escalade ? _____________________________________ [12/11/19] (NEW INTERIOR SHOTS) CadillacÂ’s Escalade for 2021 has been leaked and well.. the exterior is subjective.. What I will point out is the side profile which is unfortunately still identical to the Tahoe & Suburbab albeit with a chrome bar on the bottom and chrome window frame trim. The rear gets full sized LED verticals taillights again, but now more integrated into the rear. The front is big and loud but looks like a blown up XT6. After reading your comments, it seems a mixed bag, especially with the horizontal headlights (which i lightened to show the elements) but the massive verticals LED DRLÂ’s remain thankfully. ???????????? ???????????? ???????????? ????????? ? @Allcarnews Spec Sheet: Powertrain wise there will be a carry over 6.2L 420HP+ V8 paired to a 10 speed auto gearbox. A supercharged V8 version (or TT V8) will be coming in the future with up to 650HP in some sort of V designation. Expect blacked out wheels, trim and grille. ? ???????????? ???????????? ??????????? But..

GM's Reuss explains why Cadillac is heading to New York

"We're going to take it to a place [New York] to change the way that we do business around the brand of Cadillac." - Mark Reuss
General Motors product chief Mark Reuss elaborated Tuesday on Cadillac's move to New York in 2015, saying it will "elevate" the brand and allow it to reach new customers.