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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.

Ram trucks lead 2021 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study

For the first time ever, Ram leads in J.D. Power's annual Initial Quality Study with a score of 128 PP100, or problems experienced per 100 vehicles in the first 90 days of ownership. Ram was in third place in last year's rankings. Coming in second place is Dodge (139 PP100), a sister division to Ram under the Stellantis umbrella, followed by Lexus (144 PP100), this year's highest-ranked premium automaker, in third. These findings reinforce an overall trend over the last few decades where mass-market brands have outperformed premium brands that tend to introduce bleeding-edge technologies that can confuse owners or fail to work entirely. Genesis (148 PP100) is the only other premium automaker to perform better than average. At the bottom of the official rankings is Chrysler (251 PP100), which seems to make little sense considering most of its technologies are shared with Dodge and many with Ram until you consider that Chrysler only offers two platforms and one of them is the Pacifica/Voyager minivan twins that are unique to the brand. The next worst are Audi (240 PP100) and Volkswagen (213 PP100). Tesla would fall in between VW and Audi with its score of 231PP100, but because the electric car manufacturer doesn't provide access to J.D. Power in every state, it's not officially included. Interestingly, J.D. Power said on a followup call that the problems that Tesla owners report most often are more traditional issues, such as panel fitment, interior noises or paint problems instead of problems with the car's electronics. According to J.D. Power, the industry averaged a score of 162 PP100. That is four points higher than the overall score in 2020, and 20 of 32 brands improved their quality scores over the last year. That's a two percent increase in quality in 2021, which is good but slightly lower than the average rate of improvement over the last decade. On a car-by-car basis, the Nissan Maxima leads the overall field with a score of 85 PP100. Issues with infotainment systems — and in particular problems pairing smartphones with in-car technologies — continue to be the top-reported problems. Headaches connecting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto dominate the complaints. "Owners want wireless connectivity, and the industry has responded," according to Dave Sargent, vice president of automotive quality at J.D. Power. "However, this has created a bigger technical challenge for both automakers and tech companies.

2019 Ram 1500 V8 First Drive Review | New pickup has more of everything

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – There's a lot going on with the 2019 Ram 1500: inside, outside, out back, and under the hood. New engine options — two of which feature 48-volt eTorque assistance for extra grunt — and lots of attitude-heavy trims. But our first experience with the '19 Ram is focused on the totality of the truck experience — taking a step back, a deep breath of desert air, and soaking it all in. Ram is staking out a fascinating niche in an incredibly competitive segment. More than anything, this is a very comfortable truck, and that's exactly what it needs to be. Remember, Ram ditched leaf springs for coil springs 10 years ago, figuring a smoother ride outweighed the cost. That didn't make it less truckish, since capabilities also increased. And the same goes here: The suspension geometry is tweaked even further, giving it better control over speed bumps in the Phoenix suburbs as well as the desert washes, guarded by saguaro sentinels. Lest you think this means the 1500 gives up anything on its predecessor, properly equipped the '19 can tow up to 12,700 pounds. Yes, with the 1500 ... not a dual-axle, heavier-grade 3500 or something. Maximum payload is up to 2,320 pounds, too — although that rating is only for a 3.6L 4x2 with a 3.55 rear end. There's got to be a tradeoff, right? Maybe Ram pinched the interior to save weight. Nope — both the Quad and Crew cabs are bigger. The Crew Cab grows more, though, with 4 extra inches of extra wheelbase finding its way into the massive space behind the front seats — there's 45.2 inches of legroom back there, which is about 5 inches more than before. This process of critically assessing the Ram, looking for clues that something was worse or amiss, simply came up empty. The only area the 1500 seems to show weakness is in pricing — generally it's more expensive across the board, by a few hundred dollars, although some of that is offset by favorable options packaging or additional content. And, of course, with increased complexity there's the potential for higher running costs down the road — something we can't evaluate until these trucks have been on the road for years. Back to the present: The conclusion we came to is that Ram simply invested in multiple areas in this truck. A bit of the cost is passed onto the buyer, but not as much as you'd think. To translate from beancounter: Pay a little bit more, get a lot more.