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The good and the not-so-good of infotainment systems

A heads-up on the strengths and weaknesses of several popular systems

Mark Atkinson
Published: May 5, 2015, 1:35 AM
Updated: May 5, 2015, 3:35 PM

Infotainment Systems

A heads-up on the strengths and weaknesses of several popular systems ▲

The good and the not-so-good

With even basic vehicles now jammed full of interactive technology and communication systems, as well as increasing compatibility with whatever mobile devices we already use, the choices can be overwhelming. Some infotainment systems can be quite good; some not so much. And most require spending precious seconds paying attention to something other than driving to use. Consider this summary a friendly heads-up on the strengths and weaknesses of several popular systems. You may not want to make your vehicle purchase decision on the basis of its infotainment system but it's better to be aware of what you might be getting into before you commit. ▲

Good: Chrysler Uconnect

Chrysler has been evolving its Uconnect system to the point where it is arguably the best in the business. It has an easy to understand layout with smart fonts and large buttons, logical presses on the touchscreen, and nice big dials for volume, tuning and HVAC controls underneath. ▲

Good: Chrysler Uconnect

It isn’t perfect, though. In performance-oriented models, accessing various driving modes can take you two or three menu layers deep. Also, things like activating heated seats generally requires going to the climate screen, although during cold weather, there’s an automatic shortcut that appears during start-up allowing you to skip that step. ▲

Good: GM IntelliLink

GM’s system is available on all its brands other than Cadillac and it has evolved to become reasonably easy to use. Most models can be operated either by touching stuff on-screen or by using the rotary selection knob and large buttons just under the screen. There are lots of options for how you prefer to use it. ▲

Good: GM IntelliLink

The biggest problem comes from the sometimes busy layout, especially when scrolling through the XM radio stations. And in some older models – like the Buick Lacrosse – the screen is physically set too far back leaving a long reach to use and obscuring the corners from view. ▲

Good: Hyundai BlueLink

Just like its automobiles, Hyundai offers plenty of value and good design baked into its BlueLink system. It’s one of the simplest to use with logical moves and presses, lots of customization and top-end safety systems. Secondary buttons surround the screen to choose various entertainment and navigation commands, and the voice commands work surprisingly well. ▲

Good: Hyundai BlueLink

Some areas, like the home screen, can look cramped, but that’s a small price to pay for such a solid offering. ▲

Good: Mercedes-Benz COMAND

A system that relies heavily on dials rather than touches, the COMAND system really is excellent. There is lots of haptic feedback through the dial itself, and in most of its offerings there are button backups. Higher-end models offer a small touchpad hidden by a flip cover that recognizes finger swipes and written letters. ▲

Good: Mercedes-Benz COMAND

One neat touch that’s been present from the start is the phone-style keypad on the dash itself. Beyond using it for calls, it doubles as both radio pre-sets and being able to input channel numbers directly. In models like the S-Class, the sheer number of available ‘pages’ can get overwhelming, and how to switch back and forth between them could be a touch challenging. ▲

Good: Nissan Connect

One of the older systems around, Nissan’s Connect has proven to be enduring in its relative simplicity. Most relevant information is easy to spot thanks to the top-most bar remaining visible regardless of which screen you’re on. Permanent buttons around the screen are large and easy to use. ▲

Good: Nissan Connect

The smaller screen and lower resolution means some sacrifices regarding slightly fuzzy fonts, and the smaller on-screen buttons needed to fit them all in aren’t ideal. ▲

Not so good: Cadillac CUE

This one is a double-edged sword. The reconfigurable digital dashboard in the V-sport models is very useful, being able to get tonnes of useful information about the vehicle’s health and performance, and it can even include a smaller navigation map if needed. Those are all controlled by toggle-switches on the steering wheel and – once set, anyway – are clear enough. ▲

Not so good: Cadillac CUE

The biggest issue comes from the CUE’s central screen which ties everything together. The interface works similarly to a smart-phone with swipes allowing movement across pages or down lists, but it is a hit-or-miss in action. Also, the capacitive controls below the screen for audio and HVAC can be frustratingly unreliable in use. ▲

Not so good: Ford MyFordTouch

MyFordTouch is one of the more notorious systems around, especially in full-bore versions of the Fusion and Edge. The overriding issue is one of having too many bits on the screen at any one time. The main touch screen segmented into quarters is OK, although the digital ‘buttons’ are generally small, requiring lots of attention to select the right one. In some vehicles, Ford has done away with physical knobs and buttons on the instrument panel, preferring touch-sensitive capacitive inputs instead. ▲

Not so good: Ford MyFordTouch

However, the pair of screens flanking the speedometer can be customized to display car-related info on the left and a secondary input that essentially duplicates the main screen. There are two sets of buttons on either side of the steering wheel that control their respective screens, which adds even more confusion. And yes, there are still issues with system crashes too. ▲

Not so good: HondaLink

When Honda introduced its newest HondaLink system on its latest Civic, several issues cropped up. First, a complete lack of knobs or buttons – other than for system power and ejecting a CD – means you have very few tactile points of contact. It requires stabs and swipes for the volume control, although there are secondary controls on the steering wheel. ▲

Not so good: HondaLink

The other problem is the second screen farther up on the instrument panel, which mostly duplicates the information presented on the main screen. It would serve well as the screen where the passenger-side-mirror-mounted camera – called Lanewatch –displays since it’s closer to the driver’s line of sight than the main screen. ▲

Not so good: Toyota Entune

Toyota’s Entune system certainly isn’t the prettiest around, although it deserves credit gor maintaining a pair of enormous volume and tuning knobs. The system generally makes it easy to use with larger fonts that are easy to read, although selecting radio pre-sets at speed is a lesson in self-control thanks to their tiny shape. Scrolling down with a swipe is iffy at best, and the capacitive controls for selecting different sources or accessing the navigation through the apps tab earn the same raspberry as forother manufacturers. ▲

Not so good: Toyota Entune

But Toyota’s biggest annoyance? Locking out nearly every form of input while moving – whether for a paired phone or inputting a query into the navigation system – is hugely frustrating. For sure, less distraction is always better, but not giving the option to passengers is silly. ▲

Not so good: Volkswagen MIB

It's not the worst out there, but while most tasks can be done using the knobs, buttons and touch-screen interface, in order to pair or change a phone, you’re required to use the secondary screen buried in the gauge cluster. And the steering-wheel-mounted controls to switch pages on that secondary screen can be confusing as well. Accidentally pushing the wrong one automatically moves to the next information page and cancels all the progress you’ve just made. ▲

Not so good: Volkswagen MIB

Even tuning the radio manually using the right-hand knob you have to remember to push the button to select your new station instead of automatically changing stations with a twisting motion. ▲
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