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One of the most important features when buying a modern car is the infotainment system. Different car manufacturers have completely different systems in their cars. For example, many questions will arise, is it a touch screen? How responsive is the screen? Is it still possible to use physical buttons or handles for other controls? What kind of features are available through the infotainment system? We ranked the best infotainment systems for 2022.
A variety of cars are available, and the best infotainment systems have been rated as one of the best options. Various vehicles use the same infotainment systems, as the Ram pickup, Chrysler minivan, and Jeep Wranglers all use the same infotainment system.
The systems also come in different sizes, depending on the vehicle. Some offer a clean and intuitive interface that runs smoothly, and some offer voice commands for almost any of the more commonly used controls. In fact, we’ve come a long way since the days when GPS was a useful option, and having a CD changer in your trunk was the pinnacle of in-car entertainment.
People complain about drivers being distracted, but back in the day it is no longer uncommon to see someone with their Nokia mobile phone on their neck trying to change a CD while driving at 70mph.
Now, we have infotainment systems with digital screens and most of us have a small computer in our pockets to connect to. GPS systems and CD players have become irrelevant due to digitization and the emergence of streaming services. Modern infotainment systems are connected to computer hardware and software. Infotainment systems are becoming complex, and can vary widely in features and implementation from one car maker to another.
The infotainment system also varies from model to model. In mid-2022, we reviewed and compared our infotainment systems to bring you our top favorite infotainment systems, ranked from best to very good in descending order.
1. BMW iDrive 8
When BMW launched iDrive in 2001, it was a mess. However, the rotary knob placed in the center console to control the system was a sound concept. BMW has gradually improved the system over the course of twenty years to reach the eighth iteration, and it has become technically great. iDrive 8 is more complex than iDrive 7, but also more user-friendly.
The system is faster and smoother when responding to inputs, and the dial allows the user to move freely within the menu system and through applications without having to lean forward and try to tap parts of the screen with a finger. The way scrolling and clicking becomes natural quickly, and the system’s integration with the driver’s instrument panel is seamless and fluid. BMW gives us one of the best infotainment systems out there.
BMW’s voice control technology has also scaled up to the point where you can tell the system which part of your body is too hot or cold, and it will change the climate control to suit you. The voice control system can also respond nonverbally by using glowing fields of light at different levels of brightness across the dashboard. However, we still did not find that the gesture control is consistent with the system. But it remains one of the best in-vehicle infotainment systems.
2. Volvo Android infotainment systems
Since integrating infotainment systems into Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, many have wondered why automakers aren’t going straight to the source. After all, Apple has been building operating systems for decades, while Google has been at the forefront of connectivity services for years. Volvo took the lead in 2021.
Volvo brought Google Assistant into the all-electric Volvo C40 from the start. Introduction One of the best infotainment systems out there, now, you don’t need to connect your phone to use all the features that Google Assistant has to navigate to Spotify. Volvo is constantly introducing and modifying new applications “on all Volvo cars with Google built in”.
One example of the system’s quality you need to look at is BMW’s upcoming iDrive 8 technology, which harnesses the voice assistant to control the climate for you, and if you use Google home products or the assistant on your phone, you will soon be able to preconfigure your car with a voice command from inside the house. Volvo hasn’t forgotten iPhone users, and it’s playing well to deliver a decent performance for the Apple Play Car system physically, although we’re waiting for the wireless CarPlay to be added.
3. Toyota Connect
The Japanese manufacturer Toyota, and thus its subsidiary Lexus, realized that using Google was in essence a good idea, and could result in building one of the best infotainment systems, and the project resulted in the building of an entire complete system that has not yet been delivered, and the new infotainment systems are Toyota has a thoughtful application that includes voice control that learns and can control parts of the vehicle’s systems, including windshield wipers.
Toyota’s Google Maps app is the best we’ve seen so far. And a part of the system called Drive Connect Cloud Navigation stores the entire route, so you can’t get off the map when your 4G or 5G connection is lost. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto wireless systems are standard and are now installed in all production vehicles.
It’s one of the best in-vehicle infotainment systems, and with the Toyota mobile app, you can start the car using your phone. The new screens are sharp and clear, and the screen comes with an easy-to-use interface as Toyota focused on making menus simpler.
4. Hyundai / Genesis / Kia infotainment systems
Hyundai’s three subsidiaries use the same infotainment systems, and for the sake of brevity, we’ll just call the infotainment systems Hyundai’s infotainment systems. Hyundai places particular emphasis on connectivity and utilities. We love it because it works and operates intuitively, whether from inside the car or using the Blue Link app to start the car, preconfigure it, or find the car.
The system can also do things like give someone a virtual key to drive the car for a set amount for a set time. Or, as one engineer pointed out, their children have a virtual key on their phone that can only open the luggage compartment so they can load and unload their sports equipment. In fact, Hyundai’s voice commands have always been one of the best voice commands.
And when it comes to understanding sounds, Hyundai also still bakes in as many connectivity methods as standard, including Amazon Alexa, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. On the phone, you can give commands to the car via Alexa, and you can say to the system by voice, “Start my Elantra,” then head out and get in the car to find it air-conditioned and warm or cold after ten minutes.
5. Mercedes-Benz MBUX infotainment systems
Mercedes has always been at the forefront of technology and continues to move forward with the Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) system. As one of the best information and entertainment systems, it has what distinguishes it from other information systems, the most important of which is the extent of its ability to be configured via display screens, and the expansion of features, and of course its cost increases.
One of the biggest strengths of MBUX is its ability to learn, remembering things like popular destinations, places to go and your favorite songs. The system interprets hand and arm movements to activate different functions on certain models, such as the BMW system. However, MBUX uses either a touchpad in the center console that can understand single and multiple finger gestures or the touch screen.
Although the MBUX infotainment systems aren’t top on this list, due to the learning curve required and the cost involved. For example, larger MBUX screens are part of the package, with a price tag of about $1,750 for a Mercedes A220 system, and MB Navigation adding another $1,300 to the cost, and you even need to pay extra for the SiriusXM radio.
6. Google systems embedded in General Motors cars
General Motors cars carry the new General Motors infotainment system, produced in cooperation with Google. The system also integrates Google Voice Assistant and Google Maps voice assistance technologies, and will soon be updated to include Amazon Alexa services. The system also includes Google Play Store, just like your mobile phone.
Back seat passengers with screens can also access downloaded apps. And if you don’t want to use all that, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto wireless systems are available. The system is simple and not too flashy, but General Motors put the system in the right basics.
Most of all, the system is easy to use, and the use of the system while driving does not distract the driver. For vehicles equipped with the Super Cruise system, Google Maps can also identify routes compatible with the hands-free driving system.
7. Uconnect 5 infotainment systems in Stellantis
You’ll find Uconnect 5 on Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Fiat vehicles. Its main selling point is its large feature set and the general consistency of this system. Alexa and Google Assistant services are integrated into it, and for families, Fire TV services are integrated into cars with entertainment displays in the back.
The most notable part of the system is the TomTom navigation system, and in general we rarely meet a navigation system built into a car that does not depend on Google. It’s on this list, mainly because of its ease of use. Uconnect 4 and 5 are both intuitive and easy to use, with information and options clearly presented and arranged in a logical manner.
While the Mercedes MBUX system can be overpowering, the Stylantis system has plenty of features and settings. And Uconnect 5 didn’t take any of the top three positions on this list because the software can be slow, sometimes frustrating. As Uconnect 5 represents a step forward in processing power over Uconnect 4, we expect software updates to address any delays and turn it into a No. 1 competitor, with its features.
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