How much would a cars Infotainment sway your new car buying decision?

Stallingrad

I think we are at a turning point with regard to car interior design. I'm at the stage were I would not buy a new car that did not have a touch screen and could not connect to my phone seamlessly. TFT instruments/virtual cockpits (a la Audi) are soon set to be the norm (see 3008 SUV) so would probably hold off for that too. Increasingly cars without these things will be seen as dinosaurs.

Tails142

I would be concerned that these cars and their 'apps' will become outdated after a few years.

Will be interested to see how they are maintained and updated to stay relevant in the quickly changing internet tech realm.

Blazer

I'm a big gadget nerd but this is what I want in my car.
A largish screen 10" is loads which can connect to my phone and support carplay etc.
As long as it can stream audio from my phone seamlessly I'm pretty happy with that.
I've a 2010 BMW F10 525D which can't stream audio over bluetooth as it has the basic module only. I knew this going into it as it's a 3L BMW which are extremely rare post 08 so my choices are limited unless I import from the UK.
I plan in the new year to upgrade it to the NBT system which wil give me these options and still retain my thirst for power
I'd say very few people would care about the infotainment, its more Audi etc thinking long term and getting the younger people into thinking ..mm Audi have a large touch screen and fancy dash which I love...this hyundai on the other hand has somethink like it came from the 80's so I'll go with the audi.

MTBD

Not in any way. I personally think touch screen operation of radios, sat nav, climate control, etc should be banned as it is lethal.

I really, really, really dont want any of this **** in my car. In fact it lessens my enjoyment of a car. I want a car with an outstandingly smooth, quiet (or characterful) and powerful engine combined with exceptionally precise handling and a good mixture of ride comfort and road holding. Very few cars cater to this anymore.

Just looking at an old IS200 yesterday. A 6 cylinder 2.0 litre. That engine was so vastly more refined that anything in a modern BMW, Merc or Audi it would not even be a competition.

_Kaiser_

I wouldn't be pushed on things like specific ecosystems (Android/Apple) as, as pointed out, these are likely to date quickly and may/probably not be updated or cost a fortune to do so through main dealers

However, the various loaners I've had of late has given me a renewed appreciation for a clear and functional cockpit layout with easy to use/intuitive media/entertainment system. For me anyway the BMW iDrive system is not a patch on the Audi MMI for example, and I'd echo the point about touchscreens being a distraction and potentially dangerous (constantly reaching to press/look at icons vs using a controller behind the gearstick)

Besides, you're driving right? How much do you need to be able to do at the wheel besides having decent music, telephony integration, maybe satnav (again if you can keep it updated in a cost effective manner), and a clear primary control layout. All the extras like WiFi in the car and TV screens are more for passengers/kids and unnecessary IMO (just use a tablet with an LTE connection or WiFi hotspot from your own phone). As long as the car supports the common standards (like Bluetooth) and USB/SDCard it's pretty much future-proof for as long as you'll have it and you just need to change the tablet/phone (which you'd probably be doing anyway)

digitaldr

Hugely important for me but I'm very nerdy anyway Hoping to get a 3008 in the new year. Had a look at one in a dealership recently and was very impressed. Love the fact that the infotainment system was designed from the ground up and not just a screen plonked into an otherwise dated dash ala Toyota CHR.

Carplay worked very well, my phone doesn't support mirrorlink (not many do) but Android Auto will be available as an ota upgrade in February which is probably the absolute earliest that the 3008 will be arriving in Ireland.

I take the point that navigating through loads of menus to eg adjust the heating could be dangerous but thankfully the 3008 has physical shortcut buttons for important functions.

bazz26

Most people have their heads in their phone these days so I'm surprised they notice much else while driving. :pac:

H3llR4iser

Zero. When I'm driving, I'm driving - not checking the email, having a work phone conversation, checking the news nor anything of the sorts; If I want or need to to all of these things during my journey, I take the train. Music is the maximum distraction allowed, and while it's nice to be able to carry the same playlist(s) around, you don't need tip-top-new technology for that - it could already have been done 10 years ago with simple USB ports and/or BT connections.

As Kaiser brilliantly put, if it's for the passengers then all of these "Infotainment" systems are redundant - chances are they'll be carrying at least a smartphone.

A good satnav is a great asset, but again redundant - you got it on your phone, with the advantage you can take it out to use on foot as well.

It's a car - what I wan is a communicative steering system, responsive chassis/suspension assembly, grip, powerful and aurally pleasant engine, good design helps. When I drive, I want to enjoy driving - not pretend I'm using a tablet with wheels.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Totally unimportant to me. As long as I can hook up my iPod (even if that means installing a parrot Bluetooth/iPod play system) then I don't care about the rest of the ****e they have in cars nowadays.

A reliable smooth engine, slick gearbox and good handling are way way more important to me than any stupid gadget.

No one in this country needs sat nav except those who drive for a living, everyone else can make do with google maps on their phones for the odd time they might need to find a specific address.

Senecio

My current car has everything I need. Bluetooth streaming and my steering wheel controls work with Spotify. Start car, select playlist, put the phone away and go. If a song comes on that I don't like I can skip using the steering wheel controls. Ive not driven a car with any of the newer systems like CarPlay but I would never go back to less than I have now.

Dord

Just need something with a bluetooth or aux-in.

Blazer

Blazer wrote: »

I'm a big gadget nerd but this is what I want in my car.
A largish screen 10" is loads which can connect to my phone and support carplay etc.
As long as it can stream audio from my phone seamlessly I'm pretty happy with that.
I've a 2010 BMW F10 525D which can't stream audio over bluetooth as it has the basic module only. I knew this going into it as it's a 3L BMW which are extremely rare post 08 so my choices are limited unless I import from the UK.
I plan in the new year to upgrade it to the NBT system which wil give me these options and still retain my thirst for power
I'd say very few people would care about the infotainment, its more Audi etc thinking long term and getting the younger people into thinking ..mm Audi have a large touch screen and fancy dash which I love...this hyundai on the other hand has somethink like it came from the 80's so I'll go with the audi.

I upgraded my car to the NBT last year and did the speakers this year. Couldn't be happier.

Stream from Bluetooth, Aux-in, USB stick, USB to iPhone (iDrive integrates with Spotify beautifully) or just save your music to the HDD. On top of that it also has video playback, phone integration, SAT-NAV etc etc etc.

When I was getting the speakers done this year I saw Apples CarPlay in the latest NBT and it's pretty damn sweet but not something I care enough about to upgrade.

Honestly infotainment for me is probably the third most important thing.

1 Reliability
2 Comfort
3 Infotainment

CalamariFritti

I actually thought about that the other week as I will be needing a car soon. What level of entertainment, navigation and integration I want. I concluded that I really only want a small bit.

Decent sound system ok yes, and phone/USB integration as thats where the music has been for a while now as opposed to disc players and stuff. Do new cars still come with CD/mp3 players?

SatNav I can do without. I find those built-in yokes way too clumsy and redundant really as I prefer my google maps or such on the phone.

I actually hate this whole connectivity stuff. I do not want a built-in SIM card and wifi hotspot. I don't want my car to send to BMW where I am, how fast I am driving, what my top 5 SatNav destinations are, how often I had to brake hard. Next thing they be selling that to the insurance companies. They can f*** right *** with that. I am not your mobile data gatherer.

ShadowHearth

I never had fancy car and my requirement in term of gadgets are very minimal.

All I need:

Arm rest
A radio to plag USB in
Good cup holder
Heated seats - if I am being very fancy now.

All those new toys and screen in new car do not Intrest me at all, it's like new form of ePenis that toy can wave around your friends, but in reality feck all used.

rex-x

I want Buttons and physical dials, some things just shouldn't be displayed on a screen

GustavoFring

I like having some form of nav (in built or ran from the phone via carplay or android auto) but am I the only one that finds touchscreens a hindrance? On typical Irish roads you spend more time trying to press the right spot of the screen than concentrating on the road ahead. There's a lot to be said for buttons you can find by touch alone.

dennyk

Touchscreen controls in a car are ridiculous. I want proper and unique buttons and knobs for the radio, climate control, etc., so I can adjust them while driving if necessary without taking my eyes off the road.

Only thing I wish my stereo had was an MP3 CD player. Don't want to use my phone or whatnot to play music, but it's nice to have more than an hour or so of tunes handy without swapping discs. Ought to pick up a cheap unit one of these days.

NIMAN

I like tech in car, but it can go too far.

Like a nice radio, but some of the latest ones which look like a huge tablet on its side just look awful imho, and I would not buy it as an option if a more discrete radio/info system was available.

NIMAN

Example: awful looking

jca

I hate those bloody huge tablets stuck on the dash, they look like an afterthought. I'm very happy with my Amazon Bluetooth plugged into the AUX in the arm rest to play music from my phone, great call quality too.

Micky 32

I like the active digital display on the Passat complimented with the 8" radio/satnav. Not overkill either. Hopefully ordered on Monday ;-)

NIMAN

The dash in the Renault Megane can be pretty ugly too

whizbang

Absolutely must have reversing camera.. so must have video screen.

Audio quality is just as important, amazing how many manufacturers think a nice shiny touchscreen compensates for bad sound.

Voodoomelon

^^ I was in a 2013 VRS recently, the audio system in it was insultingly bad, a disgrace. Sounded like a cheap portable radio.

Eric Cartman

if the cars factory infotainment can accommodate phonecalls and theres an interface available (either OEM or aftermarket) for me to connect my iPod and have full track selection control (especially from the steering wheel) and theres a reversing camera capability then thats all I need.

With cars that have a double DIN slot its no worries, as you can change whatever you want. On more modern cars where the infotainment is tied into the workings of the car, the full iPod track capabilities and especially the audio quality would definitely sway me.

I really hope all this portrait screen crap goes away though. I don't want to operate the whole car from a touchscreen.

kirving

Touchscreens are a real pain in the arse, and also extremely distracting. You should be able to set all the basic controls without looking at them, and preferably they should be so easy that you can do it with gloves on.

As much as I'd love a Tesla, the touchscreen is god-awful and I'd hate to have to use it on an Irish country road. Less of an issue I guess if the car is driving itself.

BMW I believe now offer hand gesture control, and that coupled with voice activation should help keep eyes on the road.

Active dash on the latest Audi's certainly has is merits, and I like how the main screen is mounted high, but is minimalist.

BBMcQ

jca wrote: »

I hate those bloody huge tablets stuck on the dash, they look like an afterthought. I'm very happy with my Amazon Bluetooth plugged into the AUX in the arm rest to play music from my phone, great call quality too.

Do you have a Bluetooth receiver that can be left plugged in yet not drain the battery when the car is turned off? I've got one from amazon quiet cheap but it has interference when charging and has given me a dead battery once...

dogmatix

As long as the car has a usb port, bluetooth and audio controls on the steering wheel - and most importantly a Radio (with presets) and a CD player i'm happy as larry.

I've no interest in a big LCD screen so that would not be a selling point for me on a car.

No interest in satnav either - I always have a copy of the latest OSI Dublin street maps and Ireland road atlas in the car and thats good enough for me.

God help me - i'm starting to sound like one of those 'oul codgers with trousers up to their navals, a zimmerframe and and a bad tweed cap...

Blazer

NIMAN wrote: »

The dash in the Renault Megane can be pretty ugly too

Henry Ford III

Bluetooth, voice control, usb and decent remote controls for everything are very handy for sure.

I like aux in also and listen to tune in radio or podcasts frequently.

Hands free calls are an essential safety feature I think.