5 Reasons Why Car Infotainment Systems Still Frustrate Drivers
The evolution of car infotainment systems—from basic radios to integrated touchscreen units with wireless connectivity—has been rapid. However, not all changes have improved the user experience. The 2024 JD Power US Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) study highlights several areas where modern infotainment systems fall short in everyday use. Here are five reasons why these systems have earned a reputation for poor usability, along with potential solutions for the future.
1. Complicated Menus
Navigating complex menus is a common source of frustration. Many drivers find essential features buried deep within layers of touchscreen menus. The APEAL study revealed that 23% of users cited difficult menu structures as a key issue. As automakers add more features, even basic functions become hard to access, requiring multiple taps and swipes. While some systems offer shortcut buttons or customizable interfaces, these are often insufficient to solve the fundamental problem.
The key is to simplify the menus. Essential, frequently used functions such as music, climate control, and navigation settings should be accessible from a single screen view, minimizing the need for sub-menus. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto achieve this effectively, but other infotainment systems have been slower in adopting this approach.
2. Lack of Physical Controls
The disappearance of physical controls is another significant concern. Drivers formerly could adjust volume, change radio stations, or regulate cabin temperature without taking their eyes off the road. Today, the over-reliance on touchscreens requires drivers to look away to perform even basic functions.
This shift has made tasks, like adjusting cabin controls and operating infotainment functions, more difficult and potentially less safe. Drivers are more likely to become distracted when using touchscreens for essential controls.
Some automakers, such as Hyundai, express the intention of keeping physical controls, while others, such as Honda, are cutting back on them. The most likely future involves a blend of both physical controls for essential functions and touchscreens for everything else.
3. Difficulty Switching Between Audio Sources
The number of available audio sources in cars has increased significantly, from AM radio to include Bluetooth, satellite radio, and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. However, switching between these sources isn’t always seamless. Complexity related to audio and switching between different sources was cited by 25% of users in the JD Power study as contributing to a poor audio experience. Erratic volume changes and connectivity issues are common.
Automakers will need to focus on improving this aspect of the infotainment user experience, as audio and music are such a significant part of it.
“Since audio and music are such a big part of the infotainment user experience, this is definitely one area that automakers will need to zero in on when making improvements in the future.” – Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking, JD Power
4. Too Many Unnecessary and Underused Features
Most user difficulties can boil down to having too many features. Drivers want easily accessible, high-priority functions such as navigation, music, and phone calls. Modern systems equip themselves with many appealing features, but these should not come at the expense of basic usability. Cramming a system with unnecessary features makes it more difficult to find essential ones, thus compromising the overall user experience.
Automakers should either reduce the number of underutilized features or hide them neatly in menus.
5. Patchy Smartphone Connectivity
Today’s infotainment systems frequently serve as a vehicle for smartphone integration. While in-vehicle infotainment systems score low regarding driver satisfaction (805 points) in the APEAL study, the scores increase for drivers who use Apple CarPlay (840) or Android Auto (832).
Many cars offer features that are wired, Bluetooth, and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone connections. The latter has become an industry standard, with cheaper models offering it either as an option or as the default configuration.
While CarPlay and Android Auto offer a consistently strong user experience, with seamless feature mirroring from the user’s smartphone, older systems with smartphone connectivity may exhibit inconsistencies. Even in newer models, the rollout of dependable smartphone connection features has been slow.
How Can the Infotainment Experience Be Improved?
Improving the infotainment user experience requires adherence to key principles that most car enthusiasts or everyday drivers are already familiar with. The first is incorporating physical controls for key functions like volume and cabin temperature. Doing so would create a more tactile experience, and allow drivers to use the system safely while driving.
Making Apple CarPlay and Android Auto the car’s primary interface offers a way to solve most of the use-experience issues. For Apple users, this would mean seamless connectivity with their devices. The car would then become another device in the family’s tech ecosystem.
