It turns out that more technology in cars isn’t necessarily something customers want, and it’s not really improving their driving experience. We know my thoughts on the matter, but I’ll do my best to stay impartial on this latest survey from JD Power that shows most customers don’t appreciate technology in cars unless they can see a clear benefit to them.
JD Power’s 2024 U.S. Tech Experience Index Study evaluated over 81,000 drivers’ experience with “advanced vehicle technologies” in 2024 model year vehicles after 90 days of ownership, It turned out to be a pretty mixed bag when it came to what people liked using. There are a number of tech features that customers like using because they feels that it answers their needs, but at the same time there is a whole lot that don’t get used very often or are continually annoying, according to the survey.
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Android auto is great, but it’s also a horrible cluster fuck because it’s up to the automakers to integrate it into their system. Sort of just like Android phones from Samsung and other third-party companies.
The automakers usually fuck it up. It works fairly great on my 2015 Mazda 3 except for if I plug my phone in while the car is in reverse or some other odd times, the head unit just gets stuck on a black screen until I restart the car. Also, the touch screen doesn’t work for Android auto which is a bummer.
One word: Stelantis.
Android Auto on my Toyota works perfectly. I love it. And I think CarPlay works even better (I only tried once with somebody else’s phone)