2007 Gmc Sierra 2500hd 4wd Ext Cab 143.5" Sle2 on 2040-cars

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Best car infotainment systems: From UConnect to MBUX, these are our favorites

Declaring one infotainment system the best over any other is an inherently subjective matter. You can look at quantitative testing for things like input response time and various screen load times, but ask a room full of people that have tried all car infotainment systems what their favorite is, and you’re likely to get a lot of different responses. For the most part, the various infotainment systems available all share a similar purpose. They aim to help the driver get where they're going with navigation, play their favorite tunes via all sorts of media playback options and allow folks to stay connected with others via phone connectivity. Of course, most go way beyond the basics these days and offer features like streaming services, in-car performance data and much more. Unique features are aplenty when you start diving through menus, but how they go about their most important tasks vary widely. Some of our editors prefer systems that are exclusively touch-based and chock full of boundary-pushing features. Others may prefer a back-to-basics non-touch system that is navigable via a scroll wheel. You can compare it to the phone operating system wars. Just like some prefer Android phones over iPhones, we all have our own opinions for what makes up the best infotainment interface. All that said, our combined experience tells us that a number of infotainment systems are at least better than the rest. WeÂ’ve narrowed it down to five total systems in their own subcategories that stand out to us. Read on below to see our picks, and feel free to make your own arguments in the comments. Best infotainment overall: UConnect 5, various Stellantis products Ram 1500 Uconnect Infotainment System Review If thereÂ’s one infotainment system that all of us agree is excellent, itÂ’s UConnect. It has numerous qualities that make it great, but above all else, UConnect is simple and straightforward to use. Ease of operation is one of the most (if not the single most) vital parts of any infotainment system interface. If youÂ’re expected to be able to tap away on a touchscreen while driving and still pay attention to the road, a complex infotainment system is going to remove your attention from the number one task at hand: driving. UConnect uses a simple interface that puts all of your key functions in a clearly-represented row on the bottom of the screen. Tap any of them, and it instantly pulls up that menu.

Autoblog Podcast #343

George Kennedy from Boldride.com, BMW i3, NACTOY long list, Bentley SUV
Episode #343 of the Autoblog podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth and Steven Ewing are joined by George Kennedy, Autoblog alum and Editor-in-Chief of Boldride.com. Topics include the unveiling of the BMW i3, the 2014 North American Car and Truck of the Year long list, and the green-lighted Bentley SUV. As always, we start with what's in the garage, but then answer some of your questions before diving into the week's news. For those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. You can follow along after the jump with our Q&A. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #343:

GMC Hummer EV pickup reveal postponed

We’re pretty excited about the all-electric Hummer pickup coming from the GMC brand. GM is too, enough to spend Super Bowl money on an ad teasing it. Today, we received an update from GM about the Hummer EV, with good news and bad news. The bad news: GM has announced that it is postponing the May 20 reveal for the Hummer. With the coronavirus throwing the proverbial wrench into a number of vehicle operations, including reveals, we canÂ’t say weÂ’re surprised at all. The good news, GM assures us, is that development continues “undeterred.” GM understandably hasnÂ’t provided a new debut date for the GMC Hummer EV, but it did provide us with the new short teaser video above. WeÂ’ve seen other details in previous teasers, as well. We were lucky enough to see the Hummer EV in person last month just before the pandemic began causing the world to grind to a halt. At GMÂ’s EV Day at its Warren, Mich., campus, the Hummer pickupÂ’s exterior was on full display. ItÂ’s a big, off-road-ready pickup complete with giant all-terrain rubber and tow hooks. It features removable roof panels for access to the open sky, which appears to be depicted in the teaser above. It features sail panels behind the C-pillars, similar to those on the Chevy Avalanche and Honda Ridgeline. Its bed was concealed with a tonneau cover, but it sported GMCÂ’s MultiPro tailgate that we first saw on the Sierra Denali. Interior photos showed a spacious interior with blocky shapes, squared hourglass vents that mirror the look of the taillights and a lunar theme that incorporates the topography of the Sea of Tranquility into things like the floor mats and speaker covers. It also has a large infotainment screen as well as a digital instrument panel. The Hummer pickup will be offered with a number of electric powertrain options, the most powerful of which will provide 1,000 horsepower and a 0-60 mph time of less than three seconds. Like the rest of the next generation of GM EVs, it will use the automakerÂ’s new Ultium modular battery and powertrain technology. While we donÂ’t have further details about a potential reveal date, we also know a Hummer electric SUV based on the pickup will follow at some point. It, too was on display at GMÂ’s EV Day. It looks exactly like the Hummer pickup from the rear doors forward, but with a shorter wheelbase and enclosed cargo area in the rear. It also sported a liftgate-mounted spare.