Consumer Reports suggests infotainment woes may be underreported
Tue, 29 Oct 2013
Does it seem that Consumer Reports never has anything nice to say about infotainment systems? Well, the problem could be even worse than you think. After talking to CR, Wards Auto says that problems with infotainment systems could be underreported because some customers don't use the systems to their fullest potential.
Responses from customer reliability surveys (used to rate cars and their problems) indicate that younger respondents were more specific in their complaints, which could mean that older users might not be trying to perform in-depth tasks like phone pairing and updating social media. The article says that the Cadillac CUE (shown above in the 2013 XTS), MyFord/MyLincoln Touch and Honda's new split-screen system found in the 2013 Accord are all still problematic for CR's readers.
On the opposite end, Wards also points to some positive signs for infotainment systems from CR for brands like Audi, BMW, Lexus, Chevrolet and Chrysler. Even though the Chevrolet MyLink is a similar system to CUE, it may be more simple to setup, and it uses more hard buttons, while the article says that the Chrysler Uconnect system may receive fewer complaints than competing systems due to its relationship with Garmin, which could make it more familiar to buyers.
By Jeffrey N. Ross