Drivers love CarPlay as car infotainment systems get worse overall

CarPlay

is popular with drivers, a J.D. Power study reveals, but that could be less about CarPlay, and more about how owners are so unhappy with infotainment systems provided by car makers.

As a means to access the services available on an iPhone while behind the wheel, CarPlay is tough to beat. This sentiment is confirmed in the 2024 U.S. Automotive Performace, Execution, and Layout Study by J.D. Power.

The study shows that overall satisfaction for vehicles has grown two points from 845 out of 1,000 in 2023 to 847 in 2024. The increase is a rebound after two years of decline.

While the report is good, infotainment systems are continuing to be a struggling point for consumers. Though the category improved 5 points to 823, it was still one of the lowest-scoring categories across the entire industry.

Drilling down, the figures indicate that in-vehicle infotainment systems averages a score of 805. However, the score is higher for owners who use systems like Apple's CarPlay or Android Auto.

CarPlay users rated their infotainment systems at an average of 840, 35 points above those who use the built-in version. Android Auto also does well but doesn't quite match CarPlay, scoring 832.

According to the report, this shows that consumers prefer to "have the simplistic usability of their phone extended into their vehicle more."

Car makers infotainment systems are too difficult to use

As for why drivers don't like their infotainment systems, the report claims that it's due to them being too complex. Approximately 25% of owners say switching between sources creates a poor audio experience, while 23% blame a difficult menu structure.

"Owners struggle to perform simple audio-related tasks, so it begs the question whether automakers are actually in tune with the desires and needs of their customers," said J.D. Power's senior director of auto benchmarking, Frank Hanley.

CarPlay is receiving a number of updates in iOS 18, including a new UI for Siri queries for weather and sports, as well as the option to route Siri through a media source. A refresh to Messages, new wallpapers, and new accessibility features are also included.