Best car infotainment systems: tested and rated

Although most people are now competent at tapping away on a mobile phone or tablet screen to find information, read messages and get directions, doing that while driving has the potential to be far more dangerous than sitting on your sofa at home.

According to the latest data available from the Department for Transport, driver impairment contributed to 12,246 road traffic collisions* in 2022. It’s a growing problem; distraction was a contributing factor in 17% of all road accidents in 2022, up from 13% in 2013. And when you examine the data for fatal collisions, the statistics are even more worrying; driver distraction was a factor in 29% of road deaths in 2022, up from 23% in 2013.

Most new cars come with a touchscreen infotainment system through which you access a lot of the most commonly used features. As well as the car’s settings, many systems also contain controls for the radio and other media, the sat-nav and the climate control. And given the trend towards pared-down, minimalist-looking interiors, increased reliance on touchscreens could be fuelling the problems for drivers.

Car makers are aware of the problem, though, and after stripping the traditional physical controls off the dashboard of many new mainstream models a couple of years ago, some are reinstating buttons and dials for functions such as climate control. Others are turning to voice control systems as an alternative that should be less distracting.

To find out just how easy it is to use the various systems available in new cars, we got 20 different models together and recorded a tester performing key functions in each car.

If you can't wait to find out which car brand offers the best infotainment system - the winner is BMW and the latest incarnation of its iDrive system. Not only does it offer a rotary controller that's easy to use without taking your eyes off the road for long, it also has an excellent voice control system. 

* Source: Department for Transport

How we conducted the tests 

We performed three separate functions, first using the touchscreen (or alternative physical controls) and then using each car’s voice control system. Each test was done three times and was carried out only after the tester had become familiar with the car and its controls.

All tests were performed at 30mph on a test track. The only exception to this was for cars that didn’t allow sat-nav destinations to be entered while the car was moving; in those cases, we didn’t award any points for that test.

Our tester wore a pair of Tobii Pro 3 eye tracker glasses, with the assistance of HMI-UX strategist, Panos Konstantopoulos. They have 16 illuminators around their lenses to ensure the wearer’s eyes are well-lit, and four eye cameras to create a 106-degree field of vision. They are able to capture video footage of precisely where the wearer is looking at every second.

We used the glasses to measure the total amount of time our tester spent looking away from the road ahead while performing each of the tasks using the touchscreen and air-con controls. This gave us the total distraction time for completing each task.

For the second set of tests, we measured the total time it took for the voice control system to perform each command, to provide an insight into how quickly the systems respond.

These times were then converted into scores displayed as a percentage. And then the average of the two scores was used to give each car an overall rating and its ranking position. 

The tasks 

1. Change radio station from Radio 1 to Radio 4 via the screen or control dial

For this test, we used the main radio station list rather than pre-sets, to ensure a fair test between systems.

2. Input a destination postcode into the sat-nav via the screen or control dial

Here, we used the touchscreen and any other physical controls available to set a sat-nav destination. Where a system had multiple methods of entering a destination, such as a touchpad or dial, we also tried these.

3. Change temperature on driver’s side from 16deg C to 21deg C

For this test, we used physical buttons where fitted, or touchscreen icons if this was the only method available.

4. Change from Radio 1 to Radio 4 via voice control

We asked the system to find and play BBC Radio 4, either by asking it to play the named station or simply saying ‘BBC Radio 4’.

5. Enter sat-nav destination via voice control

We tried saying the postcode, with and without a ‘navigate to’ instruction. If this didn’t work, we tried saying the address.

6. Change temperature from 16deg C to 21deg C via voice control

We asked the system to make the temperature 21deg, either by saying ‘temperature 21 degrees’ or simply ‘21 degrees’. 

The best and worst car touchscreen infotainment systems

1. BMW 5 Series: iDrive 8 with 14.9in touchscreen 

Overall score 87% 

BMW’s rotary controller between the front seats is joined by shortcut buttons, so you can access the media menu and scroll through to change the radio station with no need to touch the screen.

You can use either the dial or the touchscreen to enter an address into the sat-nav. Using the screen is quicker – it responds swiftly to taps, so entering a postcode is easy – but the dial requires fewer glances away from the road.

Although the temperature slider below the screen is fiddlier than a dial would be, the 5 Series’ physical interfaces are the joint least distracting (tied with the 2023 Evoque’s) in this test.

The 5 Series scores the highest for voice control, responding quickly to commands. It understands natural speech really well, so you can issue commands in a number of ways and still get a prompt, appropriate response. 

2. Renault Austral: OpenR with 12.0in touchscreen 

Overall score 83% 

The Austral’s infotainment system includes access to Google services, including voice assistant. This, combined with a responsive touchscreen and dedicated temperature controls, make it less distracting to use than the set-ups in many pricier cars.

Entering sat-nav directions using the screen requires only a few taps before and after entering the postcode. Changing the radio station is also a swift process, requiring only two prods of the screen, and the stations are represented by large icons that are easy to see and which respond quickly to prods.

The interior temperature is adjusted via a simple toggle switch below the screen.

All three of our test commands were understood after we pressed the voice control button on the steering wheel. The system was quicker than most others in this test to complete our requests, too. 

3. Volvo XC60: Google Built-in with 9.0in touchscreen 

Overall score 68% 

The Volvo system incorporates Google-based voice control, and it works really well. It completed all three of our verbal tests, requiring the driver to do no more than glance down at the steering wheel to activate it.

The large portrait touchscreen has a useful home button at the bottom of the screen so you can get back to the main menu quickly. Entering a postcode into the sat-nav requires just three taps in addition to entering the letters on the keypad. The letter keys are fairly small but they respond quickly, even to gentle prods. Changing the radio station only takes two taps on the screen, requiring only 3.9sec of concentration.

The only shortcoming with this system is that you have to tap up or down arrows to alter the temperature via the screen; this is a fiddlier process than using a traditional dial. 

4. Mercedes-Benz EQE: MBUX multimedia system with 12.8in touchscreen 

Overall score 63% 

Although the Mercedes’ hands-on interfaces are less distracting than the Volvo’s, its voice control system isn’t as intuitive. It’s slower to change the radio station and increase the interior temperature, and it lags behind the best systems here for understanding
and implementing spoken sat-nav instructions.

However, the touchscreen interface isn’t far behind the BMW’s and Tesla’s. The portrait-orientated screen has a simple layout, crisp graphics and quick responses. The map and search icon are on the homescreen, so you only need to tap it once, enter the postcode and then touch two icons before you can get going.

You only need to touch the screen twice to change the radio station, and although the on-screen temperature icons aren’t as intuitive as twisting a dial, they are large and easy to reach at the bottom of the screen. 

5. Porsche Taycan: Porsche Communication Management 6.0 with 10.9in touchscreen 

Overall score 62% 

While the Porsche’s hands- on interfaces earn it only an average score, its intelligent voice control system gives users another easy way of performing all three of our common commands. Although it didn’t complete our requests quite as swiftly as the fastest systems, it could be left to get on with it, so it wasn’t distracting.

Entering commands directly involves the main touchscreen and an 8.4in screen below, which can show climate control or EV charging controls or be used as a writing pad. Using it to change the temperature is fairly easy, with haptic clicks confirming inputs. It’s not so easy to write postcode letters onto the screen, though, and the alternative of tapping them onto the keypad on the main screen is also slow.

The radio station icons on the main screen are large and easy to navigate. 

6. Audi Q8 e-tron: MMI Navigation Plus with 10.1in touchscreen 

Overall score 61% 

The Audi’s voice control system is easy to access via the steering wheel button and works quickly and efficiently; it enabled us to perform all three of our tasks without looking away from the road.

This is just as well, because there are some issues with the hands-on interface, despite the car’s twin touchscreens offering quick responses and sharp graphics.

The climate controls are on an 8.6in screen that’s positioned lower than it ideally would be, and while haptic feedback confirms a command has been input, it doesn’t help you find the icons in the first place.

In addition, for safety reasons the main touchscreen prevents sat-nav destinations from being entered while the car is moving, so the only way to do this on the move is by writing on the lower screen with a finger. Unfortunately, this process is very slow. 

7. Range Rover Evoque: Pivi Pro with 10.0in touchscreen 

Overall score 60% 

In this 2023 Evoque, the infotainment and climate control interfaces work well, gaining the highest score here. The voice control isn’t as smart as the best on test, though, bringing the overall score down. It’s slow to react and we couldn’t get it to accept our destination postcode.

The infotainment screen is bright and responsive. Using it to set the sat-nav destination requires just one tap to get to the keyboard and two afterwards, and entering the postcode is easy; you get a reassuring click every time you enter a letter or number. Changing the radio station is a breeze, requiring just two taps.

This 2023 car has large physical dials for the climate control, and they’re very easy to use, but these have been replaced by touchscreen controls in the latest system. Land Rover was unable to provide a 2024 car in time for it to participate in this test. 

8. Tesla Model S: 17.0in central touchscreen 

Overall score 57% 

Even though the Tesla’s minimalist interior puts controls for virtually everything on a single touchscreen, using it is fairly intuitive once you’ve got used to where everything is.

In contrast, the voice control system isn’t the best at understanding speech; we couldn’t get it to change the radio station and it wasn’t able to provide sat-nav directions from a postcode. It also took several attempts with different commands before it took us to our test destination.

The touchscreen can be tilted towards the driver for better visibility, and you can pin frequently used apps to the screen for easier access. With clear, bright letters on the keypad, this is the joint easiest system on which to enter a postcode into the sat-nav.

The temperature icons are easy to reach at the bottom of the screen and it’s fairly easy to use them to turn the heat up.

9. Hyundai Kona EV/Kia EV9: Connected Car Navigation Cockpit with 12.3in touchscreen 

Overall score 53% 

The system fitted to the Kona and EV9 does most things well, aside from switching radio stations: in both cars, the voice control understood our command but said the station wasn’t available. It worked well when setting a sat-nav destination and changing the temperature, though.

The touchscreen has a logical menu layout and quick responses to inputs, making it one of the most user-friendly systems in this test. There are lots of shortcut buttons, so you don’t have to delve into sub- menus to get things done.

The sat-nav map is on the homescreen, and it takes only two quick taps to get to the keyboard to enter a postcode. The radio app is also on the homescreen, making changing stations simple, and it found the station we wanted.

Separate climate control buttons below the screen minimise distraction when altering the temperature. 

10. DS 4: 10.0in touchscreen with IRIS voice control 

Overall score 52% 

Although the DS’s system is similar to the one in the Peugeot, it sacrifices flashy graphics for quicker responses and menus that are easier to read at a glance.

The interior temperatures for the dual-zone climate control are always displayed, and it’s easy to hit the ‘plus’ button above the display for each front seat occupant to adjust the heat. Meanwhile, changing the radio station took only two screen prods.

The one big drawback is the TomTom-based sat-nav; it’s slow to use, both via the touchscreen and using voice control. And while it’s easy to navigate to the on-screen keyboard to enter a postcode, you have to scroll again when you need to enter numbers.

The voice control button didn’t respond every time it was pressed, and rather than understanding our address, it managed only to take us to a named town. 

11. Ford Mustang Mach-E: Sync4A with 15.5in touchscreen 

Overall score 51% 

A lot of the physical controls in the Mach-E worked well, but it was let down by a sluggish voice control system.

The large touchscreen is bright and clear. And while entering a postcode destination into the sat-nav takes a few steps, it’s still a quick process.

On the other hand, to switch radio stations, you first need to tap on the music app and then the radio list before you can pick a station. Things are much easier if you’ve set your favourite stations as presets.

A large multi-function dial allows you to adjust the temperature without much distraction, although it would be even better if there were dedicated rotary climate controls.

While the voice control understood two of our three commands, it was a two- step process to change radio stations. The system didn’t recognise our postcode. 

12. Genesis GV70: 14.5in infotainment system 

Overall score 45% 

While the GV70’s physical controls work well, it’s let down by voice control with limited capabilities.

The touchscreen is large for a family SUV, and it’s complemented by a row of physical buttons for the climate control and a handy dial controller for scrolling through the on-screen menus.

The climate control dial makes upping the temperature a doddle, and it’s quick and easy to switch radio stations via the rotary controller. Using the latter, entering a postcode into the sat-nav is a slow process, but it doesn’t require you to take your eyes off the road as often as using some of the touchscreens we tested.

Although the voice control system worked well for changing the temperature, it didn’t recognise our request to navigate to a specific postcode (although it did accept the full address) or find our desired radio station. 

13. Volkswagen ID Buzz: Discover Pro with 12.0in touchscreen 

Overall score 43% 

The touchscreen in the ID Buzz is responsive and bright, with large icons that help it to be reasonably user- friendly when changing the radio station or adjusting the climate control.

However, the shortcut buttons are on the farthest side from the driver, where they’re a fair stretch to reach, especially for shorter drivers. And entering a postcode using the keyboard on the screen is tricky, because the keys are small and the numbers are split between two more grids.

There are separate touch- sensitive temperature controls below the screen, which are easy enough to use during the day. Unfortunately, they aren’t illuminated, so things get more difficult at night.

The voice control system performed two of our set tasks without any issues, but we didn’t manage to get it to accept our desired postcode or address. 

14. Lexus RZ: Link Pro with 14.0in touchscreen 

Overall score 42% 

The Lexus feels more traditional than many electric cars inside, because there are some physical buttons. These work well, but the voice control system couldn’t interpret some commands, and it could be slow to react to steering wheel button presses.

There are large dials for temperature control below the screen; they’re easy to reach and twist without being distracting. And even though you have to use the touchscreen to change radio stations, this isn’t too arduous.

However, entering a destination into the sat- nav using the touchscreen involves a lot of individual steps. It wasn’t possible to use the sat-nav via the voice control, either; the system didn’t understand any of the instructions we gave it.

The voice control did understand our commands to change the radio station and temperature, though. 

15. Peugeot 408: Peugeot i-Connect with 10.0in touchscreen 

Overall score 36% 

Neither the 408’s voice control nor touchscreen performs as well as a lot of others here. The voice control didn’t understand our instruction to change the radio station, nor the postcode or address we spoke to gain sat-nav directions. We did get it to alter the temperature, though.

The touchscreen layout has lots of small icons that are tricky to hit, and it’s slow to respond. Setting a sat-nav destination isn’t easy; the letter ‘keys’ are small and you have to switch between grids for letters and numbers, with four more screen taps required before directions begin.

There’s a shortcut icon below the main screen to access the climate control menu, but physical buttons would be far easier to use while driving.

Only changing the radio station using the touchscreen was a simple process, taking just two taps. 

16. Nissan Qashqai: 5G communications module with 12.3 touchscreen 

Overall score 33% 

The touchscreen infotainment system in high-spec Qashqais works well in most respects, but its voice control is very limited in scope.

The screen is mounted high up on the dashboard and there’s a small ledge under it to rest your hand on. It has plenty of shortcuts (there are on-screen icons and buttons below the screen) and is fairly easy to navigate.

It’s not the most responsive to touches, though, and setting the destination could be a bit more intuitive. The distraction time is acceptable, though.

Changing the radio station takes three screen taps, but there’s a dial below the screen to change the temperature.

The voice control wouldn’t accept a postcode when setting the sat-nav destination; it took us to a town only once we’d responded to a couple of voice prompts. We couldn’t get it to change the radio station or temperature. 

17. Mazda CX-30: Connect with 10.3in touchscreen 

Overall score 28% 

The CX-30’s combination of controls, including a physical dial and a touchscreen, work relatively well, but its voice control system is poor.

The touchscreen is mounted high for good visibility, and a row of buttons below it for the climate control makes it easy to change the temperature.

Although using the dial to enter a postcode into the sat-nav is less distracting than using a touchscreen, it’s a slow process, with multiple stages before navigation begins. Switching radio stations via the screen is fairly swift, though.

The voice control doesn’t recognise postcodes; entering an address is a long-winded process with multiple voice prompts, and it didn’t accept our test address at all. Similarly, you have to request ‘entertainment’ before you can ask for a specific radio station.

The system can’t be used to adjust the climate control. 

18. Honda HR-V: Connect with navigation and 9.0in touchscreen 

Overall score 25% 

The HR-V’s physical controls work quite well, but its voice control system lets it down. The HR-V’s touchscreen is high on the dash and has large icons for each of the menus, but it’s not as easy to use as rival systems. Setting a postcode destination isn’t easy, because the keypad letters are small, although there aren’t too many steps to go through.

Changing the radio station is too complicated; there are three sub-menus before you can select a station. The large dials for temperature control under the touchscreen are a breeze to use, though.

The voice control system doesn’t understand postcodes; you need to tell it you want to enter an address first and then speak the address. It didn’t understand ours and we ended up asking it to navigate to a nearby town instead.

It’s also unable to interpret commands relating to the climate control or radio. 

19. Suzuki S-Cross: Pioneer SLDA with 9.0in touchscreen 

Overall score 24% 

Some of the physical controls in the S-Cross work well, but the voice control didn’t work for any of our commands.

The climate control has dials below the touchscreen that are easy to reach and use. And although changing the radio station took three taps, our tester didn’t need to take their eyes off the road for too long.

The infotainment touchscreen has a built-in safety feature that prevents a destination from being added while the car is being driven. We did this while parked and it took a whopping 22.5sec.

The voice control button is behind the steering wheel; you have to ask to go to the navigation menu before you can tell it a postcode, and it didn’t respond when we did so.

The voice control won’t recognise radio station names but can recall stations from numbered presets. It doesn’t recognise commands relating to the climate control.

20. Vauxhall Corsa: Interlink with 10.0in touchscreen 

Overall score 22% 

The infotainment system on non-electric Corsa model we tested has very limited functionality, and the voice control system only works with a smartphone, so it was ineffective in our tests. A newer voice control system with natural voice recognition is available on some Corsas and other Vauxhall models. 

The physical buttons for changing the interior temperature are mounted fairly low below the display, but your selection is shown on the screen and is easy to view.

The graphics are crisp and the screen reacts quickly to prods. Switching radio stations took just two taps – matching the best systems here.

The Corsa’s system doesn’t have built-in sat-nav unless you go for top-spec Ultimate trim. Alternatively, you can connect a smartphone to it wirelessly and use Android Auto or Apple CarPlay for navigation and other features.

Because the voice recognition can only control a smartphone, we couldn’t use it to turn up the heating or switch radio stations. 

Latest innovations 

The systems of two cars in our test, the Audi Q8 and Suzuki S-Cross, won’t let you input sat-nav destinations via their touchscreens while the car is moving. There is no UK legislation to make this a legal requirement, but this could be a sensible move to improve safety, and the Q8’s voice control system does allow the sat-nav to be set up on the move.

Some car makers are focusing instead on preventing the driver from viewing any distracting video footage the passenger may be able to see while on the move. Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche have all introduced second screens for the front seat occupant that can’t be viewed by the driver. Mercedes’ MBUX Hyperscreen uses camera technology to monitor the driver and dims the passenger’s screen if it detects the driver watching it. In contrast, Porsche uses a directional light filter to ensure that the screen isn’t visible for the driver. Land Rover’s system enables a single screen to show two types of content depending on the angle it’s viewed from.

Meanwhile, artificial intelligence systems, such as ChatGPT, are being introduced to some brands’ infotainment systems, including those from the Stellantis and Volkswagen groups, to make them better at understanding commands from the driver.

This emerging technology is thought to be fairly limited so far and might need further development before it becomes truly useful as an alternative to the best Google-based voice systems.

Another emerging technology is driver monitoring systems, but these warn of distraction without addressing the cause. This camera-based technology issues an alert if it notices the driver looking away from the road for a set amount of time. While the more sophisticated systems are unobtrusive and only react when the driver is seriously distracted, others are overly sensitive and annoying.

However, we expect such systems to become more common, because they will play a key role in the handover of control between the driver and future self-driving cars. 

What Car? says 

The key to providing the easiest-to-use, least distracting infotainment and air-con systems is to offer drivers plenty of control options. The very best systems here, such as BMW’s iDrive, Renault’s OpenR and Volvo’s Google Built-in, give the driver a number of ways of accessing frequently used functions. It’s great to have a touchpad to write on or a rotary controller to twist, on top of the option of tapping on a touchscreen, and it’s even better when backed up by a voice control system that understands natural speech.

This way, you can enter a postcode into the sat-nav using the touchscreen or a touchpad when parked up, and then mull over the various route options offered, while voice control enables you to add a new waypoint or change the destination if your plans change when you’re already on the way. The best voice control systems are far less distracting to use on the move than prodding a touchscreen.

And although it’s good to have traditional air-con controls, a competent voice control system beats the best physical switches hands down, because the driver doesn’t have to look away from the road at all, once they’ve become familiar with the button’s location.

The touchscreen operation of infotainment systems is especially distracting if they are slow to respond or hide frequently used functions in sub-menus that are fiddly and time-consuming to navigate. While the lowest-scoring cars here, from Vauxhall and Suzuki, have user-friendly dials for altering the radio and temperature, they’re let down by the performance of their touchscreens. 

About the report author

Claire Evans has been a motoring journalist for more than 30 years, and has focussed on consumer issues for much of that time. She was the advice columnist for Carweek magazine in the 1990s, helping car owners with faulty cars get the right level of reparation from car makers.

She also spent six years working on motoring content for Which?, and it is here she oversaw the running of the charity's annual used car reliability survey.

Claire has been consumer editor for What Car? since 2015, and has reported on a wide range of automotive issues that affect consumers in that time, including reliability, safety and public EV charging networks and home EV charging.  

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