Top 10 Models with the Best User Experience in 2019
For the fourth year in a row, WardsAuto magazine has published its list of cars and SUVs offering the best user experiences in the industry, meaning the ones that optimally combine and integrate driver-assistance technologies, connectivity, digital displays, voice-activation systems, intuitive controls and infotainment.
The winners were chosen from a field of 23 nominated all-new or redesigned vehicles and four of the ten represent German brands.
Here they are in alphabetical order…
2019 Audi A8 (starting at $97,800)
Highlight: Detachable tablet mounted in the second-row armrest for controlling cabin temperature, audio, warm ambient lighting, privacy blinds and seat temperature.
2019 BMW 3 Series (starting at $49,000)
Highlight: Superb iDrive system now combined with head-up display that’s big and bright and shows navigation route guidance.
2019 Chevrolet Blazer (starting at $37,300)
Highlight: The latest Chevy infotainment system has excellent natural language recognition, a high-mounted touchscreen that reduces glance time away from the road and a 4G LTE Wi-Fi connection that’s as reliable as a bloodhound.
2020 Ford Explorer (starting at $45,199)
Highlight: Brilliant images of blue sky, snow-covered mountains and a wide-open road are shown at engine startup. Toggling through drive modes with a rotary dial launches short animation sequences unique for each mode.
2020 Hyundai Palisade (starting at $38,499)
Highlight: Available Blind View Monitor streams a live visual of your blind spot directly in the digital instrument cluster to provide you with added perspective.
2020 Lexus RX (starting at $56,050)
Highlight: The adaptive cruise control system ensures smooth acceleration and braking, while lane-keeping assist does its job effectively without nannying the driver.
2019 Mercedes-Benz A-Class (starting at $34,990)
Highlight: The central display of the MBUX infotainment system is home to the main navigation screen, which uses augmented reality to overlay addresses on buildings for super-accurate mapping.
2020 Range Rover Evoque (starting at $47,950)
Highlight: With optional ClearSight Ground View, you can effectively see through the hood and display multiple exterior views, including the underside of the vehicle and the wheels, as you drive.
2020 Subaru Outback (starting at $40,705)
Highlight: All-new version of the Starlink multimedia system with a tablet-shaped, high-resolution, 11.6-inch touchscreen and over-the-air updates.
2019 Volkswagen Arteon (starting at $47,995)
Highlight: Car-Net allows drivers to run some apps from their smartphones directly to the infotainment system, while the proximity-sensing touchscreen illuminates controls as your hand approaches the screen.