2016 U.S. CarPlay Vehicles: Chevrolet, Honda, Volkswagen and More

[puma1552]

I have a feeling CarPlay is overrated, at least if all you really care about is music. In my Mustang - which has SYNC, which I have to admit is flawless (note it does NOT have MyFordTouch which is where most blame goes) - I have an iPod classic permanently plugged into the USB port in the center console and the SYNC voice commands work flawlessly for navigating my music and playing what I want. I wouldn't want it any other way, in terms of how I listen to music and how well it works.

Can you still plug in an iPod and have it work this well on CarPlay enabled systems? I would assume so as CarPlay is only for the phone and not for an iPod, but I'm not sure. I think plugging your phone in every time you get in the car to listen to music is a serious downgrade from just having an iPod that permanently lives in the car. And the limitations of music navigation and sound quality over bluetooth are non-starters.

And the way I see it, unless I need maps constantly, is there really much benefit to Carplay? Yeah having it read texts would be nice, but taking my phone out of my pocket and plugging it into an ugly wire hanging out of the dash every single time I get in and out? That almost defeats the purpose of keyless access/push button start for most people. If you have to pull your phone out to plug it in, then you may as well pull your keys out to unlock the car too.

CarPlay might be a lot cooler when it's wireless. Don't get me wrong, as long as I could still plug in an iPod and have it work as well as it does 95% of the time I'm in the car, having CarPlay would be great the other 5% of the time when I need maps or something, but no way would I want to deal with the hassle of taking my phone out and constantly plugging/unplugging it every single time I'm in the car - I probably wouldn't use it all that much.

 

[Johns12]

I think most consumers don't even know what CarPlay is. Most people in California still talk on the phone, even in cars with Bluetooth. I believe they recognize that most customers aren't pleading for this feature or that most wouldn't use it (considering they don't even use bluetooth!). I think most customers want more from the car in respect to driving. My grandparents just want a car that is comfortable and goes off road. My uncle just wants a big truck. My aunt just wants a comfortable car with heating and cooling seats. My cousin just wants a cheap-to-maintain car to go to college with. My mom just wants a car that is "paid off and has four wheels" (but now she wants something fast). I just want something inspiring/fun to drive. I feel that's a wide demographic, and a good representation of customer goals when looking into a car. They're more concerned with how they feel while on the road, rather than how it can integrate with their phone.

I'm sorry if this comes off arrogant, but I'm really passionate about cars and driving, as I hinted above. I personally feel the more tech we throw in cars, the easier we forget the pleasures that made driving great (when there's no a**holes ruining your day). When you said that CarPlay is as big of a priority as the engine

I do agree that most people have no idea what CarPlay is. I am also amazed at how many people I know have never used bluetooth in their cars. Also, up until 3 years ago, many cars were build without bluetooth as a standard item.

 

[ilfn143]

A car without CarPlay is almost as useless to me as a car without an engine. Unbelievable how long it's taking the industry to wake up to giving their customers what they truly want in a road vehicle.

bought a car recently and the sale man told me there's a v6 3.5l 270hp engine in it. i need to double check now...

 

[Johns12]

100 years? The technology is already available. 100 years is longer than the time between discovering flight and going to the moon. Level 2 and 3ish automated cars are already on the road. Google's fully automated (Level 4) vehicles have traversed over a million miles without accidents. I'm betting by 2040 they'll be commonplace. There's billions of dollars at stake. Legalese and politics won't stop companies and governments from trying to get a piece of that cash.

2040 is a good guess for frequent use of self driving cars. We are at least 5 to 10 years out from real world usage in modern, high traffic situations. How these self driving cars work in a world of people driven cars is a mystery to me.

 

[TheShadowKnows!]

sadly though, as far as VW is concerned, support for wireless carplay is still non-existent.

^^^This

I hope that CarPlay assumes WiFi wireless to provide:

1. remote command/control input: touch/point-and-click on the glass, for remote command/control of the iPhone
and
2. tethered output amplification: streaming music to the car's system

Why?
Because if one needs a cable, or a hybrid cable/WiFi setup (WiFi for input with bluetooth for output), then WTF?

 

[happydude]

Looks like Ford made a mistake again, the first mistake being using Microsoft's SYNC trash.

stupid ford not adopting this.

 

[Keirasplace]

2040 is a good guess for frequent use of self driving cars. We are at least 5 to 10 years out from real world usage in modern, high traffic situations. How these self driving cars work in a world of people driven cars is a mystery to me.

Hundreds of sensors and processors working together beats the 99.99% of the idiots on the road anytime.

By the time self-driving becomes mainstream in 15 years, people will think your an idiot for driving yourself...

How most people deal with modern traffic and don't kill more is a mystery to me; considering how distracted and unskilled most are.

In fact, if there wasn't already tons of driver assist, I think carnage would still be high.

 

[RB1959]

but no way would I want to deal with the hassle of taking my phone out and constantly plugging/unplugging it every single time I'm in the car - I probably wouldn't use it all that much.

It takes seconds to plug it in. Do you use a seatbelt or is that too much effort?

I get the impression here that the people who don't have Carplay hate it and those that do have it, like it.

 

[jaymzuk]

do we know if its at all possible to throw carplay OS onto a jump drive and install it on existing vehicles?

No. Carplay isn't as simple a layer running on top of whatever software is on the vehicle. There's an article where the GM lead for carplay and Android Auto implementation said that none of the code in their implementation comes from Apple or Google:

http://www.theverge.com/2015/10/31/9647204/gm-phil-abram-infotainment-carplay-android-auto-interview

Vehicle HMI and electrical systems are incredibly complex to develop, much moreso than many people here would like to claim.

 

[rcappo]

I just bought an iPad mini 4, 64GB to be installed in my truck as the entertainment system and navigation system. I'll tether my phone's cell connection to it so it will have internet access. $429, and whatever mounting system (or 3D printed mount) will cost. I have bluetooth audio connection to the stereo already, and iTunes will update it over Wi-fi in my garage. I know the Tune-in app and others will work too.

 

[chappel]

RE: Aftermarket

Needed a new car and so I bought a 2015 Subaru. Considered an aftermarket head
Also, the best Pioneers are the AppRadio & their top end NEX 8100 - these are the only ones with Capacitive touch screens a la iphone.

I put the first generation low-end Pioneer NEX in my old '02 WRX. The car didn't have any of the fancy unsupported features, so it was nothing but a monster upgrade to the original in-dash 6-disc CD changer, and it's been great. I installed it myself, which was a multi-day major chore, but it came together well enough. CarPlay isn't perfect, but I love it. I considered upgrading to a '15 WRX last winter, and decided not to in part because it would have been a step back in 'infotainment' (combined with no more hatchback, and not being able to justify a $35k car for my 1 mile commute). I'll wait a couple years and see what happens, although I'm hoping by then I can get a Tesla 3 (for under $45k).

I just can't wait until there are more apps available - especially live weather and better trip planning, and hope someday it becomes so ubiquitous that I can get CarPlay in a rental car when traveling, and not have to figure out some weird new system every time.

 

[Iconoclysm]

Honestly, CarPlay isn't much better than my cars built in system. Apple needs to do some real work before they expect manufactures to implement their solution.

Honestly, you don't even know that unless you've been driving around with it for at least a few days. It's not Apple that needs to do the work here, the manufacturers face a difficult situation by adopting CarPlay...I'm not going to spell it out for you but you have it backwards.

 

[Iconoclysm]

This article is clear erronous, please go to Motor1.com and follow the Carplay link.

FYI: All Ford SYNC3 support both Carplay and Android Auto, SYNC3 is on the 2016 F150, 2016 Escape, 2017 Explorer and more.

Big Omissis: AUDI's Q7, magnificent carplay support.

Mercedes and BMW neglet to suport carplay to follow selling theis overpiced and sub-par Apps, on theis infoainment systems also to bill the navigation maps, soon or later will adopt it.

Is Audi's actually deployed and in the real world yet? Because Volvo is/was one of the very first and I looked at the Q7.

 

[Iconoclysm]

Nice car.
Get the extended service plan.

They're typically never worth the money. Is there a reason you recommend it?

 

[tacoshell]

Are you forced to use Apple Maps with carplay or can you use Google maps?

 

[tacoshell]

They're typically never worth the money. Is there a reason you recommend it?

Aftermarket service plans are not worth the paper they are printed on, but extensions of the original warranty can be a life saver, especially on European Cars. I don't believe you need to purchase it at the current time, but you do need to purchase it before a certain time, and be the original owner.

 

[v0lume4]

CarPlay is cool, but I honestly don't understand the push for huge multimedia interfaces in vehicles. I could care less. My car is for driving, and the only thing I wish that had a bigger screen for is Waze (CarPlay doesn't support third-party apps).

 

[daverumours]

I have a Golf VII with Carplay and I have to say it's a total disappointment. For one thing the phone doesn't reliably connect, you can't use the steering wheel button for voice activation. When my phone does connect the few CarPlay apps that are around are only a shadow of their counterparts on the iPhone, which is strange as it basically just mirrors the output

 

[iLog.Genius]

I have a Golf VII with Carplay and I have to say it's a total disappointment. For one thing the phone doesn't reliably connect, you can't use the steering wheel button for voice activation. When my phone does connect the few CarPlay apps that are around are only a shadow of their counterparts on the iPhone, which is strange as it basically just mirrors the output

That's interesting. The more I read about CarPlay, the more I think it's strictly for those cars who just have a poor infotainment system that going CarPlay just allows a more simpler, not necessarily better, experience. For those who drive a BMW with iDrive, there is absolutely no reason to want CarPlay other than to say you want it. But if what you're saying is true, where the steering wheel controls become dead with CarPlay, it sort of diminishes the need for CarPlay if it's just a glorified mirror of your iPhone.

 

[scoobydoo99]

CarPlay will be available in a wide range of 2016 vehicles from Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Honda, Volkswagen and other carmakers

So, you list 3 makes in the headline, and 5 in the body of the text, but your full list includes 13 makes. How did you choose Chevrolet, Honda, and Volkswagen for the headline? Why not Porsche, Audi, and Kia? Why not say "2016 vehicles from 13 manufacturers" - seems more descriptive.

 

[doncollins]

- Mercedes-Benz has demoed CarPlay in its 2015 C-Class sedan in 2015, and the 2016 A-Class supports Apple's in-dash system, but the A-Class is not sold in the U.S. It appears increasingly likely that Mercedes-Benz will not adopt CarPlay in the U.S. until the 2017 model year or later.


Not sure of your sources but they're not accurate. I live in the US and just ordered a Mercedes GLA250 with CarPlay to be delivered in Dec 2015. It's a 2016 model.

 

[Dominicanyor]

I got to wait until I get my truck..

 

[doncollins]

Mercedes-Benz Current CarPlay offerings.

December 2015 production and later on:

2016 GLA
2016 CLA

There is a standalone smartphone integration option, or it's part of the multimedia package.

Just ordered my GLA at the beginning of November, to be delivered at the end of December... WITH CARPLAY!

 

[ILikeAllOS]

CarPlay is the one feature built into my phone that I've never been able to even look at.
Would love to get a car with CarPlay support but would be much easier to just have an aftermarket installed instead.

 

[cocky jeremy]

My 2016 Golf R has it, and I rarely use it. Almost always use SD card or SiriusXM.