When General Motors announced it was going to move away from Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, the public was immediately upset. However, the automaker responded by stating that change would be gradual and that the company would continue to offer vehicle integration by way of a proprietary interface. However, based on initial reviews, the resulting software doesn’t sound very enjoyable and even charges you for features that were previously free.
Motor Trend is presently conducting a long-term test of the 2024 Chevy Silverado ZR2 and has found unresponsive and prone toward gatekeeping features that were previously free after just seven months of ownership.
The outlet noted that, due to how reliant modern vehicles are on touchscreen-based infotainment systems, they’re functionality can effectively determine the overall usefulness of a vehicle. Running the Silverado for 13,000 miles has been an eye opening experience, with the pickup not only having a glitch-prone interface but also one that kept common features (e.g. navigation) behind a paywall.
From Motor Trend:
Right after taking delivery of our long-term 2024 Silverado ZR2, we ran into issues with Google Maps. The system would suddenly freeze at the most inopportune and random times. When this happened, not only did the maps stop working, but speed limit information displayed in the driver information screen and head-up display froze as well. Navigating to the infotainment system’s Google Maps app while the system is frozen results in the displaying of a “searching for GPS” error message.
Like most owners would do in our situation we took to the internet to see if there was an easy solution. And to our shock (not really), owner forums and Reddit threads are filled with tales recounting the same issues. None offered any real cause of or solution to the issue. We received a similar non-answer when probing the service writer and technician at the time of our truck’s first scheduled service. The best advice we have received so far is to simply perform a hard reboot of the system when this lockup occurs.
The hard reboot requires a running, but stationary vehicle, to have the hang-up button on the steering wheel to be depressed for fifteen seconds. While not a big deal in itself, it becomes rather tiresome when it needs to be done on the regular because it only temporarily solves the problem. But this was just the tip of the iceberg.
General Motors’ “Google Built-In” was supposed to serve as a seamless alternative to pairing your phone via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. The integrated software was effectively designed to handle all the functions associated with your phone and Google account (e.g. navigation, calls, texts, calendar, etc). However, Motor Trend noted that the system (which needs a Google Account login to be functional) lacked some select features — namely the ability to customize and share map routes. It likewise stated that Android Auto and Apple CarPlay already did these things better.
Voice commands were also said to be underwhelming. With modern infotainment systems proven to be more taxing to use than the interfaces found on older vehicles (using buttons, knobs, and switches), many automakers have leaned into voice controls. However, Google Built-In still doesn’t understand normal speech well enough to be a breeze to use. Users apparently need to memorize a series of prompt phrases and carefully state them in order to get the desired effect. This is hardly new for the industry and most voice controlled interfaces seem like a gimmick. But it’s no-less disappointing considering how long the technology has been around.
Motor Trend then bashed the in-car app store. This is something General Motors has been working on forever, with leadership originally envisioning the original “GM Marketplace” as a buffet of corporate partnered marketing opportunities and avenues for new revenue streams. While that dream remains alive inside Google Built-In, the execution is allegedly terrible. Despite drivers having access to the Google Play store, many apps aren’t compatible with the vehicle and some of the best that do would still require you to use your phone.
The rest of the article pertained to just how poorly navigation was on the Silverado. It accused the system of being so unacceptably slow and glitchy that you might as well just forget it and use your phone for navigation.
Worse yet, Chevy’s Google Built-In functionality requires an OnStar subscription — specifically the Connected Vehicle Plan which presently costs $24.99 per month.
While customers can buy into higher tiers of OnStar to unlock additional features, having no subscription effectively restrict access to the Google Play app store, Google Assistant, and, most alarming, Google Maps.
“That’s right — without a paid subscription, our $75,000 2024 Chevy Silverado ZR2 doesn’t offer access to its native navigation system,” wrote the outlet.
This is the kind of thing you really only begin to consider when you’ve spent some real time living with a vehicle. First drives are frequently so brief that you’re laser focused on the driving experience. Time spent messing with infotainment screens and menu options are limited and you’re rarely provided an opportunity to try and sync your phone.
While longer reviews do allow time to see how well your phone plays with an automobile, many reviewers are growing hesitant to pair them due to revelations about manufacturer data harvesting — especially since you’re only getting the car for a few days before it’s handed over (along with any data you failed to clear) to someone else. Even if they do have a spare dummy phone laying around for testing purposes, they’re certainly not going to spend their own money buying into subscription-based features that they’ll only use for a couple of days.
That just leaves the long-term testers. Since they’re vehicles that are typically owned by an outlet or a reviewer willing to share their experience over a period of months/years, they’re the most likely to have someone buying into in-app purchases and being subject to routine phone integration. Sadly, it doesn’t sound like a plethora of delights as the industry continues seeking ways to nickel-and-dime customers.
None of this is terribly surprising. But it remains annoying, especially since the industry knows people don’t like how infotainment systems are being handled. Consumer satisfaction surveys have shown that, despite modern vehicles being broadly less popular than those manufactured in the 2010s, drivers like some of the tech features on today’s vehicles. But infotainment systems tend to be generally unpopular due to bad designs, unresponsive user interfaces, and predatory pricing schemes for digital features. In fact, they’re the primary factor that’s causing people to dislike new automobiles.
Believe it or not, the Motor Trend piece actually dives into even more things that it found wrong with the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado’s infotainment system. It’s certainly worth a read if you’re considering buying any GM product playing host to its latest UX. But the cursory takeaway is that automakers appear to have totally lost the plot in terms of delivering something of value to customers.
[Images: General Motors]
