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Buying a car with too many software bells and whistles is a good way to buy a car that will look old within just a few years. The software built by the car companies is almost never updated in a major way. I remember when built-in GPS was an option for $1-2k extra on a new car... Five years later and the built in GPS interface looks ancient, and isn't nearly as functional as just using your phone anyway. I'll take a phone mounted to the dashboard over built-in GPS any day.

Every car company should provide some basics, like bluetooth connectivity, but aside from that, Android Auto and Apple Carplay are the ways to go. They get updated constantly and are made by companies with stakes in keeping them current. This way, I don't need to purchase a new car to get decent software.



The tesla is the opposite of that. The older teslas have been continuously upgraded to the latest software.

That said, there have been regressions in UI usability and some things that should have gotten attention haven't, such as USB audio.

I should mention USB audio is interesting because it allows you to play uncompressed music in FLAC and Apple Lossless directly (bluetooth does not)


Tesla is almost the exception that proves the rule though.


Someone please come back to this comment in 10 years.


I would go even farther - I don't want a screen in my car. I have enough of that in other devices. Give me a convenient place on the dashboard to attach a phone holder, and provide a nearby USB power port, and I'd be super happy. Focus on making the climate controls work great, and have great Bluetooth, and I'm all set.


Note that backup cameras are now a mandate:

> the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that it would require all automobiles sold in the United States built beginning in May 2018 to include backup cameras

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backup_camera#Mandates


I'm with you! This is one reason I keep driving my '92 Rover and don't want a newer car.

Just make sure there's an 1/8" jack, too, so I don't have to deal with Bluetooth.




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