Originally Posted by GMFan
Originally Posted by MrHorspwer
FCA launched a new Ram pickup for 2019. What was the big selling feature, the one that put it head-and-shoulders above the Silverado, which was also new in 2019? This monstrosity:
Yikes...
I don't mind the tech in new cars as much as I do mind the nanny beeps and collision warnings. If you do any driving in a city, the thing will just constantly beep at you.
My girlfriend has a new Buick Encore, and I actually find the tech nicely done (Apple Car play). It basically works just like an iPhone (very intuitive), and you can do voice commands to play music, navigation, etc. all hands free. The dashboard is clean and intuitive, and there are actual HVAC buttons beneath the touch screen. This to me is tasteful/good design. Some of the cars out there however just have way too many buttons. I do wonder/worry what the longevity is for some of this stuff.
Does anyone actually expect that screen shown above in the new Ram pickups to last 15-20 years without dying? Imagine all the temperature variations this thing will be exposed to (Canada/Florida) etc. How could this not die after 5-10 years?
There have been some teething pains (not related to the durability of the above screen) with this new system, where it may "forget" users settings and the like. That was one of the main reasons we opted for the traditional UConnect 8.4" system instead on our 2019:
Of course the side benefit of the more traditional setup is the physical controls for HVAC, as can be seen.
Regarding lifespan, while not having touch, the integrated screen on my 2001 M5 would have been around 16-17 years old when I got rid of the car and it was still working perfectly, so, properly designed, yes, they can hold up. We'll see whether they do or not of course.