JDP Hits Car Infotainment…Again

For as long as I can remember, J.D. Power & Associates has consistently criticized car infotainment systems. This proclivity has always irked me because the company's methodology, by definition, is a rearward look at the latest technology. By the time consumers are sending in their JDP Initial Quality surveys, the systems they are reporting on are 4-5 years old having been in development for 3-4 years before reaching the market.

In spite of that methodological shortcoming many auto makers link employee compensation in the form of bonuses to brand performance in JDP's Initial Quality survey. The car makers that top the JDP lists and their employees who are rewarded, therefore, are typically the most conservative - which explains why the Japanese topped the rankings for so many years. The slower pace of innovation among the likes of Toyota, Honda, and Nissan stood those brands in good stead with consumers, according to J.D. Power studies.

General Motors, Ford Motor Company, and Stellantis, meanwhile, came under withering criticism and suffered from poor survey rankings as they experimented with new technologies and interfaces. The latest J.D. Power infotainment takedown arrives with JDP’s Automotive Performance, Execution, and Layout (APEAL) Study.

Overall satisfaction among car owners was 845 (on a 1,000-point scale), a decrease of two points from a year ago and three points lower than in 2021, reported The Verge, adding that it was the first year-over-year decline in the 28-year history of the study.

In the press release reporting the results, JD Power says:

"Built-in infotainment systems are a prime example of a technology not resonating with today’s buyers. Only 56% of owners prefer to use their vehicle’s built-in system to play audio, down from 70% in 2020. Three of the most common uses for built-in systems are: owners looking to make phone calls; voice recognition; and navigation—with less than half (45%, 37% and 43%, respectively) of owners preferring to use their vehicle’s built-in system for these functions."

The release further notes:

"Android Automotive Operating System (AAOS) with GAS delights owners: Models that have AAOS with Google Automotive Services (GAS) score higher in the infotainment category than those with no AAOS whatsoever. AAOS without GAS receives the lowest scores for infotainment of the three categories."

Let's assume that consumers actually know the difference between an Android Automotive Operating System-equipped infotainment rig and one that is running Linux or QNX. Let's further assume that consumers know what Google Automotive Services (GAS) is. Big assumptions, I know.

The main attraction of an automotive system using GAS will be Googlemaps navigation. The visual presentation and the logistical performance of the application will be familiar and satisfying to the average user.

That being said, non-Google navigation solutions have, for the most part, closed the performance gap with Google in the newest cars. So consumer familiarity with Google may be breeding contempt for competing solutions - even where they are equivalent.

The over-riding takeaway from the JDP analysis will unavoidably be that auto makers should simply give up - throw in the towel - and hand over their infotainment systems entirely to Google. Another takeaway will be that projected solutions such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are preferred to embedded systems.

In reality, most car makers are adopting Android Automotive Operating System, but they are attempting to preserve their customer relationships by de-coupling Google Automotive Services from Google's in-vehicle user interfaces. Multiple auto makers - including Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen, among others - are creating their own app stores and their own user experiences. And they are moving away from projected smartphone solutions - most notably General Motors.

The engineers and designers bringing these infotainment systems to automobiles support one the most thankless tasks in the automotive industry. Whatever the auto makers bring to market JD Power is likely to criticize and consumers are likely to bemoan.

For the past 15 years, at least, senior executives at auto makers have gotten into the act as infotainment systems have become increasingly associated with revenue generating opportunities. C-level auto executives have also gotten involved because the infotainment system in the car is increasingly seen as the ideal location to highlight strategic relationships with Amazon, Apple, Google, and Microsoft.

These efforts to leverage strategic dashboard real estate for financial or marketing advantages have turned in-dash infotainment systems into rolling Roku's. Like digital Roku televisions supporting Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime, car infotainment systems are supporting multiple user experiences ranging from SiriusXM 360 to CarPlay to Android Auto to Xperi's DTS Autostage or the car maker's own branded user interface.

It's a no-win proposition especially when taking into account the fact that consumers will forgive Apple and Google for any limitations or failings in their systems but cry bloody-murder if the car maker's technology falls short. And, of course, JD Power will be watching - tut-tutting from the sidelines.

Like a punchline, JD Power concludes its research takeaways by noting:

"Satisfaction with Tesla declines: Tesla, with a score of 878, remains one of the higher performing brands in the industry. However, the score in 2023 is 9 points lower than a year ago when Tesla was first included in the study. Satisfaction scores for Tesla have declined year over year in all 10 factors. Because Tesla does not allow J.D. Power access to owner information in the states where that permission is required by law, Tesla models remain ineligible for awards."

The joke is on JD Power, of course. Tesla does not appear to spend (do I daresay "waste?") much time, effort, or money on consumer research. Design and delivery decisions at Tesla appear to be more financially or functionally motivated than data driven. It's Musk's way or the highway.

Nowhere is this unique Tesla design criteria clearer than in the infotainment system. Tesla offers neither Apple CarPlay nor Android Auto projected smartphone solutions and SiriusXM has yet to be integrated. There has been no careful attention to providing an iDrive-style hardware controller, but voice is available and often necessary given the limitations of the touchscreen-centric UI.

Bottom line, Google is ascendant in automotive dashboards throughout the industry. The challenge of developing and delivering in-vehicle infotainment systems that are functional, pleasing, compelling, and brand defining while also capable of generating revenue is a nearly impossible task. As for JD Power's thoughts on the matter, it's difficult to drive innovation forward if you're looking in the rearview mirror.