{"id":1184,"date":"2025-05-29T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-29T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.chasethefootprint.com\/?p=1184"},"modified":"2025-05-30T15:02:46","modified_gmt":"2025-05-30T15:02:46","slug":"chevys-infotainment-system-is-excellent-especially-with-carplay-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.chasethefootprint.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/29\/chevys-infotainment-system-is-excellent-especially-with-carplay-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Chevy’s Infotainment System Is Excellent\u2014Especially With CarPlay: Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

At the risk of beating a dead horse, Chevrolet deciding to ditch Apple CarPlay and Android Auto<\/a> compatibility in its electric cars has to be one of the most short-sighted moves in automotive history. As CarPlay grows to become even more expansive, buyers of Chevy\u2019s excellent new EVs are left with no choice but to fiddle with the brand\u2019s native interface.<\/p>\n

It should be said: Chevy’s infotainment system is excellent, CarPlay or not. The screens are big and beautiful, the graphics are crisp, and there are a ton of features. Chevy even baked some genuinely useful tools into the Google Maps interface for charging. But the system only gets better with smartphone mirroring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Quick Specs<\/td>\n2025 Chevrolet Suburban<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Touchscreen<\/td>\n17.7 Inches<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Instrument Cluster<\/td>\n11.0 Inches<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Apple CarPlay \/ Android Auto<\/td>\nWireless<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Subscription Costs<\/td>\n$10-$65 \/ Month<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\"Chevrolet
\nPhoto by: Jeff Perez \/ Motor1<\/p>\n

The screens look lovely regardless of what\u2019s projected onto them. In this Suburban<\/a>, a massive 17.7-inch landscape display occupies the center of the dash while an 11.0-inch digital instrument cluster sits just ahead of the driver. These are the two biggest screens Chevy offers in any of its cars, with smaller 11.0- and 13.4-inch screens also available throughout its lineup.<\/p>\n

Chevy\u2019s native graphics are modern and crisp, with a blue-tinged background that makes it all feel a bit more futuristic. Options on the home screen are arranged neatly and require only one or two taps to get you where you need to go, which means you can quickly parse things while on the move. No need to go digging.<\/p>\n

Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice control systems both come standard, and they work about as well as any modern in-car voice command system, which is to say, hit or miss. Google Maps is the native navigation, and it\u2019s no different here than it is on your smartphone\u2014give or take a few tweaks to fit the larger screen. It\u2019s completely seamless.<\/p>\n

\"Chevrolet
\nPhoto by: Jeff Perez \/ Motor1<\/p>\n

Pros: Looks Beautiful, Easy To Use, Seamless Maps, Many Useful Features<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Of course, buyers who still want their phone projected onto the screen can do that. That\u2019s the beauty of choice. With Apple CarPlay or Android Auto activated, the smartphone projection looks absolutely pristine atop Chevy\u2019s massive center stack. Maybe second only to BMW, Chevy accepts the smartphone interface like no other. And it takes up the same amount of screen real estate as Chevy\u2019s native system, too.<\/p>\n

Blissfully, the Suburban still offers a row of tactile buttons and dials for fan speed, temperature, and window defrosting just below the middle air vents. They\u2019re so easy to use. But, there\u2019s also a row of touch controls at the base of the screen that offers many of those same functions, with added seat heating and ventilation, and fan adjustments. It\u2019s the best of both worlds.<\/p>\n

\"Chevrolet
\nPhoto by: Jeff Perez \/ Motor1<\/p>\n

\"Chevrolet
\nPhoto by: Jeff Perez \/ Motor1<\/p>\n

Any problems are trivial. When you\u2019re using Apple CarPlay, there\u2019s no home button, which means you have to scroll to the second screen and hit the “Chevrolet” app to get back to Chevy\u2019s UI. Not a huge deal. And when you\u2019re listening to a podcast over Bluetooth, there\u2019s no clear “15-second rewind” or “30-second fast forward” option. But, the on-screen arrows offer the same functions nonetheless.<\/p>\n

And then there are the costs. Chevrolet just recently updated its OnStar pricing structure for 2025, with the most basic “Connect” plan starting at $10 a month for native apps like audiobooks, music, news, and podcasts. The “Connect Plus” plan adds a Wi-Fi hotspot and in-vehicle games for $20 a month, while the most expensive “OnStar One Super Cruise” adds things like roadside assistance, stolen vehicle assistance, and Super Cruise for $65 a month. Super Cruise is otherwise a $25 per month extra on those other packages.<\/p>\n

\"Chevrolet
\nPhoto by: Jeff Perez \/ Motor1<\/p>\n

Cons: Expensive Subscription Costs<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Beyond some very minor complaints and pricey subscription costs, Chevy\u2019s infotainment system is probably second only to Toyota\u2019s interface in 2025. It\u2019s clean, it\u2019s quick, it\u2019s easy to use, and it has most everything you want (assuming you\u2019re willing to pony up).<\/p>\n

Yes, you still need Apple CarPlay and Android Auto if you want the same simplicity of a smartphone. Or, you definitely still want it at a minimum. But Chevy has done an excellent job of offering users everything they could ask for without it feeling too much of a downgrade from what\u2019s in their pockets.<\/p>\n

More Infotainment Reviews<\/h2>\n

The Nissan Rogue’s Base Infotainment Proves Simpler Is Better: Review<\/a>
Volvo’s Infotainment System Looks Good, But Falls Short: Review<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At the risk of beating a dead horse, Chevrolet deciding to ditch Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility in its electric cars has to be one of the most short-sighted moves in automotive history. As CarPlay grows to become even more expansive, buyers of Chevy\u2019s excellent new EVs are left with no choice but to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1186,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-event-coverage"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.chasethefootprint.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.chasethefootprint.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.chasethefootprint.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.chasethefootprint.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.chasethefootprint.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1184"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.chasethefootprint.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1184\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1193,"href":"http:\/\/www.chasethefootprint.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1184\/revisions\/1193"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.chasethefootprint.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1186"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.chasethefootprint.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.chasethefootprint.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.chasethefootprint.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}