Infotainment in vehicles has become one of the most important features of an automobile. Chinese consumers have already confirmed that they don’t really care about performance, but rather with the number of technological toys they can play with. As such, automakers are catering their models towards the Chinese market – the largest auto market on the planet.
While most automakers still spend millions of Dollars on developing their own infotainment systems with satellite navigation, radio, and the ability to play music, Google and Apple have surpassed these systems and created a way to put phone’s infotainment on the car’s screen – making life so much easier. Volvo has even ditched their own infotainment and adopted an Android-based one, which basically transforms the screen into a fixed tablet. Why more automakers aren’t doing this is beyond us.
With that, here are ten of the best cars currently on sale featuring Android Auto – and by extension, Apple CarPlay.
10 2023 Honda Accord
Base MSRP: $27,295
In-Cabin Tech
| Infotainment Size | Standard 7.0-inch or Optional 12.3-inch |
| Android Auto | Standard, Wireless |
| Apple CarPlay | Standard, Wireless |
The 2023 Honda Accord is an evolution rather than a revolution on the already excellent family sedan formula. The Accord gets new styling to follow Honda’s current design language and the engines are revised – sadly, the 2.0-liter turbo from the Civic Type R was dropped in favor of a hybrid.
In the interior, the Accord is more minimalistic and ergonomically logical, meaning everything is exactly where you’d think it would be. While the car comes with Honda’s own SatNav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included as standard across the range. The optional 12.3-inch infotainment screen is nicer than the standard 7.0-inch one, and it complements the 10.2-inch instrument cluster screen better.
Reasons To Buy:
- Still a great family-hauler
- Hugely fuel-efficient in Hybrid form
Reasons To Avoid:
- Looks a bit like a Ford Taurus
- Engines are a bit boring
9 2023 Toyota Camry
Base MSRP: $26,420
In-Cabin Tech
| Infotainment Size | Standard 7.0-inch or Optional 9.0-inch |
| Android Auto | Standard |
| Apple CarPlay | Standard |
The Toyota Camry is improving by the year as it was a pretty boring – but practical – family sedan a few years ago, but gained a bit of sportiness in 2020 with the facelift. While the rumored supercharged GR Camry hasn’t yet seen the light of day, the TRD does offer a more interesting body kit and a spoiler on the trunk.
Inside, the Camry is still as practical and ergonomic as always, offering excellent infotainment and comfort. All Camry models come with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard, with the only difference being the optional Entune 3.0 system which adds more functions above the necessary ones. The Camry is still a great vehicle, but with a new one on the horizon, it might be prudent to wait a bit longer before making a decision.
Reasons To Buy:
- Good-looking
- Dependable
- Practical
Reasons To Avoid:
- Getting a bit old
- No proper sporty GR version
- Could get a bit boring
8 2023 Honda Civic
Base MSRP: $23,750
In-Cabin Tech
| Infotainment Size | Standard 7.0-inch or Optional 9.0-inch |
| Android Auto | Standard, Wireless |
| Apple CarPlay | Standard, Wireless |
The current Honda Civic is one of the best small cars on the market. Granted, there is a premium to pay for it, but in terms of build quality and engineering, the Civic is the best car this side of a Toyota Corolla Hatch. The base 2.0-liter engine may be a bit boring with its 158 hp, but luckily Honda offers a turbocharged 1.5-liter with 180 hp. For those who spend a bit more, the Civic Si has the same turbocharged engine, but boosted to 200 hp.
The Civic comes standard with many technologies, but also has a CVT as the base transmission option – which is a bit boring for driving enthusiasts. In terms of entertainment, all models get Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard – wireless no less. The Civic is a great car and looks much cleaner than the previous model.
Reasons To Buy:
- Good quality
- Lots of standard equipment
- Less fussy than previous generation
Reasons To Avoid:
- Expensive
- Not as economic as some rivals
- A bit underpowered
7 2023 Toyota GR Corolla
Base MSRP: $35,900
In-Cabin Tech
| Infotainment Size | Standard 12.3-inch |
| Android Auto | Standard, Wireless |
| Apple CarPlay | Standard, Wireless |
A few years ago, Toyota decided to be cool again and create a series of cars with GR badging – derived from their Gazoo Racing subsidiary. The first was a rally car in the form of the GR Yaris – which shared very little with the normal Yaris, but was a hit nonetheless. As an apology to the US, Toyota took the drivetrain from the GR Yaris and stuffed it into a Corolla Hatch, creating the GR Corolla.
The Corolla has all the practicality of a normal Corolla hatch – apart from the Morizo Edition with no rear seats and roll cage – but with around 300 hp from a 1.6-liter turbocharged 3-cylinder. This car makes the VW Golf R sweat. It may be a sporty car, but it still gets excellent standard features like Android Auto and Apple Carplay, adaptive cruise control and a multitude of safety systems.
Reasons To Buy:
- It looks great
- It drives even better
- It’s a Toyota hot hatch!
Reasons To Avoid:
- Expensive
6 2024 Subaru Impreza
Base MSRP: $22,995
In-Cabin Tech
| Infotainment Size | Standard 6.5-inch or Optional 9.0-inch |
| Android Auto | Standard, Wireless |
| Apple CarPlay | Standard, Wireless |
The 2024 Subaru Impreza is better than ever – minus the WRX and STI trims, of course. It now comes with more standard equipment, a stiffer chassis for better body control, better sound insulation from road noise and will only be available in a hatchback body style. The Impreza Sedan is sadly no more.
Like all Subarus – bar the BRZ sport car – the Impreza comes with all-wheel-drive as standard, with the base engine being a 152 hp 2.0-liter flat-4 and the upgraded engine in the Impreza RS being the 2.5-liter flat-4 producing 30 hp more. The Sport and RS models gets the upgraded Starlink infotainment system, which comes standard with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
Reasons To Buy:
- Practical and capable hatch
- All-new
- Good-looking
Reasons To Avoid:
- No seriously sporty trims
- Only gets a CVT
- Fuel-efficiency
5 2023 Toyota Crown
Base MSRP: $39,950
In-Cabin Tech
| Infotainment Size | Standard 12.3-inch |
| Android Auto | Standard, Wireless |
| Apple CarPlay | Standard, Wireless |
The Toyota Crown is a new addition to the US lineup – not counting the short time in 1958 when Toyota sold it here. The Crown will be sold all over the world in four flavors, but so far only the crossover-sedan has arrived at dealerships. Think of it as a more streamlined Lexus RX, but with a Crown badge instead of a Toyota one.
The Crown comes in three trims, namely XLE, Limited and Platinum. The base powertrain is a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter 4-cylinder mated to three electric motors producing 236 hp. The top-trim Platinum gets the Hybrid Max system mated to a 2.4-liter turbocharged inline-4 producing a respectable 340 hp. All versions of the Crown get Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard, along with other goodies such as adaptive cruise control, wireless smartphone charging, USB-C ports and onboard Wi-Fi.
Reasons To Buy:
- It looks great
- It’s hugely efficient
- It’s a Crown!
Reasons To Avoid:
- Starts from $41,000
- Optional JBL speakers fail to impress
- Base model a bit underpowered
4 2024 Acura Integra
Base MSRP: $31,500
In-Cabin Tech
| Infotainment Size | Standard 7.0-inch or Optional 9.0-inch |
| Android Auto | Standard, Wireless |
| Apple CarPlay | Standard, Wireless |
The 2024 Acura Integra is the fancier and sleeker version of the Honda Civic – think the Lexus LX600 to Toyota’s Land Cruiser. The Integra name is back for the 2023 and 2024 model years, with the Integra Type S coming as a more luxurious alternative to the already pretty great Honda Civic Type R.
The Integra gets all the same stuff as the Civic, however, even the base Integra comes with the same engine as the Civic Si, making the Integra a bit sportier. Sadly, the manual transmission is only available with the A-Spec trim, which bumps the price to nearly $35,000. Also, while all models come with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard, only the more expensive A-Spec Technology version comes with smartphone mirroring.
Reasons To Buy:
- Looks great
- Is fancier and more elegant than Civic
- Gets the sportier engine as standard
Reasons To Avoid:
- Expensive starting price
- Heavier than Civic
- CVT as standard transmission
3 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6
Base MSRP: $41,600
In-Cabin Tech
| Infotainment Size | Standard 12.3-inch |
| Android Auto | Standard |
| Apple CarPlay | Standard |
The Hyundai Ioniq 6 started life as the Hyundai Prophecy Concept a few years ago, before changing into the sleek production car we know today. While the Ioniq 6 has the same basic design as the Prophecy Concept, it is a bit compromised due to the various laws and rules of automotive design.
The Ioniq 6 is basically an Ioniq 5 with a different body. This means that the 6 gets all the same drivetrain options and battery sizes – but is slightly more efficient due to the streamlined body. Like the Ioniq 5, the Ioniq 6 comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard, integrated into the large 12.3-inch infotainment screen.
Reasons To Buy:
- Sleek and cool
- Quite efficient battery-wise
- Cooler than a Tesla Model 3
Reasons To Avoid:
- Starts from $42,000
- Compromised practicality due to styling
2 2023 Genesis Electrified G80
Base MSRP: $80,950
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In-Cabin Tech
| Infotainment Size | Standard 14.5-inch |
| Android Auto | Standard, Wireless |
| Apple CarPlay | Standard, Wireless |
The Genesis G80 is a revolution within the luxury automotive industry, offering the same level of comfort and technology as the big names, but for a much more reasonable price – just like Lexus did in 1989. The G80 is the mid-range model which battles with the likes of the BMW 5 Series, Audi A6 and Mercedes-Benz E-Class, but looks better than any of those cars.
The regular G80 gets either a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-4 or a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 to power the car, however Genesis also offers an electrified model, called the Electrified G80. This car features two electric motors which produce a combined 365 hp. It also comes standard with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, as well as a powerful Lexicon audio system.
Reasons To Buy:
- Cheaper than rivals
- Just as luxurious
- Excellent build quality
Reasons To Avoid:
- Slower than rivals
- Maybe a bit too glitzy this side of a Rolls-Royce
1 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE
Base MSRP: $74,900
In-Cabin Tech
| Infotainment Size | Standard 12.8-inch or Optional 56-inch |
| Android Auto | Standard, Wireless |
| Apple CarPlay | Standard, Wireless |
In 2022, Mercedes-Benz unveiled their first bespoke electric sedan in the form of the EQS – an electrified alternative to the traditional S-Class. In 2023, the company revealed the EQE, a slightly smaller version of the EQS which takes the spot as an alternative to the E-Class. In all honesty, it is quite difficult to spot the difference between the EQS and EQE as they look extremely similar.
What cannot be criticized though, is the absolute spaceship-like interior. The standard dashboard is a more futuristic version of the one found in an S-Class, but the optional Hyperscreen upgrade makes all the difference. The Hyperscreen is 56 inches of glass, with three touchscreens integrated for maximum futurism. The car also gets a fingerprint scanner for individual profiles, a standard Burmester sound system and Android Auto/Apple CarPlay connectivity.
Reasons To Buy:
- Good range
- Futuristic interior
- Comfortable seats
Reasons To Avoid:
- Only gets 288 hp in base trim
- Very expensive
- Looks like a slug