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PCMag India | Guide
The Best High-Tech Cars of 2018
By Doug Newcomb May 3, 2018
Technology is one of the most important features to consider when buying a new vehicle. These models have the best car tech we've tested.
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2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV
2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV Review
Editors' Choice

Bottom Line: The 2017 Chevy Bolt EV is a fun, functional everyday vehicle that you can feel good about driving.

Read Review
2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid XLE
2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid XLE Review
Editors' Choice

Bottom Line: The 2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid makes a compelling case for the ride, roominess, and fuel economy of a sedan.

Read Review
Tesla Model X 75D
Tesla Model X 75D Review
Editors' Choice

Bottom Line: The Tesla Model X has seductive cachet and provides a visceral thrill of instant torque and a delight in tech done right.

Read Review
2017 Chevy Volt Premier
2017 Chevy Volt Premier Review
Editors' Choice

Bottom Line: Improvements to the 2017 Chevy Volt make it more efficient, safer, and more fun to drive, while further distancing it from the increasing plug-in hybrid competition.

Read Review
2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid
2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Review
Editors' Choice

Bottom Line: If you're searching for a minivan with the best features and fuel economy on the market, the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid has no equal.

Read Review
2018 BMW 530e xDrive iPerformance
2018 BMW 530e xDrive iPerformance Review


Bottom Line: If you're looking for a plug-in hybrid midsize luxury sedan, the 2018 BMW 530e xDrive iPerformance can run on electric power for up to 15 miles without a discernible difference in performanc...

Read Review
2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid
2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid Review


Bottom Line: The 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid hits a sweet spot for electric vehicles thanks to its ability to run on gasoline or its battery, saving you from range anxiety.

Read Review
2017 Hyundai Ioniq
2017 Hyundai Ioniq Review


Bottom Line: If you're looking for segment-topping hybrid fuel economy over thrilling performance, the Hyundai Ioniq Blue is a very good value.

Read Review
2017 Kia Optima Plug-in Hybrid
2017 Kia Optima Plug-in Hybrid Review


Bottom Line: The midsize 2017 Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid sedan's comfort, utility, and alternative fuel appeal makes it a solid pick for eco-minded buyers.

Read Review
2018 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid SE
2018 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid SE Review


Bottom Line: If you want a compact crossover hybrid, the Toyota RAV4 is your only option, and despite a few drawbacks, a good one.

Read Review
Start Your Engines
Buying a new car ranks right up there with visits to the dentist and tax audits as most people's least favorite experiences. And it's gotten even more frustrating and complicated thanks to all the new technology coming to modern vehicles.

It doesn't help that the latest connected cars can vary widely in user-friendliness and available features. So it's essential that you know what to look before starting to shop for a new vehicle. And given that a new car is such a large purchase—and you'll likely be holding on to a vehicle for at least a few years—you have to live with that choice much longer compared with, say, deciding which new smartphone or tablet to buy.

Here are some of the main technologies you want to keep in mind when shopping for a new car:

Infotainment Interfaces
Infotainment is one of the most difficult tech features to judge, since there are no industry standards. It's also an area where automakers (and car buyers) are struggling. Controlling audio playback, navigation, and in-car apps when behind the wheel is a lot different than tapping away on your iPhone when sitting comfortably in your living room. A couple of infotainment interfaces we find easy to use are Toyota Entune and Volvo Sensus Connect for the former's configurable interface and the latter's large display layout.

Connectivity and Apps
Connectivity is what lets you access navigation, real-time traffic updates, local search, and more while on the road. That's why automakers are aggressively adding connectivity and in-dash apps to vehicles in three varieties: embedded, tethered, and a hybrid approach.

Nextcar Bug artEmbedded connectivity means there's a modem in the vehicle (and a subscription is usually required) to connect to the cloud, as with the Mercedes-Benz mbrace2 system. Tethered systems leverage the connectivity—and data plan—of your portable device by syncing to the car's infotainment system, as with Chevy MyLink. The hybrid approach uses a combination of the two: embedded connectivity for critical functions such as automatic crash notification, and tethered connectivity for, say, infotainment apps.


Infotainment
We prefer the tethered approach (and not paying a monthly subscription) that's best exemplified by systems that feature Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Apple and Google's tethering ecosystems offer broad support across multiple infotainment platforms.

For a closer look at connectivity options, read Buying a New Car? Know Your Connectivity Options.

Audio
Music was the original consumer electronics technology to enter the car. And today there's more ways than ever to get great road tunes in your ride: AM and FM (now in HD), satellite radio, CD and DVD, in-dash hard drives, portable device integration via USB and auxiliary inputs, SD cards, and streaming music apps. But no matter how many music sources you have in your car, they'll only be as enjoyable as the stereo system they're played through.

The good news is that premium audio in cars is better than ever and range from the expensive and esoteric, as with the Bang & Olufsen systems in several luxury makes with tweeters that rise out of the dashboard, to the low- or no-cost options like the sweet-sounding Infinity systems in many Kia vehicles.

Navigation
Knowing how to get where you're going is vital when driving, which is why in-dash navigation systems have made paper maps almost obsolete. And nav systems have gotten better with cloud connectivity, allowing for real-time traffic info, local search, and compatibility with portable devices.

Audi's MMI system is a good example of just how far navigation has come. It offers Google Earth mapping, parking information that lets you find available spots in advance, and even a "picture navigation" feature that uses the geotagged information from a digital photograph to find an address and route the car to it. Of course, if you aren't happy with your vehicle's built-in navigation, you can always turn to a free GPS app.

Bluetooth
Blueooth was originally just for hands-free phone usage, but has evolved into providing streaming music from a portable device. It also serves as the link between a car's infotainment system and designated apps on your smartphone. Compatibility issues that have plagued the connection between phones and cars can still be a problem, however. That's why it's important to make sure your devices and new car can communicate with one another.

In fact, when you're test-driving new vehicles, make sure to spend time trying out the tech features. Get to know the operation of the infotainment system, understand how the car connects to the cloud and which apps are available, listen to the audio system and check out its music sources, enter a destination into the navigation system, and pair your device with the car via Bluetooth and make a few phone calls. This way you lessen your chance of buying a car with poor technology that you'll be stuck with for years to come.


Chevy Volt
It's Electric!
This list consists exclusively of electric and hybrid vehicles. These cars eschew standard gasoline engines for much more technologically advanced and fuel-efficient means of propulsion. You still need to top them off in some form or another, though.

Hybrid vehicles use both a gasoline engine and an electric motor instead of relying on gas alone. The electric motor works in tandem with the engine, assisting with most maneuvers to use much less gas. Conversely, the gas engine helps keep the battery charged through regenerative breaking, putting power back into the battery that drives the electric motor every time you coast to a stop.

Electric vehicles drop the gasoline engine entirely and rely only on electricity to run. Cars like the Nissan Leaf and Tesla's offerings don't use any gas or give off any emissions. The trade-off is that fueling takes much longer and can be more difficult to find, and the range for these vehicles is limited. You need to plug electric vehicles in to charge them, and if you set up a quick charger at your home you can easily top off in about half an hour. If a dedicated charger isn't handy, though, charging through a power cable plugged into a more conventional 110/120-volt outlet can take four to eight hours.

Plug-in hybrids like the Chevy Volt are, well, hybrid hybrids. They're hybrid vehicles that charge like electric cars and can run entirely off of the electric motor and battery for a distance. If you need to drive farther than the battery allows, a gasoline engine lets you keep going without plugging it in. They offer the environmental friendliness of an electric vehicle while providing options for when you can't find a charging station and don't want to wait hours to drive.

Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles like the Toyota Mirai are still in their fledgling stages, even compared with hybrids and electric vehicles. They use hydrogen instead of gasoline to drive their motors, which makes them emission-free and environmentally friendly. They also have a much aurther range than electric vehicles, with the Mirai able to go up to 300 miles between fills. The problem is that they're currently California-only vehicles, because that's the only state where you'll find hydrogen fuel stations with any remote regularity.

These vehicles are all much more green and economical in the long term than cars that rely only on gasoline engines. However, they're consistently more expensive than conventional vehicles (at least initially; the savings in fuel can help make up for that with a few years of driving), and they generally offer less cargo space. The trunks of most hybrid and electric vehicles are at least partially occupied by the bulky battery needed to drive the electric motor, so there simply isn't as much room in the back for your groceries or suitcases.

Safety
Last but not least is actually one of the first things you should consider when buying a new vehicle, and that's safety. Modern driver-assist systems use various combinations of cameras and sensors to keep track of dangers you may not notice, like the car ahead of you suddenly hitting the breaks, or another car approaching in your blind spot. Dash cams are useful in case you do get in a fender bender, as they continuously record what happens and can be used to limit your liability.

Depending on the driver assists in your vehicle, you might receive an alert warning you of potential hazards, while some systems will automatically take over for you. And that's worth a heck of a lot more than a new sound system. For more, see The Best Driver-Assist Cars.

Here you'll find a list of vehicles we tested that are examples of the best car tech in the categories above. If you're looking to upgrade your exisiting ride, check out some of our favorite ways to soup up your current ride with tech.

Featured High-Tech Car Reviews:
2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV
2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV Review
Editors' Choice

Bottom Line: The 2017 Chevy Bolt EV is a fun, functional everyday vehicle that you can feel good about driving.

Read Review
2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid XLE
2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid XLE Review
Editors' Choice

Bottom Line: The 2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid makes a compelling case for the ride, roominess, and fuel economy of a sedan.

Read Review
Tesla Model X 75D
Tesla Model X 75D Review
Editors' Choice

Bottom Line: The Tesla Model X has seductive cachet and provides a visceral thrill of instant torque and a delight in tech done right.

Read Review
2017 Chevy Volt Premier
2017 Chevy Volt Premier Review
Editors' Choice

Bottom Line: Improvements to the 2017 Chevy Volt make it more efficient, safer, and more fun to drive, while further distancing it from the increasing plug-in hybrid competition.

Read Review
2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid
2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Review
Editors' Choice

Bottom Line: If you're searching for a minivan with the best features and fuel economy on the market, the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid has no equal.

Read Review
2018 BMW 530e xDrive iPerformance
2018 BMW 530e xDrive iPerformance Review


Bottom Line: If you're looking for a plug-in hybrid midsize luxury sedan, the 2018 BMW 530e xDrive iPerformance can run on electric power for up to 15 miles without a discernible difference in performanc...

Read Review
2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid
2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid Review


Bottom Line: The 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid hits a sweet spot for electric vehicles thanks to its ability to run on gasoline or its battery, saving you from range anxiety.

Read Review
2017 Hyundai Ioniq
2017 Hyundai Ioniq Review


Bottom Line: If you're looking for segment-topping hybrid fuel economy over thrilling performance, the Hyundai Ioniq Blue is a very good value.

Read Review
2017 Kia Optima Plug-in Hybrid
2017 Kia Optima Plug-in Hybrid Review


Bottom Line: The midsize 2017 Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid sedan's comfort, utility, and alternative fuel appeal makes it a solid pick for eco-minded buyers.

Read Review
2018 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid SE
2018 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid SE Review


Bottom Line: If you want a compact crossover hybrid, the Toyota RAV4 is your only option, and despite a few drawbacks, a good one.

Read Review

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About the Author
Doug Newcomb
Doug Newcomb
Columnist
Doug Newcomb is a recognized expert on the subject of car technology within the auto industry and among the automotive and general media, and a frequent speaker at automotive and consumer electronics industry events. Doug began his career in 1988 at the car stereo trade publication Mobile Electronics, before serving as editor of the leading consumer magazines covering the topic, Car Audio and Electronics and Car Stereo Review/Mobile Entertainment/Road & Track Road Gear, from 1989 to 2005. In 2005 Doug started his own company, Newcomb Communications & Consulting, to provide content to such outlets as Road & Track, Popular Mechanics, MSN Autos, SEMA News, and many others. In 2008, he ... See Full Bio

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