10 of the Best Car Entertainment/Multimedia Systems for a Bevy of Budgets

2016 Dodge Challenger ・ Photo by Dodge

While some people still enjoy the actual act of driving, a much larger percentage of the population wants their rides ready to roll, and rock 'n' roll, with the best car entertainment/multimedia systems. That means manufacturers must offer infotainment centers that are easy to use and understand as well as the kind of in-car technologies—like 4G LTE connectivity and mobile Wi-Fi—that used to be found only in the home. Even better, these features can also be found in some surprisingly affordable new vehicles.

10) Mitsubishi Mirage

Any sightings of a 2016 Mirage must have lived up to the car’s name, as one of the least-expensive vehicles in the country opted to skip that model year and proceed directly to the next one. The 2017 Mitsubishi Mirage had its premiere at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show and is due at dealerships in the spring of 2016 with one of the best car entertainment/multimedia systems available for any low-cost entry. Key advantages here are the car’s advanced smartphone integration capabilities, with support for both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a 300-watt Rockford-Fosgate EcoPunch audio system with components specifically designed for ultra-efficient listening pleasure. It’s also worth noting that even the entry-level audio setup delivers four speakers and 140 watts of power.

Photo by Mitsubishi Motors North America

9) Chevrolet Cruze

If you need a little more room than provided by the relatively minuscule Mirage, the all-new 2016 Chevrolet Cruze brings some of the top car entertainment/multimedia systems to the affordable compact segment. As is quickly becoming de rigueur for today’s next-gen entries, the 2016 Chevrolet Cruze offers advanced smartphone integration, although Android Auto won’t be deployed until March 2016. Apple CarPlay, however, is currently available, as are supporting technologies like wireless phone charging and an 8-inch color touchscreen. Further, most practically priced small cars skimp on standard infotainment features, but the Cruze comes right out of the box with a 7-inch MyLink setup. Then there’s a Bowtie brand bonus no other mainstream rival can match: a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot that’s bolstered by 4G LTE connectivity. And that, in turn, is complemented by premium cues ranging from a standard turbo engine to available heated leather seating.

Photo by Chevrolet Media

8) Honda Accord

The 2016 Honda Accord enjoyed a fairly significant mid-cycle refreshing for the new model year, and as a result, owners will be able to enjoy one of the best car entertainment/multimedia systems in the midsize segment. It all starts with the implementation of Honda’s dual-level display strategy that, in the Accord, combines an upper, 7.7-inch “intelligent multi-information display” to show audio info, time, available navigation information and more, along with a separate 7-inch touchscreen, mounted in the center stack below the “i-MID” screen, for control of various vehicle functionalities. This award-winning Honda has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration available, too, and those systems also leverage the car’s two-screen technology in much the same way. Finally, while the Accord doesn’t furnish a Wi-Fi hotspot per se, it does support Wi-Fi tethering, which essentially converts an owner’s compatible smartphone into a mobile hotspot.

7) Chevrolet Malibu

Mainstream competitors may wonder at the inclusion of two Chevy vehicles on our list, yet until they start adding their own mobile Wi-Fi features and bringing their connectivity speeds up to 4G LTE standards, the Bowtie brand is going to have an unbeatable benefit even among the best car entertainment/multimedia systems. In the midsize segment, for example, only the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu serves up said technologies, and as is the case with the Cruze, Chevy’s bigger entry boasts Apple CarPlay, Android Auto (expected availability in March of 2016), a standard 7-inch touchscreen audio system, an available 8-inch setup, and optional wireless phone charging. However, Malibu does up the ante in a number of areas, and not just in terms of size. It also adds, as compared to the Cruze, upgrades like available nine-speaker audio from Bose, heated and ventilated seating for the first row, and a 48-mpg hybrid model.

6) Mazda MX-5 Miata

For enthusiasts, the best car entertainment/multimedia systems may very well extend to the convertible top in the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata. After all, there’s nothing quite like the highly entertaining, multi-sensory experience of open-air driving in Mazda’s redesigned roadster. Yet that being said, the Miata does supply its share of traditional infotainment features—though even these have some unique touches. For instance, the Miata’s available Bose audio system is enhanced by high-performance speakers mounted inside the seat headrests, deliveirng a clear, crisp soundtrack regardless of whether the top is up or down. Moreover, the Mazda CONNECT infotainment system, though without the latest smartphone integration, does provide access to a wide range of apps, and Mazda engineers have developed a specifically ergonomic display and control environment, with an exclusive “Commander” knob, that makes the overall infotainment offerings noticeably easy for drivers to manage.

5) Mercedes-Benz E-Class

The 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class relies on the brand’s “next level interior design” to just about give the S-class a run for its money in the ultra-luxe arms race. That naturally includes incredibly supportive and comfortable seating that’s fine-tuned for different E-Class trim lines, but M-B’s next-generation mid-size entry also raises the bar for the best car entertainment/multimedia systems. Consider: Not only does the 2017 E-Class deliver the latest iteration of its COMAND infotainment technology, with an available 12.3-inch touchscreen that is itself part of a massive, dual-screen reconfigurable dashboard-and-center-stack system, but the car also introduces steering-wheel-mounted touchpads that allow the drivers to control all that without removing their hands from the tiller. On the audio front, the E-Class also one-ups the S-Class with a second-generation Burmester sound system that takes its “3D surround sound” literally, enveloping listeners in 23 speakers—including four in the roof of the car.(2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class pictured.)

4) BMW 7 Series

A large touchscreen that recognizes typical tablet-style pinch-and-swipe commands is no doubt a hallmark of the best car entertainment and multimedia systems. The thing is, that kind of setup already has been outmoded by the 2016 BMW Series, since its infotainment array can furnish an actual digital tablet, on the one hand, and sensor-enabled “Gesture Control” that requires no screen touching at all. Indeed, the latter technology is standard on the redesigned BMW flagship, and so are a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot and new iDrive 5.0 that, if the driver desires, also can be controlled by a touchscreen, voice recognition, or traditional switchgear. Nor are rear-seat occupants left out when it comes to premium entertainment resources, since the 7-Series supplies available executive-class seating in the back, backed by a dedicated second-row entertainment system with dual 10-inch screens, as well as the aforementioned BMW Touch Command Tablet with a 7-inch screen.

Photo by BMW

3) Jaguar XF

The Big Cat brand’s return to relevance has been based on traits like a new, more dynamic design language, a selection of supercharged powertrains and, of course, a commitment to supplying the best car entertainment and media systems. Take the InControl Touch Pro system in the 2016 Jaguar XF. Highlights include a 10.2-inch capacitive touchscreen and enough confidence in its performance—and that of the system’s voice-recognition capability—to skip redundant physical switchgear entirely. Jaguar also touts the use of Ethernet to allow the different system modules to communicate with each other, “enabling very high infotainment system performance,” according to the brand, and, by further featuring a quad-core processor, Jaguar promises ongoing updateablity, too. As for the XF’s high-performance sound system, Meridian has that covered with 17 speakers, 825 watts of power, and sophisticated sound-reproduction technologies, like MultEQ XT from Audyssey, for a distortion-free surround-sound experience.

2) Audi A3

Drivers who prefer that the best car entertainment and multimedia systems come in an environmentally friendly package will find exactly that in the 2016 Audi A3 Sportback e-tron. The five-door premium hatchback has a plug-in hybrid powertrain that, in the car’s “ultra” configuration, can serve up to 17 miles of zero-emissions, all-electric driving at a combined rate of 86 MPGe; when more range is required, the A3 e-tron also fits a 204-horsepower turbo under the hood to stretch the travel limit to a full 430 miles. The car additionally gets a full array of infotainment resources, highlighted by a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot, 4G LTE connectivity, and a 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system. The four-rings brand also has its own ergonomically focused approach to managing its many tech features, relying on an “ultra-thin” display screen that’s mounted in easy view of the driver, Google-powered voice recognition, and steering-wheel-mounted controls for the job.

1) Dodge Challenger

The 2016 Dodge Challenger isn’t quite on the cutting-edge of the industry’s best car entertainment/multimedia systems, yet the brand does help its cause with features like the Dodge Performance Pages. Now, this isn’t your average infotainment option; it’s a combination of touchscreen-activated performance enhancers that also can record hi-po metrics such as 0-60 times, g forces, driver-reaction times and lap times. Needless to say, it makes for a lot of fun with the Hellcat and friends, though it does come paired with more traditionally entertaining features such as the brand’s Uconnect multimedia setup with an 8.4-inch capacitive touchscreen, mobile Wi-Fi functionality, and an audiophile-style sound system from Harmon Kardon. Packing 18 speakers and a 900-watt digital amplifier into the driver-focused cabin of the Challenger, it serves up a soundtrack to rival that from the Hellcat’s 707-horsepower HEMI V-8.