https://www.thedrive.com/news/cars-are-caught-in-an-endless-cycle-of-bigger-screens-nobody-really-likes [ ] The Drive Logo The Drive Logo [ ] Search for: [ ] The Drive Logo * Latest * [ ]News + News by Brand + Car Tech + Culture + Deals + Racing + Trucks + Video Games + Watch This * Car Reviews * Features * [ ]Shop + Buy A Car + Merch [ ] Search for: [ ] * * * * News Car Tech Infotainment Cars Are Caught in an Endless Cycle of Bigger Screens Nobody Really Likes J.D. Power's 2025 Initial Quality Study is out, and infotainment is once again the villain. By Byron Hurd Published Jun 27, 2025 3:22 PM EDT Jeep Wagoneer S Dashboard Jeep Get The Drive's daily newsletter The latest car news, reviews, and features. Email address [ ] Sign Up Thank you! Terms of Service & Privacy Policy. J.D. Power released the results of its 2025 Initial Quality Study on Thursday, and--surprise, surprise--the number one reported problem area industry-wide is infotainment. While the systems themselves are becoming more visually impressive and they're better-integrated into the overall design of most vehicles than early attempts, customers complain more about these systems than they do anything else in their brand-new cars. In short, customers love the way these big screens look, but virtually all of them are a pain to operate. So why the heck does every new car introduction come with a bigger, more feature-bloated touchscreen? Well, it's complicated. But as usual, it all comes down to money. The "why" makes more sense if you consider the broader industry push to re-brand the traditional (spits) infotainment system as an all-in-one control center. Functions that were once tied to physical controls on the dash and center console have been steadily migrating into this space. Headlight toggles, home garage door controls, and even glove box releases are now making their way into vehicular touchscreen interfaces, in many instances joining basic audio and climate controls that were moved there years ago. Automakers sell it as a way to free up space on the dash and center console. For what? So far, the answer has mostly been "more screens." One might call that a lateral move. With all the extra room, you'd think they'd be able to keep up with America's fancy cup obsession. And given the positive feedback automakers have received for the more-minimalist interior designs that often result, the effort hasn't entirely been for naught. Mercedes-Benz HyperscreenMercedes-Benz Hyperscreen www.thedrive.com Plus, centralized touchscreen control systems save automakers money, especially when implemented in cars with a broad selection of available doodads. While software development isn't free, it's far more forgiving than designing, prototyping, testing, sourcing and maintaining a supply of physical control components. An infotainment module may cost more than a switch, but you'd be surprised how quickly that math changes when one switch becomes five--or fifty. But in designing for this internal convenience, automakers are taking a gamble that their buyers will learn to live with the resulting compromises. What's often left unsaid is the fact that we're increasingly running the risk that a failed infotainment system could effectively "brick" a car completely. And eliminating those physical controls doesn't eliminate the need for them, forcing automakers to add new infotainment menus, tiles, and pages--and in some cases, entirely new screens--that its customers must then navigate. This clutter annoys critics and customers alike. "Owners find these things to be overly complicated and too distracting to use while driving," said J.D. Power's Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking. "By retaining dedicated physical controls for some of these interactions, automakers can alleviate pain points and simplify the overall customer experience." [2025-Tesla-Model-3-Performance-24]Tesla's rear seat interface But even as some automakers pledge to bring buttons back, there's no reason to expect they will come at the expense of established display real estate. Even if customers are frustrated by the experience offered by their large displays, they still enjoy looking at them, and as those screens get bigger and bigger and take over space that was once reserved for other features, those features will have to go somewhere. Right? With each generation, more features are incorporated into the screen. To avoid excessive menus, the screens get bigger to accommodate those new functions. It's an endless cycle fueled equally by feature bloat and the desire to cut potentially redundant physical components--which equate to finding ways to charge more money for less car. And then there's the unspoken financial opportunity presented by a more robust digital infrastructure. Unless you've been living under a rock your entire life, you know by now that a screen is always at risk of becoming a new avenue by which somebody can sell you something. New features? Maintenance plans? Subscription services? Those are all tough to sell through a button. Just ask GM. So as you read the next car reveal, and you peruse the interior section to see what inconveniences await its new buyers, remember that a bigger screen does three things: it sells new cars to wide-eyed customers, saves the automaker a ton of money on components, and it offers the tantalizing possibility of future revenue streams. Nope, these screens aren't going anywhere. Do you also like to yell at clouds? Commiserate with the author at byron@thedrive.com. Byron Hurd Avatar Byron Hurd Contributing Writer Byron is a contributing writer and auto reviewer with a keen eye for infrastructure, sales and regulatory stories. * * * --------------------------------------------------------------------- Trending Chevy Vega from the world's largest time capsule News Brand New 1975 Chevy Vega Emerges From World's Largest Time Capsule After 50 Years Brand New 1975 Chevy Vega Emerges From World's Largest Time Capsule After 50 Years By Caleb Jacobs Dodge Dart Street Parked News The Dart May Return to Haunt Dodge Thanks to New NHTSA Investigation The Dart May Return to Haunt Dodge Thanks to New NHTSA Investigation By Byron Hurd More in Infotainment Apple CarPlay in iOS 26 Apple CarPlay in iOS 26 Shames Automakers Who Still Can't Get It Right Apple CarPlay in iOS 26 Shames Automakers Who Still Can't Get It Right By Joel Feder Official Apple CarPlay Retrofit for 2010 Range Rover Is a Reminder of What We've Lost Official Apple CarPlay Retrofit for 2010 Range Rover Is a Reminder of What We've Lost Official Apple CarPlay Retrofit for 2010 Range Rover Is a Reminder of What We've Lost By Adam Ismail Analog Car Interiors Will Come Back in 1-2 Model Generations, Hyundai Design Boss Says Analog Car Interiors Will Come Back in 1-2 Model Generations, Hyundai Design Boss Says Analog Car Interiors Will Come Back in 1-2 Model Generations, Hyundai Design Boss Says By Byron Hurd Before We All Got Screen Fatigue, There Was Nothing Cooler Than a Carputer Before We All Got Screen Fatigue, There Was Nothing Cooler Than a Carputer Before We All Got Screen Fatigue, There Was Nothing Cooler Than a Carputer By Jose Rodriguez Jr SEE MORE More in Car Tech Woman holding a giant Stanley cup. A Shocking Amount of People Say Car Cupholders Are 'Difficult to Use' A Shocking Amount of People Say Car Cupholders Are 'Difficult to Use' By Andrew P. Collins Mockup of next-generation CarPlay in a Porsche vehicle. Apple's Every-Screen, Next-Gen CarPlay Missed Its 2024 Release Date. Now What? Apple's Every-Screen, Next-Gen CarPlay Missed Its 2024 Release Date. Now What? By Adam Ismail The New VW Golf R Doesn't Have the GTI's Steering Wheel Buttons for One Annoying Reason The New VW Golf R Doesn't Have the GTI's Steering Wheel Buttons for One Annoying Reason The New VW Golf R Doesn't Have the GTI's Steering Wheel Buttons for One Annoying Reason By Adam Ismail Interior of a Ford Bronco Sport Heritage Limited Edition. Ford Developing In-Car Voice Feedback System So You Can Curse at Its Engineers in Real Time Ford Developing In-Car Voice Feedback System So You Can Curse at Its Engineers in Real Time By Byron Hurd SEE MORE More in News Close-up on new Jeep Compass steering wheel and buttons, with an image of the front of the car superimposed next to it. Jeep Removed Almost All the Physical Buttons in the New Compass Jeep Removed Almost All the Physical Buttons in the New Compass By Ronan Glon 'It's Not a Phone, It's a Car': VW Boss Promises Buttons Are Back for Good 'It's Not a Phone, It's a Car': VW Boss Promises Buttons Are Back for Good 'It's Not a Phone, It's a Car': VW Boss Promises Buttons Are Back for Good By Byron Hurd Lincoln Navigator super-wide touchscreen. Study: People Think Passenger Screens in Cars Are Useless Study: People Think Passenger Screens in Cars Are Useless By Beverly Braga Surprise! New Tech Is Making Cars Less Dependable: J.D. Power Surprise! New Tech Is Making Cars Less Dependable: J.D. Power Surprise! New Tech Is Making Cars Less Dependable: J.D. Power By Beverly Braga SEE MORE [Logo_TD_svg_38b8b2-1] NEWSLETTER SIGNUP Get the latest car news, reviews, and features. Sign Up By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. * [ ] News + News by Brand + Car Tech + Culture + Deals + Racing + Trucks + Video Games + Watch This * [ ] Car Reviews + The Drive Awards * Features * [ ] More + About The Drive + Buy A Car + Merch + Privacy Policy + Terms & Conditions + Sitemap FOLLOW US * * * * --------------------------------------------------------------------- DISCLAIMER(S) (c) 2025 Recurrent Ventures. All Rights Reserved. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Some benefits of our Car Shopping program may not be available in your area. Please see terms for details.