Cars and Drivers

How Tesla's Infotainment System Measures Up at Consumer Reports

Chris Lange

Published: May 2, 2019 11:00 am

Last Updated: January 30, 2020 9:15 pm

Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) is known as a pioneer in the auto industry, not just for its fully electric product lines, but also the tech that goes into them. In fact, Tesla tech just topped a Consumer Reports satisfaction survey, with the owners ranking Tesla highly in audio, calling and navigation.

Note that Tesla shares were also on the move Thursday, as the company is conducting a $2 billion capital raise.

One of the technological highlights that Consumer Reports noted was that in 2014, just 53% of vehicles sold in the United States had a dashboard touch screen, according to data from research and consulting firm IHS Markit. This year, that number has grown to 82%.

In data collected on more than 60,000 vehicles, only 56% of owners reported that they were very satisfied with their car’s infotainment system. However, Tesla’s was the top-rated system, with an 86% owner satisfaction rate, compared with a 46% satisfaction rate from users of the lowest-rated system.

Kelly Funkhouser, program manager for vehicle usability and automation at Consumer Reports, commented in the report: “A good system is one that’s easy to learn and easy to use every day. It should be responsive, not sluggish, and have straightforward controls that are easy to identify and operate.”

Shares of Tesla traded up more than 4% at $239.09 early Thursday, in a 52-week range of $231.13 to $387.46. The consensus price target is $296.16