Each year, Wards Auto evaluates each automaker’s infotainment and safety system offerings, diving deep into the features they offer as well as evaluating the systems’ ease of use. They test then score the systems based on the user experience in reference to each vehicle’s touch screens, voice controls, connectivity, and driver-assistance technologies. They also took value into consideration.
This year, the fifth year for the Wards 10 Best UX Awards, the testers scrutinized 18 eligible vehicles. The list of nominees included:
- Acura RDX
- Cadillac CTS-V
- Hyundai Sonata
- Mercedes-Benz CLA
- Toyota Highlader
- Alfa Romeo Giulia
- Chevrolet Trailblazer
- Kia Seltos
- Nissan Sentra
- Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport
- Audi Q7
- Ford Escape
- Lincoln Aviator
- Ram 1500
- BMW X7
- Honda CR-V Hybrid
- Mazda CX-30
- Subaru Legacy
Here are the winners.
2021 Kia Seltos
Wards Auto: “Kia’s all-new Seltos is packed with infotainment and technology features that give the small CUV a youthful energy that’s hard to resist.”
2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250
Wards Auto: “Augmented-reality navigation, stellar ADAS, and a 64-color light show propel the $48,295 Mercedes-Benz CLA to UX leadership.”
2020 Toyota Highlander
Wards Auto: “Toyota’s redesigned Highlander three-row CUV is the only vehicle this year to win both Wards 10 Best Interiors and Wards 10 Best UX honors, thanks to an interior and tech overhaul that keeps it ahead of the competition.”
2020 Hyundai Sonata
Wards Auto: “Big displays, tons of UX and ADAS features make 2020 Sonata unbeatable value proposition.”
2020 Ford Escape
Wards Auto: “The compact CUV is a 2020 Wards 10 Best UX winner for showing how it’s done right in so many ways.”
2020 Subaru Legacy
Wards Auto: “The ’20 Legacy is another strong UX player and is the fourth consecutive Wards 10 Best UX winner for Subaru, following last year’s award-winning Outback, the Ascent in 2018 and Impreza in 2017.”
2020 Audi Q7
Photo courtesy of Audi AG
Wards Auto: “If owners take time to drill down into the immense customization content, they will be richly rewarded. In the realm of the automotive user experience, this is where the magic happens.”
2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport
Photo courtesy of Volkswagen AG
Wards Auto: “The user-experience award for the five-seat Atlas Cross Sport comes on the heels of a 2019 honor for the Arteon sedan. Volkswagen is on a hot streak, and buyers of the value-driven brand are the clear winners.”
2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Photo courtesy of Chevrolet
Wards Auto: “The Chevrolet Trailblazer wins a 2020 Wards 10 Best UX trophy for a long list of standard, user-friendly features, first-rate driver-assistance technologies and even wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with a starting price below $20,000.”
2020 BMW X7
Photo courtesy of BMW
Wards Auto: “Voice controls and driver-assistance technologies work great, personal preferences are easily cued up and Munich’s largest vehicle ever soothes the soul with a user experience beyond compare, able to “Vitalize” when drowsy or “Relax” when tense.”
