Great vehicle, Terrible "user experience design"
Car manufacturers do have philosophies. I owned a 2017 high end Buick Lacross and sold it for a 2023 Sonata Limited Hybrid. I love the car itself. The hybrid features are wonderful. The car drives perfectly, nothing has broken in a year. And the warranty can't be beat. But I am so frustrated and aggravated by the "Infotainment System", the software, and the "big brother philosophy" that I will consider other brands when my lease is up. Here are my expectations, which my old Buick satisfied completely. When I have a screen up (radio, for instance), it stays up the next time I turn the car on. Not so in the Sonata. In the Buick, the cruise control is always on, waiting to be used. With the Sonata, I have to switch it on first, and then I can set it. And it gets turned off automatically when the car is turned off. On the Buick, most of what I need is controlled by buttons or dials. The Sonata relies on the touchscreen for too many things. And when I tap it with my finger, I usually have to do that at least 2 or 3 times before it is sensed. When I open the door of the Buick and push the lock button on the inside of the door, all the doors become locked as they should be, and I can close the door and leave. The Sonata big brothers, for some reason, chose to not allow the lock to work when the door is open. Other things never happened with the Buick. For example, at random times the screens on the dash revert to some default setting and the climate control system is turned off. The Sonata decides sometimes that the A/C should be turned on -- even if the outside temperature is 50. Big brother at work again. I want a car that I control, not some idiot who thinks he knows what I want and need better than I do. This is even more aggravating when I consider how much I love the car itself: it really is wonderful. But the horribly designed user experience is causing my blood pressure to rise. If you like having all the decisions made for you, this might be the best car you ever had. But if you're like me, prepare to be aggravated.
Verified Owner
