The Technology grade, explained

Technology is the subject that dates fastest, and the framework is written to grade the things that age well rather than the things that photograph well. Screen size is one criterion of twelve and the only measured one; responsiveness, phone integration, over-the-air updates and the quality of the companion app carry far more of the grade, because they are what decides whether a five-year-old car feels five years old.

What the criteria measure

Infotainment is touchscreen size (measured — a car with no central screen scores zero on it, honestly, rather than being skipped), infotainment UX and responsiveness (×2), wireless CarPlay and Android Auto (×2), voice control and native navigation, audio quality and the digital instrument cluster. Connectivity is over-the-air update capability (×2), the companion app and its remote functions, and charging ports and device power. Convenience is keyless and remote access, cameras and parking aids, and head-up display availability. The ×2 weights are deliberate: a laggy screen and a car that cannot be updated are the two complaints that outlast the novelty of everything else.

How the fleet grades

Technology medians in the B− range and has moved up faster than any other subject over the model years on the site, because the criteria reward things that have gone from optional to standard in a few years — wireless phone projection most of all. The two criteria that still separate the fleet are over-the-air updates, which median 72 and are the domain of the newest platforms, and screen size, which medians 12.3 in across the fleet and matters less to the grade than it does in the showroom.

Who leads, and why

EVs and luxury vehicles lead this subject, and for once the reason is the same: both are built on the newest platforms with the most software investment, and over-the-air capability and app quality follow from that. Trucks grade better than their showrooms suggest because the current half-tons carry large screens and full phone integration as standard.

How to read the grade

A Technology grade is a statement about the platform more than about the trim. Screen size and audio are trim-dependent; responsiveness, updates and the app are not, and they carry the grade. If the car you are looking at is on the last year of a long cycle, read the over-the-air criterion first — it tells you whether the software will stay current or whether what you see is what you will have in five years.