One of the first things buyers want to know about a new vehicle is whether it is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Our long-term 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz is definitely Apple CarPlay compatible—perhaps too much so. It wants to play—all the time.
We were pleased to see the iPhone pairs quickly and easily with our Santa Cruz. And even after other staffers use the truck and pair their phones, the Santa Cruz remembers me whenever I return.
The problem is that it tends to default to CarPlay. Even when you switch the audio mode—to satellite radio, for example—the system arbitrarily reverts to CarPlay. On a recent road trip, it kept skipping back to MotorTrend’s “The Inevitable“ podcast. Hosts Ed Loh and Jonny Lieberman are entertaining, but sometimes a girl needs some tunes to break up a long drive.
At times, picking up the phone to check email is enough to stop the radio and switch to CarPlay, but other times it just makes the switch randomly. “Honest, I never touched my phone,” I tell the others in the car as they give me dirty looks after CarPlay interrupts a song.
Phone Home
Exacerbating the problem, digital director Erik Johnson notes that there is no way to go “home” from Apple CarPlay without choosing a function from the capacitive buttons (Radio, Media, etc. ). “A physical Home button—there’s plenty of room between the screen and the HVAC display—would be great,” he said.
And don’t get Johnson started on the volume and tune rollers, which he describes as “cruel and unusual punishment, especially given the capacitive controls on the rest of the stack.” Nor do you get a reprieve on the steering wheel for volume—it is a roller, as well. The setup requires more concentration, and thus distraction, to do anything, which leaves Johnson frustrated during his commute or a long drive.
It’s subject to personal preference. I prefer a round knob, but I don’t mind the roller, which is a far quicker and easier way to scroll through radio stations. It’s much faster than tapping an arrow on a screen to get to the desired channel.
Johnson and I agree a roller is a better solution than having no physical control at all.
Screen Wish List
Also on our infotainment wish list: a way to split the view on one screen. We know Apple dictates how CarPlay appears, but wouldn’t it be nice to be able to view the radio and a small CarPlay map together? Maybe it would better appease Johnson, who’s not a fan of the look of the Santa Cruz’s infotainment system. In this age of increasingly crisp, sophisticated, and clever screens and graphics, the Santa Cruz system pales by comparison. “The graphic design of the entire system looks low-rent and cheap, like it was designed by a computer program,” he said.
Satellite Radio a Must
Although we love CarPlay, road trips require satellite radio. We subscribed to SiriusXM on September 21, 2022, which triggered the start of the three-month trial period. When you call SiriusXM, it suggests you continue by text from the car because you need to access the screen for the vehicle’s radio ID number. A virtual agent routes you to a live specialist who uses the text to request pertinent information and then sends a form to your phone to fill out, before completing the transaction. It was all quick and easy, and service was activated within a minute or two.
Our free trial was for the VIP Platinum plan, which comes with ad-free music, Major League sports, and can be active on up to two vehicles with a streaming log-in for each on the Sirius XM app. It also comes with access to a SiriusXM line, virtual events, dedicated customer care, 12 months free Apple Music, access to Stitcher Premium to listen to ad-free podcasts, and 5,000 audio and video recordings through nugs.net. It all added up to more than we need, or in some cases had even heard of. So when the trial period was up and it was time to flex the credit card, we called and downgraded the service to the $27.91 monthly Platinum plan. Had we not called, SiriusXM would have automatically renewed the $42.48 monthly VIP plan in December.
That Ominous Recall
No updates on our recall notice. Late last year Hyundai issued a notice that a transmission high-pressure electric oil pump could malfunction, affecting the “failsafe” drive mode. If the Santa Cruz is about to lose power, the instrument cluster lights up like a Christmas tree with warnings and the driver has 20 seconds to pull over before a complete loss of driving power. No incidents to report as we await a second letter letting us know the free fix is ready and available. We’ll keep you updated.
