Volkswagen Lover: Will CarPlay impact your next car purchase? [Poll] [feedly]

Will CarPlay impact your next car purchase? [Poll]
// 9to5Mac

After Mark uncovered it last April and Apple announced it last June, this week we've seen a steady stream of details about Apple's iOS and car integration following Apple's marketing push. There's plenty more coverage on the way as we continue to explore what CarPlay means for Apple and its users, but now we want to hear from you. What effect will CarPlay have on your next car purchase?

Cars certainly aren't purchases you make impulsively (or often), and CarPlay seems to address that by relying on the iPhone (something we may purchase impulsively and often) for much of the functionality. Among other things, will CarPlay be on the list of things you look for in your next car purchase?

Personally, I'm very interested in what CarPlay offers for safety and stylistic reasons, but in terms of practicality, the feature is a bit restrictive in its current form.

While I frequently reference Apple Maps for gathering quick pieces of information, I still find data involving points-of-interest and navigation to be much more reliable with Google Maps (as much as that pains me).

My transit entertainment (when I'm alone) typically consists of listening to podcasts through Instacast (while Apple's Podcasts app has recently been improving, I still find alternatives more robust). At launch, CarPlay only supports Apple's software for presenting and listening to podcasts, so that's a nonstarter for me.

But despite CarPlay not meeting my criteria for functionality just yet, I'd still insist on purchasing a car with it rather than without it. While it may not be the most practical way to manage navigation and entertainment just yet, the communication features are appealing to me. I'd also expect to see the platform expand its support as time moves forward at a rate faster than I'd imagine buying yet another car. (Oh, and I'd expect my complaints may not scale to everyone.)

Affordable? Check. Efficient gas milage? Check. Sunroof? Check. And, for me at least, CarPlay? Check.

As someone rather invested in the Apple ecosystem, it makes sense; I can, though, imagine the lack of functionality at launch putting the feature in the back seat for others. Tell us what you think in the poll above and the comments below and expect more in this space soon.

Filed under: iOS Tagged: Apple, Apple Maps, CarPlay, Google Maps, Instacast, iOS, Podcasts