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The car feature Clarkson won't talk about

PC Pro

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July 2025

There's one chief requirement when I go car shopping, and it's nothing to do with torque

- Barry Collins

The car feature Clarkson won't talk about

What's the first thing you look for when buying a car? The safety record? The time it takes to get from o to 60? Whether the cup holders can accommodate a grande latte? For me, it's whether it supports Android Auto.

Okay, it's probably not the very first thing I look for. Although there are few gigs as well paid as PC Pro columnist, even us high-rollers have to consider the price. Suffice to say I've not spent a great deal of time checking the in-car entertainment systems in Bentleys or Aston Martins. Not until Tim gives me a Real World Computing column.

But once we're down among the VWs, the Hondas, the runarounds that don't cost more than a Premier League pay packet, then one of my top requirements is that the in-car system doesn't rely on the manufacturer's own equipment.

Our other car is a Volvo. It has a bespoke in-car system that frequently makes me want to drive the sodding thing straight to the nearest scrapyard. Nobody's going to buy it off us anyway, not once they see the teeth marks in the steering wheel, because biting down hard is the only way to stifle the frustration of dealing with its Dali-esque satnav system.

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