From radios to digital gauges, screens in cars have been around for a surprisingly long time. At one point, the only screen in a car was the clock. The digits were small, and maybe it was backlit. Then they added digital radios, and things got a little more interesting, but that was the extent of car screens for many years. There was Kitt from Knight Rider, but that was a fantasy. There was also the 1986 Buick Rivera, but that was an example of an idea coming before the technology was available. In the late early 2000s, some manufacturers were able to install a CD-ROM-based navigation system, and Tom Tom came along in 2004.
But there was nothing genuinely monumental until 2012 when Tesla changed the game. Soon other companies jumped in, and there was a race between car companies to see who could build the biggest and the best. First screens got to 8 inches, then 12 inches. Now some screens have passed Tesla’s offerings, some by quite a bit. Today there are mind-blowing screens larger than anyone could have imagined 20 years ago. As large as screens have become, there is still one thing they haven’t figured out yet. How to beat the fingerprint.
Nevertheless, here are 10 of the largest screens available in a vehicle today.
10 Tesla Model S And Model X
When the first Teslas screen became available, people were excited and astonished. Not only were they 2 or 3 times larger than most other cars, but they were bigger than tablet computers. We see now in a growing number of cars is thanks to them.
The 2022 Model S and Model X still use the same size 17-inch screen as the original, but now with a resolution of 1300p, close to that of a 1440p Quad-HD screen. There are a few buttons, but a touch screen operates most features. The Model X also has a rear-seat screen exclusive to only that model.
9 Tesla Model 3 And Model Y
These models are less expensive than the S and X, but the screens on the Model 3 and Model Y are 15 inches, which is still larger than what you find in most cars. They control the same functions on the Model S and Model X.
These include climate control, navigation, the volume, phone, dash cam, voice control, and too many more to list. At one point, there was an issue with the screen being used to watch films while the car was on autopilot, but that’s been fixed now. And can only be used while in park. This fed into some worries that the larger units would be a dangerous distraction, but that theory has been refuted.
8 Ford Mustang Mach E
The largest screen available in a Ford vehicle is the 15.5-inch one in the Mustang Mach E. Other Ford models, such as the Escape, have much smaller 4-inch screens, and even the Mustang with the second-largest screen is 6.5-inches, with an option of an 8-inch screen.
The Mach E runs on Ford's SYNC 4 system. It was the first vehicle to have an upgraded system. It is connected with a 4G LTE for over-the-air updates, but what it would cost to use it was not decided at release. Unlike most vehicles with touch screens, there is also a rotary dial at the bottom, though functions such as climate control and app selection are still operated by touch.
7 Rivian R1T
After the release date was pushed back, the first ones were finally delivered in December of 2021. The 2022 Rivian R1T has slowly been delivered to those on the waitlist, but those that do have gotten models with 16” central screens. There is a 12.3-inch screen behind the wheel that acts as a digital gauge.
The landscape-oriented central touch screen comes in at 16-inches. It controls the infotainment, including the 1,200-watt Meridian sound system, climate, and navigation. There is also a 6.8-inch screen in the back for passengers to control the rear climate controls. Reviewers have commented that it looks great, but too many features are controlled by the screen, which makes it feel overwhelming and unnecessary.
6 Porsche Taycan
As you might expect, the Porsche Taycan has a different setup. The top screen is located in the center of the dash, where you would find most screens, but the second screen slopes downward into the center console. This isn’t new and has been found in other cars, but it’s not quite as intuitive as the single touchscreens are.
The total screen area is 16.8-inches combined but is a little more challenging to use. The 8.3-inch top screen is touch-controlled for the navigation and stereo features, while the bottom 8.5-inch screen slopes down from the top screen. It looks great but is very hard to use because you must look down to find the right spot for climate control options while driving. The total area of the screen is larger than the 11-inch one you would find in a Porsche 911, and there is also an optional third screen in front of the passenger.
5 Audi A8
The touch screens of the Audi A8 are set up nearly identically to the Taycan, which is no surprise as they are both built by the Volkswagen Group. There are top and bottom touch screens. There is a control wheel as well, but it isn’t as helpful as It was when it was the only way to select functions.
The top is 8-inches and controls the stereo, navigation, and phone, but with different menus and controls than the Porsche. The bottom screen is used for climate control. Because that’s its only set of functions, you won’t need to look down as frequently. Being a more expensive car, the screen of the A8 dwarves the 10-inch in the A4.
4 BMW 7-Series
This one is a big deal. The screen for the driver is the traditional one you would find in any BMW 7 series. It’s a 15-inch display with standard functions and good old analog controls for climate and stereo.
What makes the new 7-series special is that you can choose what BMW is calling their Theater Screen. This one hangs above the space between the front and rear of the car and is 31-inches. Yes, 31-inches. It serves as an entertainment screen for the back passengers and has an 8K display that can be connected to Netflix, Hulu, and HBO via its 5G Wi-Fi connection. To control it are touch screen built into the door handles, which can be a little difficult to operate. When not in use, the screen can be folded up to the car's roof.
3 Lucid Air
A high-tech car needs a high-tech screen. For Lucid, it’s the 34-inch Glass Cockpit. The whole thing is one 5K resolution piece of glass that spans from behind the steering wheel to the dashboard's center. There is also the lower glass display called the Pilot Panel. The whole system was built to
make things easier for the driver.
2 Cadillac Escalade
The far-left screen displays all the functions used to keep attention on the road. The center screen is the gauge cluster, and the right screen has media, navigation, and communication controls. The Pilot Panel is larger than the screens in front of the driver and can display more information. With it, you control the climate and car functions. Its controls can be voice-activated or changed with the touch screen. The whole panel can also retract for additional storage. If all of that seems too complicated, there are also buttons to push that can control many of the features.
Cadillac’s 38-inch curved OLED display looks much like Lucid’s system. The paper thin display is long and spans across the front of the dash. It’s made of three parts: the info screen on the left, the gauge cluster in the center that can be changed to display speed, maps, augmented reality, or night vision mode, and the media screen on the right. It’s angled towards the driver, but can still easily be seen by passengers.
Cadillac also kept things simpler by having a full set of buttons for the climate control in the center in its normal location. Unfortunately its only available in the Middle East right now, but the technology should be coming to the United States soon.
1 Mercedes-Benz EQS
Mercedes is known for putting the latest technology in their cars before other manufacturers have even considered it. The EQS is Mercedes’ jump into the future, and they have developed a new dashboard to go with it. Known as the MBUX Hyperscreen, it’s the largest screen ever built by Mercedes. It’s a step further than even the Lucid and the Escalade.
The Hyperscreen is 56” of the screen made from an OLED with a fluid, interactive face. There are 8 CPU cores, 24 GB RAM, and 46.4 GB memory. Artificial intelligence can suggest actions based on what the driver has done in the past, in a specific place, or by the time of day, previous user interaction, location, and time of day. If you always listen to classical music on the way home from work, it will recognize the time of day and where you are and automatically show classical music options for you. It’s a peek at where the future of screens is going.