Easy Breezy Tech - Our Favorite Uconnect Features

“As vehicles become more advanced, and in the case of Dodge—more powerful, it’s important to offer a customer-friendly package of cutting-edge technology and ease of use that keeps customers happy. That’s where the Uconnect platform comes in…”

Easy Breezy Tech – Our Favorite Uconnect Features

We’re no strangers to the Dodge lineup of vehicles, and whether it is the mighty Hellcat, the Charger Scat Pack, or our most recent test-vehicle; the Challenger Scat Pack Shaker, the level of technology and outright performance-for-the-buck can’t be beaten by anyone else in the industry.

The 2016 Challenger Scat Pack Shaker is a pure American muscle car. Its bold and aggressive rear spoiler, wide rear-end, and in-your-face hood scoop oozes power and presence. On paper, the performance characteristics of this Challenger and the Charger we tested a few weeks ago are very similar; both have a 485 horsepower 6.4 liter HEMI engine that goes like heck, but that’s where the similarities end.

Although I prefer the Charger’s four doors, I favor the Challenger’s interior. It’s quite pleasant, and there’s even a backseat spacious enough for (up to) two kid car-seats or two not-so-tall adults. The interior dimensions and cargo space are exactly the same as we previously reported on our 2016 Challenger Hellcat story.

“In all honesty, the Challenger Scat Pack Shaker is equally cool and family-friendly as the Hellcat, but much more affordable as a daily-driver or ‘3^rd’ car.”

One feature that carries across most Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) vehicles like Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, RAM and Fiat, is the Uconnect infotainment system. I’ve previously shared about the Uconnect’s ease-of-use and nifty features, so I decided to dive deeper into it and share its goodness with you.

Our five favorite Uconnect 8.4 features:

Sirius XM Tune Start: Like your kids, my daughters are obsessed with the movie Frozen, and the pesky little song that comes along with it. Seriously, can’t we just let it go?

Tune Start rewinds songs to the beginning as you flip through your XM presents. Which means that if “Let it go” was almost over on the Disney Channel, it will start from the very beginning as you switch to it. Not only that, but you can pause and rewind live XM radio. Seriously, why didn’t I have this when I was a kid?

Live Traffic & Weather: Okay, this feature isn’t all that new or exclusive to Uconnect, but it still works better than most.

I happened to be driving the 2016 Challenger Scat Pack Shaker on the highway when a big notification popped on the screen warning me of a tornado in the area. A few minutes later a traffic warning popped up informing me of a road hazard and traffic jam ahead of me. Low and behold, a few miles down the road the weather was utterly nasty, and a traffic jam was building up, along with a stranded vehicle on the left shoulder just like Uconnect predicted. It works!

Siri Eyes Free for iPhone: If you own an Apple iPhone and have it paired via Bluetooth to the Uconnect system, you can use most of your phone’s features without taking your eyes off the road.

It’s one thing to use the car’s many voice commands, but it’s easier to use Siri. Hold the “speak” button on the steering wheel and you’ll hear Siri activate through the speakers, then simply say one of the Siri commands you already know. All without having to pick up your phone or take your eyes off the road!

Individual Customization: Just like our smartphones and tablets are able to be customized to our liking, so is the Uconnect system!

Let’s say you’re like Missi and you’re always cold; then perhaps you should drag-and-drop the seat and steering wheel heater button to your bottom icon tray, that way they’re always within reach. Perhaps it’s music that you’re most interested in, then simply add the Pandora icon to your main screen or bottom icon tray. Another convenient feature that’s also a safety bonus!

Owner’s Manual: How many times have you had to bust out the user manual for a quick reference? Probably not often, but it can be necessary every now and then.

New for 2016, the vehicle’s user guide is available in its entirety as a digital guide, and not as a small encyclopedia in the glove box compartment. Whether you need to find out the right tire pressure or how many gallons of fuel your tank holds, it’s all just a tap away!

2016 Charger R/T Scat Pack Shaker