Uconnect

your car.

Interface

The app design is quite minimalist and fairly intuitive because there aren’t too many icons or cluttered menus. The theme consists of a dark background and also has a menu panel at the bottom of the display with options for vehicle info, remote, and location. Settings include intuitive drop-down menus, and the location option provides you with Google Maps. I personally found the design a little bland, so I’ll give it a 7/10.

Key Features

To use this app, your car has to have Uconnect Access, which means that it serves a very limited group of vehicles from Chrysler. You’ll use the same credentials and login ID as you do with the actual Uconnect Nav system of your car. Once connected to the system, you can check in remotely and start the ignition or stop the vehicle from anywhere. You can also lock or unlock your car, send a destination to its Nav system through Send ‘n Go and use vehicle finder to discover your car remotely by flashing the lights or sounding the horn.

You won’t be able to access the entire range of features available on the actual Uconnect system on the vehicle, which itself has to be the 8.2 or 8.4 Nav system. What you can do is access media in the car’s Uconnect system such as Pandora and Sirius. I tested this app on my 2014 Ram1500, although there are a variety of other models of Chrysler, Jeep, FIAT, and Dodge with which you can try the app out. The app is compatible with both iOS and Google Android (iOS 8.0 for iPhone, iPad & iPod touch and Android 4.0 or higher). You can get the app for free on the App Store or Google Play Store, and there are no in-app purchases. You will, however, need to part with $15 per month for your car’s Nav system. So far I haven’t run into any updates for this app other than regular bug fixes. The features are really useful, so I’ll give them a 9/10.

Usability

The app has too many glitches, and the experience isn’t flawless. It takes quite a bit of time for the app to connect to your vehicle’s system. Most reviews that I read had something to do with login and password issues. Remote start takes too long and in some cases doesn’t work at all. I’ll only give the app a 5/10 for its ease of use.

Bottom Line

Paying $15 for the Uconnect Nav system and not being able to use the app due to glitches adds insult to injury. I’ve come across better remote connect apps for vehicles, and the guys at Chrysler should come up with something better, especially because Uconnect needs a hefty monthly subscription. I wouldn’t recommend the app.