An easy-to-use interface

Many of you will no doubt see the irony in our selection of the 2009 BMW Z4 sDrive35i's iDrive controller to represent "easy to use," but this cabin tech interface went from frustrating to surprisingly intuitive in its second generation. And when you're talking about an interface that's meant to be used at 70 mph, even small changes can add up to huge usability and safety gains.

A good cabin tech interface should be quick and responsive and intuitively organized for easy access. The less time you spend staring at the screen and poking through menus, the more time you can spend watching the road ahead.

Now if only BMW could make its naming convention easier to understand...