I tested Alexa+ and liked it so much I put my Echo Auto back in my car — now I can’t imagine driving without it

Once you turn your house into a smart home where you can turn the lights on and off with your voice, it’s hard to go back to flipping light switches — which is why I jumped at the chance to add Alexa to my car a few years ago. After getting a new truck earlier this year, though, my old Echo Auto sat in a box collecting dust. That was until Alexa+ came along.

As someone who covers tech for a living, there was one upgrade that was non-negotiable in my new vehicle: an infotainment screen. With my previous car, I didn’t have one and had to rely on my phone’s screen for music, navigation, and everything else. Now that I finally have one, though, using Android Auto instead of my phone just didn’t feel quite as smart as I initially hoped it would.