ChatGPT CarPlay – Misryoum tested ChatGPT and Perplexity voice chat on CarPlay and found ChatGPT better for conversation, while Perplexity shines for driving tasks.
Driving with an AI voice assistant should feel effortless, yet Siri can struggle when questions get complex. That’s why Misryoum’s latest hands-on look at CarPlay support for third-party AI apps feels timely: in the car, the differences between assistants become hard to ignore.
With Apple’s CarPlay updates enabling voice chats from apps like ChatGPT and Perplexity. you can talk hands-free much like you would at home.. Misryoum tested both assistants through CarPlay voice interactions. comparing how they handle everyday driving needs versus the kind of open-ended prompts where chatbots usually separate from basic command systems.
Here’s the key divide Misryoum saw.. Perplexity proved more capable when location-aware actions were involved. including getting driving directions and guiding you to places through Apple Maps. and it also handled calendar and reminders tasks better in-car.. ChatGPT. meanwhile. leaned into conversational problem-solving and more imaginative responses. but it ran into limits for tasks that require direct access to personal device data or for requests that depend on your live context.
That matters because most drivers don’t just want answers; they want useful outcomes without fumbling with menus. In this context, an assistant’s ability to connect to the car experience—like navigation and scheduling—can outweigh pure chatbot quality.
Misryoum’s testing also highlighted how expectations can collide with technical constraints.. Music playback. for example. wasn’t as seamless as advertised for Perplexity when invoked through CarPlay. while both assistants were unable to perform some personal actions like calling. texting. or emailing during the test.. ChatGPT also couldn’t support direction requests on its own in Misryoum’s setup. pushing navigation needs back toward Perplexity or the standard CarPlay workflow.
When the prompts shifted from practical to playful, the balance changed.. Misryoum found ChatGPT more engaging for back-and-forth chatting and more creative storytelling. while Perplexity tended to answer in a more straightforward. informational style.. On entertainment-style tasks like trivia and language practice. both were generally able to guide the user. but the tone of interaction stood out as a differentiator.
In the end, the “winner” depends on what you actually use your voice assistant for.. Perplexity scored points for navigation and certain in-car productivity tasks. while ChatGPT emerged as the more compelling companion when the goal was conversation. creativity. and keeping you engaged during a drive.
For drivers. the real lesson Misryoum takes from this test is simple: CarPlay AI is becoming less about replacing Siri outright and more about offering smarter choices for different moments on the road.. If your focus is directions and scheduling. Perplexity may fit better; if you want the most natural chat-style experience. ChatGPT stands out.