I just tried Siri AI in the iOS 27 CarPlay beta — and this assistant is way more helpful than before

(Image credit: John Velasco / Tom's Guide)

I have a confession to make. As much as I use CarPlay whenever I’m testing the best electric cars, I rarely try to interact with Siri. Instead, I’ve found Meta AI to be way more helpful because it’s something I can access right from my Ray-Ban Meta sunglasses. But the real reason I use it over Siri in CarPlay is simply because of how smart it is.Now that I’m running the iOS 27 developer beta on my iPhone 17 Pro, I have access to Siri AI on all of my drives. Since I’ve been so accustomed to Meta AI, I’m way more critical and have higher expectations for how Apple’s new AI chatbot works. After a week of using it, here’s what I found.Conversations are way more fluid

(Image credit: John Velasco / Tom's Guide)What immediately stands out the most is how much more conversational Siri AI is compared to previous versions. Apple has improved Siri's conversational skills over the years, but this update is a huge leap because the assistant sounds more human than ever before — complete with natural inflections and tonal shifts.I actually love interacting with this version of Siri. It’s fun, way more engaging, and has an authentic tone that completely sheds the robotic tendencies of past versions.I asked about upcoming Fourth of July events happening around where I live, and I was really impressed that it recommended three options. However, when I followed up to ask which one it recommended most, Siri AI explicitly said it couldn't pick just one and simply rehashed the options. Additionally, I noticed that I can’t interrupt Siri AI while it's talking like I can on my phone — which I suspect is due to the louder ambient noise within the cabin space.Despite this, I actually love interacting with this version of Siri. It’s fun, way more engaging, and has an authentic tone that completely sheds the robotic tendencies of past versions.Still needs better deep research