JD Power: Best Car Tech Is the Kind You Never Notice — SkimNews
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- JD Power surveyed 68,084 owners of new 2026 model-year vehicles after 90 days of ownership, evaluating 40 automotive technologies spanning comfort, connectivity, driver assist, EVs, and smart vehicles
- Smart ignition — which automatically starts and stops the vehicle based on driver actions — delivered the highest overall satisfaction with just 2.4 problems per 100 vehicles, as inconspicuous features dominated the rankings
- Smart HVAC systems using AI to automatically adjust the cabin environment were also among the top scorers, reinforcing a pattern of features that work without demanding driver attention
- Passenger screens embedded in the dashes of premium brands like Mercedes, BMW, and Porsche ranked lowest in satisfaction, with more than one-third of owners reporting they had never used theirs and only 6% saying they use them every drive
- Level 2 Plus hands-free systems — including Tesla's Full Self-Driving, Ford's BlueCruise, GM's Super Cruise, and Mercedes' Drive Pilot — ranked below traditional L2 systems that require hands on the wheel, despite logging slightly fewer problems per 100 vehicles (13.8 vs 14.3)
- Doron Hikry, JD Power's director of customer success, said automakers should "prioritize technology that makes driving simpler, not more complicated," adding that owners currently favor systems that "clearly assist the driver" over those introducing more automation
- Individual award winners included the Cadillac Escalade and Toyota Tundra for camera mirrors, with additional wins for blind-spot cameras, digital keys, one-pedal driving, and EV charging schedulers
Why it matters: For automakers pouring R&D into bigger screens and autonomous driving, JD Power's survey of 68,084 owners reveals a disconnect between industry ambition and buyer appreciation: smart ignition scored 2.4 problems per 100 vehicles, while over a third of passenger screen owners never touch theirs. The data gives product planners concrete evidence to redirect development toward invisible reliability rather than visible novelty.
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