Owners are pretty likely to shut off systems like lane-keep assist because it bugs them.
Cadillac
Passive safety systems haven’t changed drastically over the decades, but active safety technology continues to trickle into more vehicles at a rapid rate. Here’s the thing: A lot of drivers aren’t exactly happy with how these systems perform. In fact, their annoyance has caused some consumers to rethink what they want from their next vehicle.
The results come from the latest J.D. Power US Tech Experience Study, which surveyed 20,000 new car owners and lessees of 2019 model year vehicles. Specifically, the study looks closely at 38 vehicle technologies during the first 90 days of ownership. The categories surveyed are entertainment and connectivity, collision protection, comfort and convenience, driving assistance, smartphone mirroring and navigation.
Boiling it down to the driving assistance category, lane-keep assist and lane-centering systems are high on the surveyed drivers’ grievance list. On average, the study found 23% felt the alerts were “annoying or bothersome.” Of these owners, a whopping 61% disabled the system. Even some drivers who don’t find the alerts bothersome are disabling the function. The study said 21% of drivers that don’t find the systems annoying still shut the feature down.
Sticking with the group that didn’t mind the two technologies, 63% said they’d want the system on their next vehicle. But contrast that with the other side: 91% of respondents that found the technology annoying said they do not want either system in their next car.
These types of system vary greatly between automotive companies, and there are certainly fluctuations. Some brands had high satisfaction rates with 90% wanting the same technology in their next car. Others, not so much, with 63% craving lane-keep assist and centering systems in the future. It should serve as a wake-up call for some companies. Automated driving technology isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon.
Elsewhere, the study revealed an unsurprising result: drivers really dig Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The study showed 69% of those surveyed have a vehicle with either infotainment mirroring system and just 68% say they want factory-installed navigation in their next car. Overall, drivers are also highly satisfied with collision protection (technology such as collision alert and automatic emergency braking).
As for the sole best-performing vehicle in the study? None other than the Kia Stinger. The sport sedan scored 834 points out of a possible 1,000. The average score was 781. Other winners by segment include the Hyundai Kona and Toyota C-HR, Kia Forte, Chevrolet Blazer, Porsche Cayenne and Ford Expedition.
