As a recent user experience study revealed, today’s drivers appear to be either pleased or dissatisfied with the new technologies and features that have come to market over the past few years.
J.D. Power released the results of its 2024 U.S. Technology Experience Index (TXI) study on Thursday, which revealed that drivers praise some new technologies and features in their cars while criticizing others.
Certain AI features, such as smart climate control, proved to be extremely popular among users, while others, such as fingerprint readers and facial recognition, were heavily criticized for problematic elements or complete lack of functionality.
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Another example of a technology that received a low rating was in-car gesture control, which was found to have 43.4 issues in every 100 cars, while 21% of respondents said the technology simply lacked functionality.
Other notable findings from the survey include owners' lack of preference for passenger-side screens and many active driver assistance technologies being rated lower than most advanced driver assistance system features.
It's important to note that Tesla, Rivian and Polestar aren't included in the rankings because JD Power only ranks brands with vehicle registrations in all 50 states in the U.S. According to the organization, registration data for Tesla, Rivian and Polestar is only available in 35 states.
Nonetheless, many Tesla owners submitted their experiences, and the majority of respondents expressed enthusiasm for the company's software platform and technology features. Overall, Tesla's index score, while not ranked, was higher than other brands, while Rivian and Polestar both scored well above the survey average.
As for the brands ranked, Genesis received the highest overall score in the premium brands category with 584 points out of 1,000, while its parent company Hyundai topped the mass market category with 518 points. Luxury brands Lexus and BMW followed Genesis with 535 and 528 points, respectively. Kia and GMC came in second and third in the mass market category with 499 and 439 points, respectively.
Tesla received a score of 786, despite being a brand that isn't technically ranked. Following it were unranked automakers Rivian (666) and Polestar (578).
You can see the full list of rankings from the JD Power study below, or learn more here.
Credit: J.D. Power
As Kathleen Rizk, senior director of user experience benchmarking and technology at J.D. Power, highlighted, automakers can listen to their customers and drive innovative technology in future vehicle generations while eliminating technologies they don't need or fixing those that don't work.
“A strong advanced technology strategy is crucial for all automakers, and many innovative technologies are addressing customer needs,” Rizk said. “At the same time, this year's survey makes it clear that owners find some technologies to be of little use or to be a constant nuisance.”
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Drivers think new car tech is a hit or miss: Survey
