J.D. Power: Drivers Ignore High-Tech Car Features, Don't Want Apple CarPlay Or Android Auto

This week, J.D. Power released its 2015 Driver Interactive Vehicle Experience (DrIVE) Report, which reveals that motorists often don't use or appreciate the high-tech features in their new cars. The results should be a wake-up call to automakers around the globe. Heck, even Apple and Google should be concerned.

To conduct its survey, Power polled over 4,200 American consumers who'd bought or leased a vehicle in the previous 90 days. They were asked about the technology in their new rides -- which features they liked, which they didn't, and which they didn't use.

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Why so soon? Why not let owners have a little more time with their new cars? Power's Kristin Kolodge explains that "The first 30 days are critical. That first-time experience with the technology is the make-it-or-break-it stage. Automakers need to get it right the first time, or owners will simply use their own mobile device instead of the in-vehicle technology."

That comes as no surprise. We spend a lot of time with our phones. They're almost always within arm's reach. Some of us panic when they're not around. We know how they work, and we know how to tweak them when settings need to be adjusted. We can argue about whether or not mobile operating systems were designed to be "intuitive", but the fact of the matter is, we've learned to think like them. We've learned to speak their language.

The same can't be said of much in-car technology, especially if a dealer doesn't explain it before a customer drives off the lot. Power found that owners were far less likely to use technology if they weren't briefed on it after the sale. In some cases -- particularly where technology had to be activated by the consumer -- respondents didn't even know the technology was onboard.

DON'T USE IT, DON'T WANT IT

The two most important findings of the DrIVE Report have to do with the technology that customers don't use and the features they don't want in their next ride.

Of the 33 tech features that Power inquired about, 16 had never been used by at least 20 percent of owners. The least-accessed tech of all was the in-vehicle concierge service, which was avoided by 43 percent of owners. Another 38 percent said that they'd never fiddled with the built-in mobile router. (Sorry, GM.) 

Other ignored features included automated parking (unloved by 35 percent of owners), heads-up displays (which we use all the time, but 33 percent of Power's respondents didn't), and built-in apps (unused by 32 percent of respondents).