Survey Shows Car Owners Prefer Subtle Tech Over Flashy Screens

A JD Power survey of 68,084 new 2026 model‑year vehicle owners after 90 days of ownership examined 40 automotive technologies across comfort, convenience, connectivity, driver assistance, electric and smart vehicle categories. The study found that the features receiving the highest satisfaction scores were those that were the most inconspicuous—small, unobtrusive conveniences that do not dominate the dashboard or driver’s attention. The data suggest that drivers value technology that operates quietly in the background rather than large, attention‑driving displays or frequently glitching software.