Many Driver Aids Are too Annoying

Many drivers in the U.S. are switching off such aids as automatic lane-keeping because they find the constant alerts too irritating, says J.D. Power.

The market research firm’s U.S. Tech Experience Index Study finds sharp differences among carmakers regarding customer acceptance of six categories of technologies after 90 days of vehicle ownership. Results are expressed on a 1,000-point scale.

Power says the highest-scoring technology overall is collision protection (789 points). That feature is followed by comfort/convenience (787), entertainment/connectivity (782), driving assistance (768) and navigation (744).

The highest-scoring models across all segments are the Hyundai Kona and Toyota C-HR small crossovers (tied), Kia Stinger small luxury hatchback, Kia Forte small sedan, Chevrolet Blazer midsize crossover, Porsche Cayenne midsize crossover and Ford Expedition large SUV.

Three winners—the Ford Expedition, Hyundai Kona and Kia Stinger—also topped their categories in last year’s Power survey.

Lane-keeping systems, which alert drivers when they begin to stray out of a traffic lane, draw the most objection among respondents. One in five owners describe the alerts produced by such features as annoying, and three in five who do also say they sometimes turn off the technology entirely.

Power notes that the proportion of those complaining about such alerts ranges by brand from 8% to 30%. One result: The ratio of owners who want lane-keeping in their next vehicle varies from 54% to 90%.

The Power study finds that factory-developed navigation systems are being heavily challenged by Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Likewise, more than one in four drivers reports discontinuing the use of a built-in app because it isn't needed or is outperformed by another device.