The 10 things car buyers say they want in their next car

[ZLoth]

From Ars Technica:

The 10 things car buyers say they want in their next car
The data explains why we keep seeing certain features on many new cars.

A wireless charging pad is now the most-desired in-car feature among people intending to buy a new vehicle. Being able to forget about a USB cable and still not run down one's battery topped the list of 163 features that AutoPacific asked about in its annual survey on future demand. Almost 15,000 people intending to buy a new car within the next three years replied to the survey, with 44 percent ticking the box for wireless charging for the front passengers.

This market research data is rather illuminating; as we test new cars, they're increasingly equipped with features or gadgets that don't seem exactly necessary—an extra infotainment screen for the front seat passenger, for example, or remote parking via a smartphone app. Sometimes, the features are even mandatory—several luxury brands won't let you order certain cars without a glass moonroof.

FULL ARTICLE HERE

Unfortunately, my current budget prevents me from purchasing a new car for the next five years. Even then, having Android Auto integration is a must have, along with Bluetooth. (iPhone owners can say the same thing about CarPlay). I'm also surprised about the lack of a built-in dashcam as a feature. Heated seats and heated steering wheel are more along the lines of "nice-to-have" where I live.

Of course, I can also hear the chant for "P-H-Y-S-I-C-A-L B-U-T-T-O-N-S".

[SectorZ]

I love how low the safety related things were. Wireless charging is much more important than not backing into the neighbor kid.

People who think USB cables are a pain have clearly never lived life without one and how finicky wireless stuff can be reliability-wise. I guess I don't mind wireless stuff but I hate things that have removed the ability to use it wired.

[Jim]

I would like a focus by the industry on cars that can be maintained/repaired for a reasonable cost.  One, for example, where I can replace a burned out headlight for the cost of a bulb and maybe a tiny bit of labor, not one that requires a repair job running several hundred dollars or more.

However, my recent actions say that's not what's driving my decision making, having just purchased a used Q5.  Nothing is cheap to repair or maintain on an Audi.  I guess I really value the safety features, being good in the snow, and just being fun to drive, more than I value keeping my repair bills down.

[JayhawkCO]

I love how low the safety related things were. Wireless charging is much more important than not backing into the neighbor kid.

People who think USB cables are a pain have clearly never lived life without one and how finicky wireless stuff can be reliability-wise. I guess I don't mind wireless stuff but I hate things that have removed the ability to use it wired.

Albeit in this case, you could still charge it with a wire. And, I've had much less of an issue with my wireless charging pad I have at my work desk than I've had with USB cables that need to be replaced every 6-8 months or so. I've never replaced my charging pad in 5 years.

[1995hoo]

I second Zloth's comment about physical buttons.

I've driven rental cars with wireless charging pads (two Teslas and, most recently, a Hyundai Tucson) and I've ridden in one other (my brother-in-law's Kia Sorento). I don't find the feature all that essential because in the car we use most often for travel we have a lighter plug and charger cable in the center armrest. I'll concede that the wireless capability was nice and can be more convenient if implemented properly, but I think if they're going to have it, I prefer the way Tesla has two charging pads next to each other so that the driver and a passenger can both use the feature at the same time. (I note this is also convenient if the two people have phones that require different cables—mine uses USB-C and my wife's uses Lightning. The way we deal with that now is that the car has multiple sockets for lighter plugs.) Insofar as I could determine, the Hyundai and the Kia were designed such that you could only charge one phone at a time, and they were designed in a way that made them kind of finicky about how you had to place that phone—my phone case has a MagSafe adapter for a Ridge Wallet and on multiple occasions the Hyundai's charging pad wouldn't charge it.

I couldn't care less about things like Apple CarPlay or Android Auto insofar as they provide a way for text messages or similar to appear on an in-car display. I have my phone set to lock out messages when I'm driving because I don't want the distraction.

I don't particularly like rain-sensing wipers. My wife's Acura TLX has them and I find them annoying because when they kick in, they usually do so either too aggressively (more often than I'd like) or too passively (not often enough). I prefer either to flick the wipers occasionally or to turn them to intermittent and then adjust the interval using the knob on the stalk. Thankfully, the TLX lets you turn off the automatic wipers. Related to wipers, I wish cars would automatically enable the headlights and taillights whenever the wipers are activated in continuous mode, thereby forcing compliance both with state laws requiring the use of headlights when the wipers are on continuously due to weather as well as plain common sense dictating the use of headlights in inclement weather. Too many drivers think they're exempt from that law and it can be quite dangerous in really heavy rain.

I do like rear cross-traffic detection. Once again my wife's car has that, and it's very helpful backing out of our driveway (which has a very large hydrangea on one side) or at the grocery store. Hers even detects pedestrians. Related to this feature, I like what the automakers call "proximity sensors" (I call it "sonar," which is what my father called it)—when used in conjunction with a rearview camera, they make it very easy to pull extremely close without hitting the car behind you, and they make it easy to avoid leaving too much space when you parallel park.

One thing that article didn't mention that I would like is a third sun visor for the windshield in between the others. Jim might be able to confirm whether this is still the case, but I recall Audi used to have an additional sun visor in the middle to help prevent the nuisance that occurs when you flip down both sun visors and the glare then still comes in the gap between them. I'm not aware of any other automaker offering that, but it's an excellent idea.

I would also like my next car to have a manual transmission, as I've never owned a car with an automatic, but I have a feeling that's not likely to happen because the manual-shift vehicles on the market today are ones in which I'm not overly interested (some smaller cars and things like the Ford Bronco) or that are way too expensive (Cadillac CT4- and -5-V Blackwing, some Porsches).

[Max Rockatansky]

I love how low the safety related things were. Wireless charging is much more important than not backing into the neighbor kid.

Safety costs money and doesn't have an easily apparent ROI unless you wreck.

[epzik8]

I love how low the safety related things were. Wireless charging is much more important than not backing into the neighbor kid.

Sadly not surprising in this day and age.

[kalvado]

I would like a focus by the industry on cars that can be maintained/repaired for a reasonable cost.  One, for example, where I can replace a burned out headlight for the cost of a bulb and maybe a tiny bit of labor, not one that requires a repair job running several hundred dollars or more.

However, my recent actions say that's not what's driving my decision making, having just purchased a used Q5.  Nothing is cheap to repair or maintain on an Audi.  I guess I really value the safety features, being good in the snow, and just being fun to drive, more than I value keeping my repair bills down.

With light bulbs, the answer is LEDs which last forever*

*actual duration may depend on your warranty terms

[Max Rockatansky]

I love how low the safety related things were. Wireless charging is much more important than not backing into the neighbor kid.

Sadly not surprising in this day and age.

I currently buy cars with less or no optional safety features.  I'd probably buy cars sans some mandatory safety features if it was possible. 

[SSOWorld]

I would like a focus by the industry on cars that can be maintained/repaired for a reasonable cost.  One, for example, where I can replace a burned out headlight for the cost of a bulb and maybe a tiny bit of labor, not one that requires a repair job running several hundred dollars or more.

However, my recent actions say that's not what's driving my decision making, having just purchased a used Q5.  Nothing is cheap to repair or maintain on an Audi.  I guess I really value the safety features, being good in the snow, and just being fun to drive, more than I value keeping my repair bills down.

With light bulbs, the answer is LEDs which last forever*

*actual duration may depend on your warranty terms

LEDs will let out the magic smoke eventually

[Rothman]

I want a high-clearance electric SUV with a range of 350 miles between five-minute charges.

[mgk920]

In addition,a common failure mode for LEDs is dimming/fading over several years.  Yea, all light sources do that.

I would appreciate mechanical keyholes on the other (non driver) doors as well as the trunk lid.  I also find the touchscreen controls for the radio (other than on/off and volume) on my current car (a 2021 Nisson) to be royally annoying.  Everything else is knob/button controlled.

Mike

[Henry]

With more manufacturers developing newer EVs, it's getting more and more likely that my 2019 Equinox will be the last ICE-powered vehicle I ever own. I'm a bit wary of buying an EV, as they're not good for long road trips, with a charge lasting only 400-500 miles at most, and then you have the long charging time to factor in. I'd like one to have a range of at least 700 miles, as well as a shorter charging time, but it may be a very long time until that development comes around.

I want a high-clearance electric SUV with a range of 350 miles between five-minute charges.

You may want to peruse one of these links for making a more definitive choice:

https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/advice/ev-charging-time
https://www.caranddriver.com/shopping-advice/a32600212/ev-charging-time/
https://www.edmunds.com/electric-car/articles/how-long-does-take-charge-electric-car.html
https://www.kbb.com/car-advice/how-long-does-take-charge-electric-car/
https://www.motortrend.com/features/how-long-does-it-take-to-charge-an-ev/
https://www.cars.com/articles/how-long-does-it-take-to-charge-an-electric-car-463080/
https://www.tomsguide.com/news/how-long-does-it-take-to-charge-an-electric-car-what-you-need-to-know

[Max Rockatansky]

I'm kicking that PHEV can down the road as far as I can.  I'm hoping to get at least two conventional economy cars in before 2035.  That should leave me equipped with at least one if not two spare ICE cars by that time.  With ICE cars I have the resources to keep running.  I don't know if that will be a thing with PHEV or full EV.

[Road Hog]

Wireless phone charging sounds like science fiction to me. If you can charge a phone without a cable, why can't we run a national electric grid without high-tension cables?

[jeffandnicole]

"Only 32 percent showed interest in rear-cross traffic alert with automatic emergency braking."

The automatic braking may have lowered this option's interest.

Anyone who's had an auto-braking feature may have had it activate once or twice (or more) for seemingly no reason.    It's a bit of a jolt when you're not expecting it, and motorists behind you aren't expecting the braking to occur. 

While this feature would operate differently, that can still be on people's minds.

[Rothman]

With more manufacturers developing newer EVs, it's getting more and more likely that my 2019 Equinox will be the last ICE-powered vehicle I ever own. I'm a bit wary of buying an EV, as they're not good for long road trips, with a charge lasting only 400-500 miles at most, and then you have the long charging time to factor in. I'd like one to have a range of at least 700 miles, as well as a shorter charging time, but it may be a very long time until that development comes around.

I want a high-clearance electric SUV with a range of 350 miles between five-minute charges.

You may want to peruse one of these links for making a more definitive choice:

https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/advice/ev-charging-time
https://www.caranddriver.com/shopping-advice/a32600212/ev-charging-time/
https://www.edmunds.com/electric-car/articles/how-long-does-take-charge-electric-car.html
https://www.kbb.com/car-advice/how-long-does-take-charge-electric-car/
https://www.motortrend.com/features/how-long-does-it-take-to-charge-an-ev/
https://www.cars.com/articles/how-long-does-it-take-to-charge-an-electric-car-463080/
https://www.tomsguide.com/news/how-long-does-it-take-to-charge-an-electric-car-what-you-need-to-know

And those links help me get what I want...how?

[GaryV]

I want a high-clearance electric SUV with a range of 350 miles between five-minute charges.

With multiple charging stations (so there's no line) every 20 miles or so.

We looked at a plug-in hybrid when we bought our car last year. The little bit of electric range it would get didn't seem to justify the extra cost. So far I've been pretty pleased with the mileage my hybrid has been getting. 50 mpg or more in free-flow city driving (45 mph seems to be a sweet spot). 35-40 mpg on the freeway with A/C running, maybe a bit less if I push the speed to 78-80 mph.

[ZLoth]

I would like a focus by the industry on cars that can be maintained/repaired for a reasonable cost.  One, for example, where I can replace a burned out headlight for the cost of a bulb and maybe a tiny bit of labor, not one that requires a repair job running several hundred dollars or more.

I would argue for better ease in accessing/replacing parts in a vehicle, especially for headlamps, brake lights, and such. On my 2005 Malibu, it was easy to replace the right headlamp, but the left one required a little bit of disassembly.

I couldn't care less about things like Apple CarPlay or Android Auto insofar as they provide a way for text messages or similar to appear on an in-car display. I have my phone set to lock out messages when I'm driving because I don't want the distraction.

The reason why I want Android Auto has nothing to do with the messaging apps. The main reason is to have the Google Maps be a navigation aid and on a bigger screen than having my phone in a mount on top of my dashboard. The audio apps is a nice, secondary feature.

Having said that, it's not worth purchasing a new vehicle over, and I'm not going to get the return on investment if I add it as a aftermarket addition.

[JayhawkCO]

I want a high-clearance electric SUV with a range of 350 miles between five-minute charges.

I'm kicking that PHEV can down the road as far as I can.  I'm hoping to get at least two conventional economy cars in before 2035.  That should leave me equipped with at least one if not two spare ICE cars by that time.  With ICE cars I have the resources to keep running.  I don't know if that will be a thing with PHEV or full EV.

I sold my Wrangler since I was paying a pretty high car payment for a car that was only driven maybe 2-3 times per week outside of taking my son to daycare. I don't get up to the mountains as much as I used to so the Wrangler's off-road capabilities weren't being used that much either. So I picked up a used Outback just so I could be without a car payment.

But in a couple of years when I'm not paying $20k a year for daycare, I want to get something similar to my Rubicon. I'm still trying to figure out if that's going to be an ICE or an EV. Ideally, they make a full EV Bronco or Wrangler at some point here which may make my decision easier.

[1995hoo]

....

Anyone who's had an auto-braking feature may have had it activate once or twice (or more) for seemingly no reason.    It's a bit of a jolt when you're not expecting it, and motorists behind you aren't expecting the braking to occur. 

....

The Tesla Model 3 we rented in Fort Lauderdale this past January scared the crap out of me in that respect one time. We were driving south to the Keys on the Homestead Extension and I had the cruise control set, no traffic immediately ahead of us and nobody close behind, when the car abruptly slammed on the brakes because it thought it had detected something. No idea what it was. Damn annoying to have that happen with no warning and with no reason for it. It's also a good reason not to use cruise control in a car with automatic braking if someone is tailgating you (which was not the case for us in that incident).

....

We looked at a plug-in hybrid when we bought our car last year. The little bit of electric range it would get didn't seem to justify the extra cost. So far I've been pretty pleased with the mileage my hybrid has been getting. 50 mpg or more in free-flow city driving (45 mph seems to be a sweet spot). 35-40 mpg on the freeway with A/C running, maybe a bit less if I push the speed to 78-80 mph.

The thing I've wondered about with the plug-in hybrids is whether the gas goes bad if you don't use the gas engine often enough, say if 95 percent of your driving is local driving for short distances. I suppose one solution is just to kick it down and accelerate hard periodically to force the engine to turn on, or else to take it on the Interstate or go for a longer drive every couple of weeks, and another solution might be to use a fuel stabilizer.

I would like a focus by the industry on cars that can be maintained/repaired for a reasonable cost.  One, for example, where I can replace a burned out headlight for the cost of a bulb and maybe a tiny bit of labor, not one that requires a repair job running several hundred dollars or more.

I would argue for better ease in accessing/replacing parts in a vehicle, especially for headlamps, brake lights, and such. On my 2005 Malibu, it was easy to replace the right headlamp, but the left one required a little bit of disassembly.

My wife's Acura RSX is a pain in that respect because one of the headlights requires removing the power steering fluid reservoir to access the light socket. Major nuisance. I'm sure it's easy for the mechanics who do it all the time, but it's less so for people who don't. I seem to recall I had to move the battery to get at the other light even though it's not supposed to be necessary (the space was just too small for my hands).

I couldn't care less about things like Apple CarPlay or Android Auto insofar as they provide a way for text messages or similar to appear on an in-car display. I have my phone set to lock out messages when I'm driving because I don't want the distraction.

The reason why I want Android Auto has nothing to do with the messaging apps. The main reason is to have the Google Maps be a navigation aid and on a bigger screen than having my phone in a mount on top of my dashboard. The audio apps is a nice, secondary feature.

Having said that, it's not worth purchasing a new vehicle over, and I'm not going to get the return on investment if I add it as a aftermarket addition.

It's interesting, my brother-in-law's Kia Sorento has built-in navigation and also has Apple CarPlay (don't know about Android because they have iPhones), but he doesn't seem to use either one of them. My 20-year-old Acura has a built-in navigation screen and I'm perfectly fine with that. Is the map itself somewhat more rudimentary in style than what Google or Apple uses? Yes, but so what? It's a map and it shows me where I am and where I'm going, so it doesn't need to be three-dimensional or overly detailed. I'm sure my being used to that is probably another reason why I'm not overly concerned about smartphone integration.

With that said, if I had the feature I might use it, but I won't make it a deciding factor when the time comes to purchase a new car. Tesla, for example, doesn't support either Android or Apple because they want to maintain control of the interface instead of ceding anything, and Tesla also doesn't support satellite radio. None of those facts would stop me from at least considering a Tesla, though I'd consider other vehicles as well. I must say I really like my brother-in-law's Sorento even though I'm not really an SUV person. The interior is really nice; the brown leather he got reminds me of a new baseball glove (although he's doing his best to ruin it because he's a germaphobe and he "sanitizes" the interior using 409).

[Jim]

Auto-braking: I've had it engage probably once or twice where it was appropriate.  I probably wouldn't have hit anything with manual braking but maybe would have had to slam on the brakes a little harder.  No instances for me yet of a truly random hard auto braking that caused or could have caused some serious trouble.

Adaptive cruise control: I like it for some situations but it's really annoying in others.  Our Odyssey especially has trouble when we are coming up on someone who's exiting a freeway and we know they'll be out of our way (or already are) and next thing you know the adaptive cruise is braking for a car that I know is not in our way.  It's unimportant enough to me that I didn't care that my Q5 doesn't have it.

Lane departure: can't stand it and turn it off.  Yes, I went a little onto the white line.  I'm good.

Rain-sensing wipers: They were great in my A3, even better in my Q5.  I miss this when driving a car that doesn't have it in showery weather or intermittent road spray situations.

[Max Rockatansky]

I want a high-clearance electric SUV with a range of 350 miles between five-minute charges.

I'm kicking that PHEV can down the road as far as I can.  I'm hoping to get at least two conventional economy cars in before 2035.  That should leave me equipped with at least one if not two spare ICE cars by that time.  With ICE cars I have the resources to keep running.  I don't know if that will be a thing with PHEV or full EV.

I sold my Wrangler since I was paying a pretty high car payment for a car that was only driven maybe 2-3 times per week outside of taking my son to daycare. I don't get up to the mountains as much as I used to so the Wrangler's off-road capabilities weren't being used that much either. So I picked up a used Outback just so I could be without a car payment.

But in a couple of years when I'm not paying $20k a year for daycare, I want to get something similar to my Rubicon. I'm still trying to figure out if that's going to be an ICE or an EV. Ideally, they make a full EV Bronco or Wrangler at some point here which may make my decision easier.

Right now I have my eyes on a Corolla hybrid with AWD.  My wife has a high clearance Forester we intend to keep.  As long as we have that and somewhere I can pack my mountain bike I see myself covered for true high clearance roads.

[SectorZ]

The thing I've wondered about with the plug-in hybrids is whether the gas goes bad if you don't use the gas engine often enough, say if 95 percent of your driving is local driving for short distances. I suppose one solution is just to kick it down and accelerate hard periodically to force the engine to turn on, or else to take it on the Interstate or go for a longer drive every couple of weeks, and another solution might be to use a fuel stabilizer.

The engine computer takes that into account and runs the engine periodically and enough to make sure that you use the gas in its entirety over the period of a few months or so.

Mazda's new PHEVs, for example, run the engine as needed and will actually tell you that is why it's running it.

[JayhawkCO]

I want a high-clearance electric SUV with a range of 350 miles between five-minute charges.

I'm kicking that PHEV can down the road as far as I can.  I'm hoping to get at least two conventional economy cars in before 2035.  That should leave me equipped with at least one if not two spare ICE cars by that time.  With ICE cars I have the resources to keep running.  I don't know if that will be a thing with PHEV or full EV.

I sold my Wrangler since I was paying a pretty high car payment for a car that was only driven maybe 2-3 times per week outside of taking my son to daycare. I don't get up to the mountains as much as I used to so the Wrangler's off-road capabilities weren't being used that much either. So I picked up a used Outback just so I could be without a car payment.

But in a couple of years when I'm not paying $20k a year for daycare, I want to get something similar to my Rubicon. I'm still trying to figure out if that's going to be an ICE or an EV. Ideally, they make a full EV Bronco or Wrangler at some point here which may make my decision easier.

Right now I have my eyes on a Corolla hybrid with AWD.  My wife has a high clearance Forester we intend to keep.  As long as we have that and somewhere I can pack my mountain bike I see myself covered for true high clearance roads.

Biking just isn't for me, especially uphill. I'd rather just hike up the road if those were my options.