The most desirable new car features

High-intensity discharge (HID) headlights are the second-most desired tech feature, according to the Harris report. They burn brighter and provide better visibility than standard halogen headlamps.

Still, the Harris study found that even drivers who are very interested in safety technology are not ready to give up steering their cars. Any innovation they feel impedes driver control or dilutes driving enjoyment is one most can do without. Examples include crash-avoidance features that in some cases automatically steer vehicles away from danger.

Research from Ford also indicates that some consumers prefer to forgo such technology altogether. “Lane-departure warning is a great safety feature, but we got feedback from people that don’t like it,” says Jack Palazzo, Ford’s manager for advanced product marketing in Dearborn, Mich.

A system on Infiniti’s EX35 warns drivers if the vehicle inadvertently crosses over a lane divider by using cameras and monitoring the steering angle and throttle position to calculate the driver’s intended path. A second system intervenes and steers the vehicle if it senses the driver isn’t reacting to the warnings. Both systems can be deactivated.

Josh Clifton, a spokesperson for Infiniti, says the lane-departure prevention system is a useful safety feature that isn’t forced on drivers.

“First, it’s not a standard feature. And second, you have to turn the feature on while you're driving,” Clifton says.

Infiniti reps would not say how many EX35 buyers have opted for the technology, but they said they are pleased with the response. The option will be made available on the 2009 Infiniti FX. Tom Plucinsky, BMW’s product and technology spokesperson, says the lane-departure warning system offered on its vehicles doesn’t actually steer the car but gently shakes the steering wheel, giving drivers the sensation of going over rumble strips on a highway.

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“The driver gets physical feedback but doesn’t relinquish control. The system can also be turned off,” Plusinsky says.

Other advanced safety features from BMW include anti-collision technology that responds to perceived “panic” situations, such as the driver suddenly hitting the brakes or abruptly releasing the gas pedal. In such cases, the brakes have the capability to improve stopping time.

Many automakers are actively developing collision-avoidance technology, including BMW, Infiniti, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo. Though these features are useful and will likely cut down on accidents, they’ll probably take time for consumers to embrace, says Joseph Audette, a consultant for the research firm Global Insight in Lexington, Mass: “Users won’t accept the machine controlling their ultimate fate.”

To get drivers to adopt such safety features, automakers must educate them about how they operate, with a focus on minimizing any “control” issues, Audette says.

“It’s a tough barrier to cross in terms of consumer acceptance, in much the same way that anti-lock brakes weren’t accepted at first,” he says.

But it can be done, as evidenced by the wide adoption and acceptance of anti-lock brakes and, more recently, stability-control systems, which automatically adjust throttle and braking to keep vehicles from skidding.

Harris’ Lovett says cost significantly affects the adoption of new technology. That’s why most advanced features start in the luxury segment and then trickle down to others.

“The luxury driver can better absorb a $600 high-tech headlight on a $60,000 Cadillac Escalade than on a $16,000 Ford Focus,” Lovett says. “And it’s too much of a hit to make it part of the standard price of a lower-cost vehicle.”

That’s not to say there aren’t features that start at the low end and migrate to the luxury segment.

“The iPod interface on the audio jack is a good example of this,” Lovett says. “It started out in compact cars because of the appeal of iPods to a large number of younger buyers. Now it’s expanding to other classes.”

Harris Interactive determined which high-tech features are most and least popular by conducting an online survey of nearly 13,000 adult drivers earlier this year. To see the full list of the top 10 most coveted new tech features, click on the “slide show” link above.

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