Once they own their car long enough for the new-car smell to wear off, most American drivers are pretty happy with their vehicle. But they tend to be happier if it supports Apple CarPlay.
According to the Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) study for 2024, published by JD Power, overall consumer satisfaction rates are higher than last year. However, it revealed concerns about in-car infotainment systems being unnecessarily complicated.
“Automakers continue to add extra features to their infotainment systems, but that seems to create unnecessary complexity,” said Frank Hanley, senior director of automotive benchmarking at J.D. Power. “Owners struggle to perform simple audio-related tasks, so it’s [raises] the question of whether car manufacturers are truly in tune with the wants and needs of their customers.
Satisfaction with in-car infotainment systems was rated 805 out of 1,000, well below the overall average for all categories of 847. But customers were significantly more satisfied if their vehicle was equipped with Android Auto (with an average score of 832); and even more satisfied if the car was equipped with Apple CarPlay, with a score of 840.
According to JD Power, this shows that “customers prefer the ease of use of their phone to be extended to their vehicle rather than what manufacturers provide.” And clearly, Apple is better than Google, albeit slightly, at delivering this “ease of use.”
Apple is gradually rolling out its next-generation CarPlay system, which controls every aspect of the car, including the speedometer, climate control, and seats. It is currently only supported by Aston Martin and Porsche, and no car models have been released.
The APEAL study was based on responses from 99,144 owners of new 2024 model year vehicles after 90 days of ownership.
