Anywhere you look on the market, car manufacturers are loading up vehicles with more technology for drivers.
Is it a case of too much technology? The 2015 Drive Report from JD Power found that 20 percent of 4,200 new U.S. car owners from April to June still haven't used about half of the technology features in their vehicles — three months after their purchase.
The most under-used features include in-vehicle concierge systems, which can recommend restaurants or gas stations in close proximity, and mobile routers, which turn cars into Wi-Fi hot spots. Those features weren't used by 43 percent and 38 percent, respectively, of new car owners who participated in the survey. Even automatic parking systems, which should be a great perk, were unused by 35 percent.
Ironically, this kind of technology is what drives car prices up, so buyers are purchasing vehicles with possibly unwanted tech features.
The same report points out that drivers aged 21 to 38 still rely on their smartphones to connect while driving.
"Customers say, 'I have a competing technology that's easier to use, or I've already paid for it — so why do I need it again?'" said Kristin Kolodge, executive director of driver interaction at JD Power to Reuters.
If this report holds consistent with more drivers, then that doesn't seem to bode well for Apple's CarPlay or Google's Android Auto infotainment systems. A case can even be made for Google's self-driving cars, given the findings of this report.
