Another accessory that goes unused in the car: do we really need the passenger screen?

Some time ago we found that many of the driver assistance systems fitted to today’s cars are not used as much as manufacturers expected. Drivers do not activate several of these systems and they are forgotten, even though they could be a good option for driving more safely.

The company J.D. Power specialises in quality studies and has just published a study that addresses precisely this. The study analysed surveys carried out among 68,084 owners of new vehicles in 2026, after 90 days of use, in the American market. And the results are, to say the least, curious.

The study and its results

The study focuses on 40 technologies fitted to new cars, centred on connectivity, comfort and driver assistance. The study finds that the most popular technologies are those that are not noticeable at first glance and that do not require much manipulation.

For example, smart start-stop is one of the most widely used technologies in new cars. Automatic climate control is also among the most used, but there are others that are not as popular or do not work as well. Screens aimed at the passenger are among those technologies that do not really deliver.

The data are revealing, because they show that only 6% of users who have this feature use it frequently. 35% say they have never connected it and do not see it as necessary. And yet it is an element that considerably increases the final price of the car.

Other features that enjoyed relatively good acceptance were camera mirrors, blind-spot cameras, one-pedal driving and scheduled charging for electric cars. Level 2 driver assistance systems, which require keeping hands on the steering wheel, are more popular than higher-level ones, which allow hands to be removed from the wheel.

All of this indicates that, for now, drivers still cling to a more traditional driving style, although they are gradually incorporating these technological elements into their vehicles. It is interesting to know how other drivers use all these innovations, in order to choose the car we want and what we really need more wisely.