Convenience Over Safety? Not Always
When I purchased my most recent vehicle two years ago—a Ford Escape—I wanted all the convenience, comfort and safety features possible in a non-luxury model. I ended up with the Limited trim level, which included amenities such as heated, leather 6-way power front seats; fold flat rear seats and a sunroof. Safety features that came with my crossover utility vehicle (CUV) included canopy and side-impact air bags, ABS and reverse sensors in the rear bumper. Of course, my real splurge was a higher-end audio and CD changer system with multiple speakers including a subwoofer and Sirius satellite radio. I may have paid too much, but I still love my CUV.
Some of the features that I indulged in were only available on premium models as recently as 2000, but now are standard equipment or available in option packages on many non-luxury models. Many of these items are among the most important features that women look for in their new vehicles, according to J.D. Power and Associates research. Let's take a look at a few comparisons between then and now:
At the beginning of the millennium, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2000 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study,SM three of the top five features women wanted in their new vehicles were safety features:
1. run-flat tires
2. Smart passenger air bags that identify when a small person or child is in the front passenger seat
3. rear passenger-seat air bags
4. sunroofs
5. fold-down rear seats
The study, which launched in 1995, measures new-vehicle owners' opinions on the performance and styling of their new vehicles after 90 days of ownership and also asks about the desirability of new and emerging features.
Today, four of the five features that women desired in 2000 are standard or readily-available options in today's models, even in non-luxury models. Only run-flat tires are more limited as an option and are not as high on women's priority lists in 2007. Today's top features, according to women responding to the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study,SM include convenience features:
1. power liftgate/trunks or hatches—especially in minivans and utility vehicles
2. remote engine start
3. All-wheel drive (AWD), a performance and handling feature
4. bottle holders in door panels
5. sunroofs
However, when asked about which new or future technology features they desired, safety again is a concern. Women respondents in the 2007 APEAL study select the following five safety-minded features:
1. lane-departure sensors
2. blind-spot detectors
3. rear back-up camera and sensor
4. side-curtain air bags
5. a sleep detector sensor and pre-accident alert systems
After comparing the lists of the most important features that women want in their new vehicles in 2000 and in 2007, it is easy to conclude that many desirable emerging technologies, which are currently offered mainly on luxury or premium models such as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and Lexus LS 460, will be available on non-luxury models by 2015. It's a trickle-down effect. The J.D. Power and Associates U.S. Automotive Emerging Technologies StudiesSM indicate that as the price drops, these features will become available in non-luxury vehicles for consumers like you and me.
