Top 10 essential amenities that car buyers want to have

The fact is not everyone likes cars equipped with overwhelming technology, many people find cars becoming more complex and difficult to use; they just need simple and practical features.

Wireless phone charging pad is one of the most sought-after features by new car buyers (Illustrative photo: Tesla).

Car manufacturers are busy pursuing amenities like games or online streaming, additional features that can be downloaded from the internet, and autonomous driving features. And they want customers to subscribe to services that require monthly payments, rather than just buying a car.

However, what features and amenities do car buyers really want the most? That is the question being asked as the automotive industry "goes all-in" with technology, to see which ones will stick around.

The market research company Auto Pacific in the US surveyed the opinions of 14,900 drivers who plan to buy a new car within the next 3 years to find out the most desired features they want.

They surveyed buyers looking for all technologies, including internal combustion engines, hybrids, and electric vehicles. They surveyed 163 different features, including features typically found only in electric vehicles, such as bidirectional charging. However, many of these features are starting to become available on gasoline-powered vehicles.

Here are the top 10 features that car buyers want the most:

Wireless charging pad for electronic devices in the front seats (44%)

Wireless charging pad for electronic devices in the rear seats (37%)

Heated and ventilated front seats (37%)

Rain-sensing wipers (36%)

Sunroof/moonroof (35%)

Driver seat memory settings (35%)

110V power outlet (34%)

Rear seat sunshades (33%)

Cross-traffic collision warning with automatic emergency braking (32%)

Tire inflator (31%)

Although some are common features today, like a sunroof or cross-traffic collision warning, some features seem to be starting to make a difference in the electric vehicle and traditional internal combustion engine driving experience. Features popular on electric vehicles, such as driver seat memory settings, have now become a must-have feature on any car.

Interior space of the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV RS model (Photo: GM).

"Initially setting up the driver's position may be a bit complicated, but once you've done it, you'll have a great experience because when you get in the car, the seat, steering wheel, rearview mirror, audio system, and many other features are already in the position where you feel most comfortable," said Robby DeGraff, Director of Consumer Insights and Product Understanding at AutoPacific.

This feature is very convenient when multiple people use the car, and is a common feature on vehicles from Tesla, Hyundai, Kia, and many other electric vehicle models.

The 110V power outlet or wireless charging pad are also the same; they may also be featured on gasoline-powered vehicles, but are more common on electric vehicles.