Safety features yield more satisfied owners, survey says

Safety features yield more satisfied owners, survey says

Many industry observers have said that safety sells. Now J.D. Power says the safety-related technologies that manufacturers are increasingly equipping their new vehicles with, are making those vehicles more appealing to their owners. Thatês the conclusion from the 2015 U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study.

Some safety features, such as blind-spot monitoring and warning system, can significantly boost scores, the company said.

–Unlike other technologies such as voice recognition, that can be challenging to operate, most safety features provide information in a more intuitive way, giving owners a greater sense of security,” said Renee Stephens, vice president of U.S. Automotive Quality at J.D. Power.

The study found that 36 percent of owners have blind-spot monitoring and warning systems, 21 percent have lane-departure warning systems, 46 percent have park assist/backup warning, and 25 percent have collision avoidance/alert. And owners use those systems regularly.

Consumers will pay more for those features. A J.D. Power study earlier this year found that they are willing to pay a market price of $750, on average, for blind-spot detection and prevention systems.