In the Driveway
  • IN THE GARAGE
  • VIRTUAL CAR SHOWS
  • MODERN RIDES
  • GALLERY
  • RESOURCES
  • CONTENT LICENSING/PR
  • PORTFOLIO
  • CONTACT

Top 15 Car Brands with the Best Tech Features

2/1/2016

 
By Sean Jackson, AxleGeeks
Buick

As the access for mobile technology continues to rise in demand, car manufacturers are eager to meet this need. Now, it's common to see even the basic models come with an array of tech offerings, like Bluetooth capability. All told, many companies have gone even further to provide vehicles with mobile command centers where you can do everything from answering calls to accessing traffic and navigation information through voice command or by the push of a button.

One of the best ways to view the tech feature landscape is to examine it at the brand-level, where you can compare how a manufacturer’s offerings relate to others in its class. To assist you in this regard, AxleGeeks examined the tech offerings of each brand to identity the ones that offer more tech features across the board.

Furthermore, AxleGeeks developed a Smart Rating for each brand based on data compiled from many sources including the American Customer Satisfaction Index Score, the JD Power APEAL Study, the KBB Resale Value Award and the JD Power Initial Quality Study.

From these results, here’s a look at the car brands with the best tech offerings.

#15. Volkswagen

Volkswagen is a brand known for its quality in safety performance and fuel efficiency, but it offers a fair number of tech offerings as well. It equips 19.2 percent of its models with blind-spot monitoring whereas the average German brand offers this feature in 13.3 percent of its lineup.

#14. Lexus

This luxury Japanese brand offers a wealth of impressive tech offerings that work to make your drives safer. It equips more of its vehicles with a heads-up display (7.5 percent) than other Japanese luxury brands average (4.7 percent).

#13. Chevrolet

Chevy received a better Smart Rating — at 87 — than some of its American competitors, like Ford, which earned an 82 rating. Part of the reason for this is Chevy's abundance of features.

As an illustration, 27.5 percent of its models come equipped with the lane-departure warning feature, topping the average of 24.5 percent per lineup for non-luxury American brands.

#12. Cadillac

The American luxury manufacturer scores well in quality across the board by housing more tech equipment in its vehicles. One feature where it has a sizable advantage on its competition is in heads-up display capability, where it equips 10.5 percent of its models with this feature. In comparison, the average percentage per lineup for all American luxury brands is 6.1 percent.

#11. Audi

Audi is a brand known for its quality design and excellent safety offerings. At the same time, this luxury manufacturer doesn’t disappoint in its tech offerings either, as 40.4 percent of its vehicles come with a navigation system. Meanwhile, the average per lineup for all German luxury brands that is 33.6 percent for navigation.

#10. Toyota

A bit of a mixed bag, 30 percent of Toyota's vehicles come with Bluetooth capability, which is significantly less than the average for non-luxury Japanese brands, who equip 56 percent of their models with this feature.

At the same time, Toyota equips more of its vehicles with heads-up display (2.5 percent) than its non-luxury Japanese counterparts average (0.7 percent).

#9. Kia

This Korean manufacturer is generous with the amount of tech equipment it offers across its lineup. Kia equips 61.9 percent of its models with a navigation system, while its non-luxury competitors average 52.9 percent per lineup, allowing Kia to hold a slight edge in this regard.

#8. Scion

Part of Scion’s allure are its contemporary designs and ample tech offerings. As an example, 87.5 percent of Scion’s vehicles come with Bluetooth capability. Meanwhile, the average for all Japanese non-luxury brand lineups is 56 percent.

#7. Lincoln

Lincoln does a good job topping its American luxury brand counterparts in basic tech offerings like navigation systems offered per model. It equips 33.3 percent of its models with this feature, earning it an advantage over its competitors of 6 percent.

#6. Volvo

Volvo is an outstanding brand across the board; it’s no wonder why it earned a Smart Rating of 94. Aiding it are outstanding tech features offered throughout its lineup. It equips 50 percent of its models with blind-spot monitoring, whereas the average for all luxury brands is merely 16.9 percent.

#5. Hyundai

This Korean manufacturer scores well because of the wealth of tech offerings it has across its vehicle lineup. It equips 46.4 percent of its vehicles with Bluetooth capability, giving it a slight edge over other Korean non-luxury brands, where the average per lineup is 44.9 percent.

#4. Infiniti

Infiniti is an established brand known for its luxurious styling and exceptional tech features. As part of this, 61.5 percent of its models come equipped with a navigation system, earning it a huge advantage over its Japanese luxury brand counterparts, who average 32.8 percent for this feature.

#3. Mazda

Mazda continues to be a higher quality non-luxury brand because it offers exceptional performance, safety and tech features. For example, 50 percent of its models come with lane-departure warning whereas 20.1 percent do among Japanese non-luxury brands.

#2. Acura

Acura is among the highest rated luxury brands available due to its unrivaled safety performance and tech features. As an illustration of its quality offerings, every model in its lineup earned awards from Motor Trend Magazine in 2015.

#1. Buick

This American non-luxury brand has upped its game big time. Along with a fresh look across its vehicle lineup, it also houses some great tech features to appeal to the younger buyer. It equips 8.3 percent of its models with a heads-up display. In comparison, other American non-luxury brands equip only 2.5 percent of their models with this feature.

Compare Car Brands on AxleGeeks


Comments are closed.
    GALLERY >
    < HOME

    RSS Feed

    Author

    David Fluhrer has been a classic car columnist for Newsday since 2008, as well as a new car reviewer for the auto section and a feature writer for Newsday's glossy magazines, Luxury Living and Long Island Living. 

    Read His Columns
    You  can read some of his online columns here. 

    Submit a classic car to be profiled in David's Newsday column by visiting www.inthegarage.net. If you hail from the New York metropolitan area, you may also use this site to submit show or club information for publication.

    Submit News/Event Info
    Automotive and related organizations -- and their PR representatives -- may submit news for this page by sending it to us at thegarage@optonline.net or through our contact page.

    ​Automotive Content/PR
    To learn more about ways we can provide you with customized automotive content and public relations services, please contact us.

    Archives

    June 2020
    September 2019
    November 2018
    June 2017
    May 2017
    January 2017
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014

    Categories

    All
    1SS
    2014
    2015
    2016
    2018
    2019
    2LT
    5-series
    Accord
    Acura
    Alfa
    Alfa Romeo
    Alltrack
    AMG
    Arab
    Aston Martin
    Audi
    Audi A3
    Autonomous Vehicles
    BMW
    BRZ
    Bugatti
    Buick
    C63 AMG
    Cadenza
    Cadillac
    Camaro
    Challenger
    Chevrolet
    Chevrolet Malibu
    Chevy
    Chrysler
    Chrysler 200
    Chrysler Fiat
    CLA250
    CLA45
    CLA45 AMG
    Clarity
    Clubman
    Concept
    Continental
    Convertible
    Corvette
    Crew Cab
    CT6
    CX-3
    CX-5
    Dealer Service
    Discovery
    Dodge
    Driverless Cars
    D-Type
    Dubai
    Elmiraj
    Escalade
    EVO
    Evolution
    FCA
    Ferrari
    Fiat
    Focus ST
    Ford
    Ford Fusion
    Forester
    FR-S
    F Type
    F-Type Project 7
    Galant
    Genesis
    GMC
    Golf
    Grand Sport
    GT-R
    Hellcat
    Honda
    Honda Accord
    Horsepower
    Hot Hatch
    Hybrid
    Hydrogen
    Hyundai
    Impreza
    Infiniti
    Jaguar
    Jeep
    John Cooper Works
    K900
    Kia
    Lamborghini
    Lancer
    Land Rover
    LC500h
    LeBron James
    Lexus
    Lexus LS
    Lincoln
    LTZ
    Mazda
    Mazda3
    Mazda5
    Mazda6
    Mazdaspeed
    Mazdaspeed3
    Mercedes
    Mercedes Benz
    Mercedes-Benz
    Mercedes CLA
    Miata
    MINI
    Mitsubishi
    Monticello Motor Club
    MPV
    Mustang
    MX-5
    New York International Auto Show
    Nissan
    Outback
    Pep Boys
    Plug-in
    Pocket Rocket
    Police
    Q60
    Renault
    RF
    Roadster
    RS
    RX-7
    S550
    S63
    Scenic
    Scion
    S-class
    Sedan
    Silverado
    SKYACTIV
    Smart
    Sorento
    SRT
    SRX
    STI
    Stingray
    Subaru
    Subaru Legacy
    Superleggera
    SVR
    Technology
    Tesla
    Toyota
    Truck
    Turbo 4
    Veyron
    Volkswagen
    Volvo
    Vsport
    WRX
    XLR
    Z/28
    ZL1

    RSS Feed

OUR SERVICES

Automotive Content
Public Relations
Investor Relations
Healthcare Communications

OUR ORGANIZATION

About Us
Newsday column
Contact Us

SUPPORT

Support
Terms of Use/Privacy Policy
Picture
Copyright © 2019   Driveway Media LLC  All rights reserved.
In the Driveway and Your  Resource for All Things Automotive are service marks owned by Driveway Media LLC. 
Links and advertising are for informational purposes only and do not necessarily constitute our endorsement of the products or services described.