Wireless charging pads top this new-car buyers' list of must-have options

Forget a push-button starter, a pair of paddle shifters or even a sunroof; the most wanted feature on the shopping lists of new-car buyers is a wireless charging pad for phones that’s easily accessible for front row passengers.

The second most wanted feature: a wireless pad for passengers in the rear.

So reports the latest edition of AutoPacific’s Future Attribute Demand Study (FADS), which shows that comfort and convenience features rank atop the 10 most sought-after inclusions desired in a new vehicle.

The 10 most sought-after vehicle features, and their estimated cost:

Phone charging pads for front occupants ($50)Phone charging pads for rear occupants ($50)Heated and ventilated seats ($550)Rain-sensing windshield wipers ($75)Sunroof-moonroof ($800)Driver profile setting ($50)Household 110-volt outlet ($100)Rear sunshades ($100)Rear cross traffic alert with emergency braking ($150)Built-in air compressor ($100).

The annual nationwide study contains responses from more than 14,900 licensed drivers in the U.S. who say that they intend to acquire a new vehicle within three years. Regarding features, the survey measured demand for 163 items, including autonomous driving and safety tech, necessities for families, infotainment technologies, and connectivity devices.

As for the top two choices, AutoPacific note that in the 2023 study, both features ranked in the top 10 most-wanted list but moved higher up the ladder this year

Regarding settings to chart driver profiles, the respondents looked closely at ways to improve experiences behind the wheel, “from dialing in particular seat comfort adjustments and customizing exterior LED light signatures, to suspension stiffness and preprogramming on-screen shortcuts within an infotainment system.”

The study said that personalization is now a given priority for new vehicle shoppers, and that 35 percent of them “want driver profile settings, elevating it to the sixth most-wanted feature in this year’s study, up from 10th rank in 2023.

The full report is available here.