Heated seats rank as the top feature sought after by new car buyers.
Acura
The most significant car news and reviews, free from nonsense.
Subscribe to our daily newsletter to receive the important stories straight to your inbox every weekday.
What’s the comfort feature in your vehicle that you simply can’t do without? Or, if you are in the market for a new car, what feature would top your essential list? According to a recent survey, 47% of respondents identified heated seats as their most desired feature.
The market research and consulting firm AutoPacific conducted a survey of 19,000 licensed drivers planning to purchase a new vehicle within the next three years, ranking the top 15 features and technologies they consider most important in their future cars. At the very top is a comfort feature that aligns with my personal preference (alongside remote start, which, surprisingly, didn’t make the list).
Almost half of the participants in the survey picked heated seats, which weren't included in the firm’s top 15 for 2025. What accounts for the increased demand for heated seats recently? That’s unclear, but it piques my interest. In second place are front and rear parking sensors, with 45% of respondents indicating they want this feature the most in their new vehicle. Coming in third is “rearward automatic emergency braking.” This feature certainly has value and is essential for minimizing injuries from car accidents, but I didn’t expect it to rank higher than features like all-wheel drive, adaptive cruise control, or wireless charging. The complete list can be seen below.
AutoPacific
A few other surprising elements stand out to me: all-wheel drive placed last? A survey from last October indicated that buyers prioritized AWD over any other semi-autonomous driving feature. Yet, in this list, it ranks lowest. I understand this may vary by region, but I assumed buyers would prefer it over features like auto park! What about night vision or large animal detection?
What would your priorities be? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Other articles
The Hottest Track Car in California Is a Standard Toyota Echo
If you believe that a "true" performance car is necessary for an enjoyable track day, let us introduce you to the Echo Hot Lap Challenge.
My 2026 Dodge Charger test vehicle became inoperable three times within five days.
It took four weeks and sending the car back to Detroit for Stellantis to understand what occurred, but we still have unanswered questions.
The man responsible for the juke will become Nissan's new head of design.
Matthew Weaver, a veteran of Nissan for twenty-four years, will take over from Alfonso Albaisa, who is resigning from his position as the brand's corporate executive of global design on October 1.
Emerson Fittipaldi gave advice to George Russell.
Emerson Fittipaldi, the legendary Brazilian driver, gave advice to George Russell on how he should act in the second half of the season if he intends to catch up with Kimi Antonelli...
Heated seats are the top feature that new car purchasers desire.
Heated seats were the most desired feature among new car buyers, whereas features that are more commonly utilized, such as power seats, adaptive cruise control, and blind-spot detection systems, were ranked lower.
Newey: When relationships improve, results grow as well.
Adrian Newey fully agrees with Koji Watanabe's opinion that the difficulties experienced at the beginning of the season are in the past...
Heated seats rank as the top feature sought after by new car buyers.
Heated seats ranked highest among the features desired by new car buyers, whereas more frequently utilized features such as power seats, adaptive cruise control, and blind-spot detection systems received lower rankings.