Auto Navigation Systems Gaining Popularity, New Study Finds

Autoparts Report, Nov 15, 2000

More than one-half of consumers who purchase a vehicle with a factory- installed navigation system report using it at least once a week, according to a recent J.D. Power and Associates 2000 Navigation Usage and Satisfaction Study. With an increasing numbers of cars, vans and light trucks on the market with factory-installed navigation systems, more and more people are using navigation systems to reach their destinations and find restaurants and entertainment venues, the company said.

The number of new vehicles with factory-installed navigation systems has increased to an estimated 135,000 for 2000 model-year vehicles, according to J. D. Power. In addition, the number of vehicle models offering navigation systems also increased from 10 to 26 during the same time period, it said. The variety of products also increased in 2000, with the first DVD systems, 3-D graphics and systems with turn- by-turn driving instructions, the research firm said.

"The volume of new vehicles with factory-installed navigation systems is still less than 1 percent of the total market," said Frank Forkin, partner and executive director of automotive research at J.D. Power and Associates. "But the numbers are steadily increasing each year. And what we're finding is that the majority of consumers buying or leasing those vehicles are very satisfied with the navigation systems."

Nearly one-half of consumers purchasing a vehicle equipped with a navigation system rate it "truly outstanding" or "excellent," the study found. The majority of consumers surveyed indicate they would recommend their system to others, with many indicating that if a navigation system were not offered, it would have a negative impact on their purchase decision.

Women tend to be more satisfied with their navigation systems than men, and younger consumers report much higher satisfaction than their older counterparts, according to the study. Younger consumers are also much more likely to use their systems on a regular basis.

"One interesting finding is that less than one in four people who purchase a vehicle with a navigation system have used one before," Forkin said. "The majority of those who had used a navigation system before had used one in a rental vehicle." Most consumers use their navigation system to find the shortest route to a destination, search for residential addresses or use it in work-related travel, according to the study.

Consumers use the "points of interest" feature on their navigation systems primarily to locate restaurants, airports, hotels, gas stations, entertainment shopping venues, banks and automated teller machines, the company said. The study also indicates that there is very high interest in real-time road construction and traffic information on their next system.

For 2000, Alpine Electronics ranks highest in navigation system customer satisfaction based on the performance of its new DVD system in the Acura RL, the study concluded. The award for highest-ranking navigation system is given to the supplier of the vehicle with the highest score in overall navigation system satisfaction and is based not only on the navigation system model's performance, but its layout and design within the particular vehicle, J. D. Power said

"DVD-based navigation systems offer greater geographical coverage, more detailed 'points of interest' information and increases the speed to calculate a route," Forkin said. "The quality of navigation systems is generally quite high, with less than one-half of the vehicle owners reporting a problem."

Closely following Alpine Electronics in the ranking is Denso's CD-ROM based navigation system for the Lexus GS, the study found.

The study indicates that the primary reasons consumers are dissatisfied with their navigation systems are due to issues concerning speed, accuracy and user-friendly operation. "Many user manuals are difficult to understand, and dealership personnel are often not qualified to answer even the most basic questions about the system," Forkin said. "Consumers get frustrated very quickly when they can't get their questions answered from the dealership personnel who sold them their vehicle."

The study includes responses from 4,900 consumers who recently purchased or leased vehicles with a factory-installed navigation system, J. D. Power said.