New Survey Suggests Drivers Are Rethinking Their Relationship with In-Car Technology

Car owners are starting to quietly admit something the industry probably doesn’t want to hear: they’re getting a bit fed up with the tech.

That’s one of the clearest takeaways from the latest Driver Power 2026 survey from Auto Express, which shows overall satisfaction has dropped from 89.6% in 2024 to 84.2% this year across the top 50 cars.

Not catastrophic, but definitely a trend – and it applies to almost everything tech-related.
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Safety features are down sharply, infotainment has slipped, and interior satisfaction is also falling as screens continue to multiply and physical controls disappear.

In fact, Safety Features recorded the biggest drop of all categories, down nearly eight per cent since 2024.

And slightly awkward for manufacturers, this is happening at the same time cars are becoming more advanced than ever. Mandatory safety systems are increasing across Europe and the UK, with new rules requiring up to 18 driver assistance features in some new models.

On paper, that should be a win for drivers – but many are switching off, literally. A 2024 Brake survey found 41% of drivers disable at least some active safety systems, citing irritation and distraction.

So a strange contradiction is forming: manufacturers are adding more tech than ever, while drivers are actively trying to escape it.

Even the once-celebrated touchscreen revolution is starting to wobble. Driver Power shows satisfaction with the “balance between touch and physical controls” has dropped from 89.1% to 84% in three years. User-friendliness is also down – from 87.8% to 81.4%.
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Euro NCAP has already begun responding, with new ratings increasingly favouring physical buttons over full-screen interfaces.

So this isn't really a “people hate technology” story – it’s that people hate bad technology.

Tesla is a good example of the split. The Model 3 actually topped the Safety Features category, suggesting drivers will embrace advanced systems – as long as they’re predictable and not constantly in the way.

When tech works cleanly, drivers love it. When it feels like it’s second-guessing them, they don’t.

The direction of travel is becoming clearer: less obsession with bigger screens, more demand for usability. Or put simply – drivers don’t want less tech. They just want it to behave itself.

autoexpress.co.uk/driver-power-2026