IRVINE, Calif. -

A bevy of automakers have put a great deal of emphasis and investment into technological amenities within the cars they build these days, with the bells-and-whistles running the gamut of navigation to infotainment and more.

Likewise, many car companies have upgraded the performance features in their vehicles to create more reliable, higher-quality product for today’s more discerning, highly educated car buyer.

But if the results from a recent Kelley Blue Book Market Intelligence Quick Poll are any indication, consumers care a lot more about how a vehicle performs than its technological perks.

When asked whether vehicle performance (horsepower, handling, etc.) or technology was more important, 76.22 percent of the respondents pointed to performance, KBB indicated.

“I think that people do enjoy the technology perks. However, when spending their money, people usually put more importance on the actual vehicle performance,” KBB Market Intelligence research analyst Mark Williams told Auto Remarketing in an interview Friday afternoon.

“So to consumers, I think it’s more important to actually have a vehicle that’s reliable, especially since technology continues to evolve and gets outdated eventually,” he added.

Williams also emphasized that consumers have alternate sources — like the aftermarket — to find some of these technological perks without having to pay for them to be included in the vehicle from the get-go.

“So I think when people are in market for a vehicle and they’re looking into weighing out whether technology is important or the actual performance of the vehicle, performance definitely is more important at that point because they know later on you can always purchase any of these extra gadgets,” he noted.

Williams pointed to another KBB study showing that the under-30 crowd is “more familiar with in-vehicle technology” compared to other age groups. However, these youngsters still go for performance, which “is definitely the priority.”

With increased familiarity, would technology become more important to all shoppers? Perhaps, Williams said, but performance will likely still reign in priority.

“I could see as awareness increases, people will take value in that technology,” he explained. “I can’t really say for sure what direction it would take, because performance is always going to be of top interest especially when people are considering their vehicle.”

Role of the Internet

The actual vehicle isn’t the only aspect of the car business that is being affected by technology either, however.

Technology has left its footprint in the car-shopping process, and the Web has had an especially strong impact.

Interestingly enough, though, an overwhelming majority (86 percent) of respondents in another Quick Poll said they would never buy a car online before physically test-driving it.

Williams was not surprised by the result.

“It’s actually been consistent with what we’ve seen,” he explained. “Studies have found that there’s actually psychological value to being able to touch the product, especially when you’re making such a large purchase.”

That said, more people are going online to do car research and use the Web in tandem with an in-store visit. But shoppers often still need that visit to the lot before they make a purchase.

“As we know, people conduct the majority of their research online and we’ve actually seen an increase in online research over the past few years,” Williams pointed out. “Online research is kind of used to supplement the dealer experience, but not necessarily replace it.”

Japanese Inventory Situation

Next up, another Quick Poll dealt with consumers’ outlook on the Japanese supply issues. More than three-fifths (61 percent) are expecting Japanese OEMs to have inventory back in line late this year, but 15 percent don’t believe they will ever normalize.

“I think perceptions of Japanese automakers are down and the general public doesn’t see how they can overcome all of these obstacles,” said Williams, explaining the high number of nay-sayers. “It’s likely that at the end of the year, these perceptions will actually change, as Japanese automakers rebound.”

Williams also pointed to a consumer sentiment survey (of dealerships overall, not just Japanese brands) indicating that more than four out of every 10 dealership visitors in October felt there was a low supply of cars available and had trouble finding their vehicle of choice.

“Just generally speaking, there’s always going to be a certain percentage of people that are going to be quite skeptical,” he said.

That said, Williams noted shopper activity data showing that KBB has “actually seen an increase in shopper activity as inventory is returning to the lots” at
Japanese-brand dealerships.

Hybrid Interest

When it comes to buying a car, almost half (45 percent) of shoppers said they never plan to purchase or lease a hybrid, another Quick Poll found. Meanwhile, one-third said “Maybe, if the price is right,” when asked about hybrid consideration. An additional 14 percent said yes they would buy a hybrid.

Another 9 percent already own or lease a hybrid.

“Traditional gas vehicles have been increasing their MPG ratings, and they’re getting really close to hybrids. So people aren’t seeing the value in spending that extra money,” Williams shared. “It’s pretty much a matter of diminishing returns.”

He emphasized that hybrids “fluctuate the most” of any segment, “especially when gas prices are fluctuating.”

When asked what it would take for the percentage of shoppers saying "yes" to hybrid consideration to climb, Williams said several factors could play a role, rattling off things like changing the styling, performance, social image, maintenance and pricing of these vehicles.

And as for the last factor, he emphasized the third of shoppers who said “maybe” based on price.

“Of that 33 percent, we might be able to capture some of these people if we can work with price, as well,” Williams noted.