Autoblog and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article.Buying a new car nowadays can be a tiring experience as you not only have to choose between multiple competing models but also decide what powertrain and equipment best suit your needs—and that's before you get to financing.Deciding which optional features to get is probably one of the most tedious tasks because there may be options you don't need now but might need later on and options you want but cannot afford, not to mention that some desirable options are sometimes bundled with others you don't care about. So yes, it takes time and patience to get it right.AdvertisementAdvertisementNow, if those are in short supply, you can always check out the list of the most popular options for new car buyers for inspiration—we're joking, although for some people that could be useful.Nearly Half Of 19,000 Survey Respondents Voted For Heated SeatsJames RiswickIf you're curious what are the most-wanted features people look for in new cars, a new study from automotive market research and consulting firm AutoPacific has revealed just that. Having surveyed over 19,000 licensed drivers who plan to purchase a new vehicle within the next three years, AutoPacific has released a list of over 160 features and technologies respondents have mentioned as desirable for their new cars.The top 15 features wanted by vehicle shoppers are obviously the most interesting, and heated seats were voted as the most popular feature by nearly half of respondents (47%). Interestingly, last year heated seats didn't even make the top 15, so the sudden surge in popularity is quite a mystery.The truth is few things are more satisfying than climbing into you car in the freezing cold and turning on the heated seats—and the cool thing about them is they don't cost that much (over $150 on average according to the study).Parking Sensors Ranked Second, Reverse Automatic Braking ThirdKristen BrownParking sensors (front and rear) came in second place with 45% of the votes, despite their average price of over $400. Still, one cannot overstate the usefulness of parking sensors, especially if you drive a big SUV (and who doesn't nowadays?).AdvertisementAdvertisementThe third most popular feature is a rather surprising one, namely "rearward automatic emergency braking," or reverse automatic braking as it's also known (44% of the votes, $50 average price).It's a safety feature that uses ultrasonic sensors and rear cameras to detect fixed and low-speed objects directly behind a vehicle (like walls or poles). If a crash risk occurs while reversing at low speeds, the system sounds an alert and automatically applies the brakes.While useful, it's kind of surprising to see it in third place, ahead of features like adaptive cruise control with lane centering and stop and go (7th spot, +$400)—which yours truly finds the most useful of the bunch—wireless phone charging (11th, +$100), and all-wheel drive (AWD)/4x4 (15th, +$2,000).You can find the full list of top 15 features wanted by vehicle shoppers below. Let us know what you think of the ranking in the comments and whether the listed features coincide with your favorite optional car features or not.AutoPacificThis story was originally published by Autoblog on Aug 8, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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