COSTA MESA, Calif., Aug. 27, 2019 -- Some alerts on Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are so annoying or bothersome that many drivers disable the systems and may try to avoid them on future vehicle purchases, according to the J.D. Power 2019 U.S. Tech Experience Index (TXI) Study,SM released today. This is a major concern for automakers keen to market these lucrative technologies and pave the way for more highly automated vehicles in the future.

"Automakers are spending lots of money on advanced technology development, but the constant alerts can confuse and frustrate drivers," said Kristin Kolodge, Executive Director of Driver Interaction & Human Machine Interface Research at J.D. Power. "The technology can't come across as a nagging parent; no one wants to be constantly told they aren't driving correctly."

A prime example of this is lane-keeping and centering systems. On average, 23% of customers with these systems complain that the alerts are annoying or bothersome. This ranges from just 8% for one domestic brand to more than 30% for a couple of import brands. For these owners, 61% sometimes disable the system, compared with just 21% of those that don't consider the alerts annoying or bothersome. Owners wanting the feature on their next vehicle ranges from 63% for those that consider the alerts annoying or bothersome to 91% for those who do not.

Kolodge also points out the significant differences across brands. "Some brands are succeeding at making their safety technology effective without being overbearing. Some are good at one aspect but weaker at another, and some are struggling with both. This is why one brand has 90% of its customers wanting lane-keeping/centering on their next vehicle, while another brand has just 59% of its customers saying the same thing."

Overall satisfaction with new-vehicle technology ranges widely across the vehicles in the study. The best-performing vehicle in the study is the Kia Stinger, scoring 834 (on a 1,000-point scale). The overall average is 781, with the lowest-scoring model achieving just 709.

The study, now in its fourth year, measures owners' experiences, usage and interaction with 38 driver-centric vehicle technologies at 90 days of ownership. The study provides clarity to auto manufacturers, insurance carriers, telecommunications companies and consumer electronic companies regarding ways to minimize the gap between driver experience and technology feature execution. The major technology categories analyzed in the study are entertainment and connectivity; collision protection; comfort and convenience; driving assistance; smartphone mirroring; and navigation.

At $2.59, the national gas price average is poised to be potentially the cheapest Labor Day weekend average in three years. Today’s average is already nearly a quarter cheaper than during last year’s holiday ($2.83) and four cents cheaper than 2017’s Labor Day ($2.63).

“For Americans who bookend summer with road trips, they will find gas prices this coming weekend that are cheaper than this past Memorial Day and last year’s Labor Day holiday,” said Jeanette Casselano, AAA spokesperson. “At the start of the week, two-thirds of all states have gas price averages that are nearly a quarter cheaper than last year.”

While some states may see gas prices increase by a few pennies ahead of the holiday weekend, which isn’t atypical, any jumps will be short-term.

Quick Stats

The nation’s top 10 largest yearly decreases: Idaho (-43 cents), Louisiana (-38 cents), Indiana (-38 cents), Florida (-36 cents), Kentucky (-35 cents), Delaware (-35 cents), Utah (-35 cents), Mississippi (-35 cents), Alaska (-34 cents) and Oklahoma (-34 cents).
The nation’s top 10 most expensive markets: Hawaii ($3.64), California ($3.57), Washington ($3.21), Nevada ($3.13), Oregon ($3.05), Alaska ($3.00), Utah ($2.85), Idaho ($2.82), Arizona ($2.81) and New York ($2.79).

Mid-Atlantic and Northeast

Gas prices are cheaper across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states by as much as a nickel, but that large drop only happened for one state: North Carolina (-5 cents). New Jersey (-4 cents) saw the second largest decline followed by these four states with a three-cent weekly decrease: Virginia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Maryland. But the real savings for motorists in region is compared to this time last year – gas prices are at least 19 cents cheaper. Heading into Labor Day weekend last year, state gas price averages ranged from $2.59 – $3.03 whereas this year they are $2.29 – $2.79.

Despite a 1% dip in regional refinery utilization, gasoline stocks built by 781,000 bbl, per the Energy Information Administration (EIA). This is the fourth straight week that utilization fell, yet three straight weeks of stock increases. As previously reported, imports are easing concerns related to the decline in utilization due to the pending closure of a regional refinery. Stocks sit at a nearly 1 million bbl deficit compared to this time last year.

New airbag development led by U.S. engineers at Honda R&D center in Ohio

New design focuses on enhancing protection of front passengers in angled front crashes

Effort to advance airbag technology reflects Honda "Safety for Everyone" initiative

RAYMOND, Ohio, Aug. 23, 2019 -- Honda today announced the development of an innovative new passenger front airbag technology designed to better protect occupants in a wide range of frontal collision scenarios, including angled crashes between vehicles or a vehicle and another object. Honda plans to begin applying its advanced airbag design to new products in the United States in 2020.

Development and testing of the new airbag was led by engineers at Honda R&D Americas, Inc. in Ohio in partnership with Autoliv, one of the company's safety systems suppliers. The new design is based on Honda's commitment to developing technologies that better protect vehicle occupants in a wide range of crash scenarios. In 2017, upwards of 37,000 people lost their lives on U.S. roadways as a result of motor vehicle traffic crashes, a slight decrease from the previous two years, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

"This new airbag technology represents Honda's continuing effort to advance safety performance in a wider variety of crash scenarios and reflects the innovative thinking that our engineers are bringing to the challenge of reducing traffic injuries and fatalities," said Jim Keller, President of Honda R&D Americas, Inc. "Guided by Honda's 'Safety for Everyone' commitment, our engineers recognize that their work on this type of breakthrough safety technology will have far-reaching effects on peoples' lives for many years to come."

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 8, 2019 -- CarGurus (Nasdaq: CARG), a leading online automotive marketplace, today announced the winners of its third annual Best Used Car Awards. The 2019 awards identify the best recent-year used models across sixteen body style categories based on the company's analysis of long-term projected value retention, driver satisfaction, expert reviews, and both model popularity and availability.

"CarGurus knows that research is the bedrock of a great car-buying experience and we hope that our third annual Best Used Car Awards help today's car shoppers in that process," said Matt Smith, Senior Editor at CarGurus. "These award-winning vehicles are popular, plentiful, well-reviewed and—based on our projections—should retain their value for years to come. For people shopping for a great used car, these vehicles are certainly worth considering."

The 2019 Best Used Car Awards recipients and finalists are:

ATLANTA, Aug. 22, 2019 -- Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) today announced an all-new Augmented Reality (AR) experience featuring 2017 U.S. Open champion and Mercedes-Benz Ambassador Sloane Stephens. The interactive consumer exhibition will debut at this year's U.S. Open in which the brand is also an official sponsor. From August 21 through September 8, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, NY, spectators can try their hand at a virtual lesson from the tennis pro as she competes in real life on the court. Following the U.S. Open, on September 15, Mercedes-Benz' AR activation will travel to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, available during the first Atlanta Falcons home game of the season featuring Falcons quarterback and Mercedes-Benz Ambassador, Matt Ryan.

Mercedes-Benz developed a new kind of AR technology experience by capturing the style and play of beloved athlete Sloane Stephens and translating the footage into AR features, with no mobile device target or facial recognition software needed. To capture Sloane's superior performance in high quality, Mercedes-Benz recorded the 2017 U.S. Open Champion in front of a green screen as an alpha-channel enabled video, which creates an illusion mimicking her real-life behaviors and motions.

To activate the game, guests approach the tennis court backdrop and verbally ask, "Hey Mercedes, teach me to play like Sloane," and she will appear in the game. Guests will be fully immersed in court side play with an untethered racquet in hand to experience a highly personalized and sometimes comical, one-on-one tennis lesson, learning form and precision from the tennis superstar.