It turns out the biggest improvement in 2026 model-year cars is not advanced driver assistance systems or ultra-connected infotainment setups. It’s better cupholders.
Yes, cupholders were the biggest single contributor to the improvement in new-vehicle quality compared with last year’s models, according to the JD Power 2026 U.S. Initial Quality Study, which was released last week.
The annual study, which is now in its 40th year, combines survey data from about 78,500 purchasers and lessees of new 2026 vehicles after their first 90 days of ownership with repair visit data from dealerships. It measures new-vehicle quality by the number of problems reported per 100 vehicles (PP100). A lower score means fewer problems.
Overall, JD Power found that new-vehicle quality improved significanllty this year, falling to 175 PP100 from 192 PP100 last year. That marks the biggest year-over-year improvement since 1997 and the fourth-best score in the study’s history.
Quality measured over nearly a dozen categories
The study looks at 10 categories to determine its score, like infotainment, features and controls, exterior, interior, powertrain, driving assistance, and driving experience.
In this report, nine of those 10 categories saw an improvement over last year. The only one that got worse was infotainment.
That category rose to 44.4 PP100 in the mass-market segment and 38.3 PP100 in the premium segment. JD Power says Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity problems were the biggest culprit, accounting for a 1.4 PP100 increase in reported problems and making them the largest single contributor to the decline in infotainment quality.
Additionally, among owners who described distracted driving as a problem with their vehicle, 46% said the source was the infotainment system or the car’s touchscreens. None of this is exactly surprising as automakers continue cramming more and bigger screens into cars.
Simpler features and design improvements meant more to respondents than fancy screens
Conversely, cupholders had the biggest improvement in quality thanks to better placement and the ability to hold a wider variety of cups and water bottles. Other areas that saw big gains included driver assistance alerts, electric vehicle range, and road noise.
“As more technology is introduced into vehicles, keeping the experience simple matters more than ever,” Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at JD Power, said in a press release. “The biggest gains in quality come from features that are easy to use—simple controls, less-intrusive driver assistance and software that works the way customers expect. When technology becomes too complicated, the likelihood of customers experiencing a problem rises considerably”
When it comes to specific brands, Porsche ranked highest overall in initial quality with a score of 138 PP100. Genesis and Lexus followed among premium brands, with scores of 151 PP100 and 156 PP100, respectively.
Ford ranked highest among mass-market brands with a score of 152 PP100, followed by Nissan at 156 PP100 and Buick at 162 PP100.
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