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J.D. Power and Associates Reports: Panasonic's Rear-Seat Entertainment System in the Lexus GX 470 Ranks Highest in Customer Satisfaction
More Than One-Half of Current Rear-Seat Entertainment System Owners Report Wanting Their Next Vehicle to Also Include a Rear-Seat Entertainment System



WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Aug. 25 -- The Panasonic rear-seat entertainment (RSE) in the Lexus GX 470 system ranks highest in overall customer satisfaction, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2005 Rear-Seat Entertainment Usage and Satisfaction Study(SM) released today.

Among the 51 models examined in the 2005 study, the Lexus GX 470 Panasonic system ranks highest overall, receiving particularly high ratings from owners in the product support/instruction and appearance factors, which account for 40 percent of the total index weight.

While Panasonic still dominates the market, several other manufacturers are entering the arena with their own rear-seat entertainment systems, fully equipped with innovative features. New to the market is the 9-inch screen on the Honda Odyssey's RSE system.

"Honda's decision to equip the Odyssey with the largest screen available is a hit with consumers," said Lawrence Wu, senior director of automotive emerging technologies at J.D. Power and Associates. "Given that almost two-thirds of consumers in the study are willing to pay for a larger screen size, we expect to see others following Honda's lead."

While overall satisfaction with RSE systems is high in general, the study shows that the more owners use their RSE systems, the higher their satisfaction. Owners who use their system every day report the highest satisfaction. More than 90 percent of current RSE system owners would "definitely" or "probably" recommend their system to others, and more than one-half report that they want their next vehicle to include an RSE system.

"The target audience for the RSE system in most cases is families, who particularly appreciate being able to entertain the kids in the car," said Wu. "Losing this convenience because a new vehicle does not offer a rear-seat entertainment system is simply not an option for families who use the technology regularly."

When examining things gone wrong with RSE systems, the most problematic area is attributed to the supplied headphones. Nine out of ten RSE system owners would rather have wireless headphones, independent volume adjustment and system controls in the rear seat area in their next vehicle. More than one-half of consumers also report that they or their passengers utilize the headphones for the radio or CDs.

Along with wireless headphones, built-in monitors in headrests are also high in consumer demand. While not many owners currently have this feature, more than 60 percent would like the enhancement of their next system. Almost one-half of RSE owners consider a remote control to be the best method for operating the system.

The 2005 Rear-Seat Entertainment Usage and Satisfaction Study includes responses from more than 6,900 consumers who purchased a new vehicle with a factory-equipped rear-seat entertainment system.

source : theautochannel