Car shoppers face a myriad of choices that start at a high level before being boiled down to checkboxes on an order form. You start with a given make and model before moving on to trims, powertrain choices, and then on down to the nitty-gritty luxury and tech features.
According to automotive market research firm AutoPacific, however, there is one feature that stands above the rest: heated seats. Car shoppers want to keep their backsides toasty more than anything else, making heated seats the number-one feature for new-vehicle shoppers.
AutoPacific spoke to more than 19,000 licensed drivers who intend to purchase a vehicle within the next three years. Of those surveyed, 47 percent stated that they need heated seats.
The rest of the list features a lot of modern safety equipment, a bit of tech, and one particular drivetrain option. Here are the top 15 features, in order:
- Heated Seats — 47 percent
- Parking Sensors (Front And Rear) — 45 percent
- Rear Automatic Emergency Braking — 44 percent
- Power Front Driver's Seat — 43 percent
- Lane Change Assist — 43 percent
- Night Vision — 43 percent
- Adaptive Cruise Control With Active Lane Centering — 43 percent
- Rear Cross Traffic Alert — 42 percent
- Auto Part — 41 percent
- Wireless Charging Pad — 41 percent
- Power Front Passenger Seat — 40 percent
- Dash Camera — 40 percent
- Large Animal Detection — 39 percent
- All-Wheel Drive — 39 percent
One interesting thing to note in this study is the increasing comfort level drivers feel with advanced safety features. AutoPacific notes that 62 percent of drivers feel comfortable enabling their vehicle to handle certain driving tasks. This includes lane centering and parallel parking.
That number has risen from 57 percent in 2024 and 60 percent in 2025.
Motor1's Take: Heated seats are an interesting choice for the number one most wanted feature, but not surprising. Lots of folks like tossing on the booty warmers. I'm just surprised that ventilated seats didn't also make the list.
