J.D. Power

The Panasonic rear-seat entertainment system supplied in the GMC Yukon Denali ranks highest in customer satisfaction, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2004 Rear-Seat Entertainment Usage and Satisfaction StudySM released today.

The inaugural study measures the satisfaction of consumers who recently purchased or leased a vehicle with a factory-installed rear-seat entertainment system. Of the 39 models evaluated, Panasonic's system in the GMC Yukon Denali performs well above industry average for video screen, audio quality, ease of operation and overall appearance.

The study finds that consumers who use their rear-seat entertainment systems at least three days per week are more satisfied than owners who use their systems less often. More than one-half of owners use their new vehicle's rear-seat entertainment system at least once a week, while one-quarter of respondents say they use their systems three to four times a week. The most popular uses of the system are watching DVD/VHS movies and using the headphones to listen to radio/CDs.

"Over the past four years, there has been a notable increase in consumer familiarity of rear-seat entertainment systems among new-vehicle buyers, particularly among families with children, and relatively high interest when compared to other emerging features," said Melissa Sauter, director of the emerging technology practice at J.D. Power and Associates. "As the interest in rear-seat entertainment systems continues to increase, it becomes more and more important to understand consumer perceptions of these systems as well as the value consumers place on them."

Although satisfaction varies with rear-seat entertainment systems, in general, owners' satisfaction with their systems is high. Nearly 95 percent of the respondents say they would definitely/probably recommend their rear-seat entertainment system to others and nearly two out of three indicate that the lack of a rear-seat entertainment system option in a new vehicle would influence their buying decision.

Although consumers are generally satisfied with the controls of the system, nearly seven out of eight rear-seat entertainment system owners would like to have dashboard system controls and automatic daytime/evening adjustment of display resolution on their next system. About two-thirds of owners would appreciate parental locks for the rear-seat-area controls, 110-volt outlet and headphones with a volume lock that are designed for smaller children.

The 2004 Rear-Seat Entertainment Usage and Satisfaction Study includes responses from more than 4,500 consumers who purchased a new vehicle with a factory-equipped rear-seat entertainment system between September 2002 and September 2003.