Cars and Drivers

Mercedes and Honda Win KBB Best Auto Tech

Douglas A. McIntyre

Published: January 4, 2017 5:00 am

Last Updated: January 12, 2020 4:12 pm

Who puts the best technology in its cars? According to Kelley Blue Book (KBB), Mercedes and Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (NYSE: HMC). In specific, Mercedes won the luxury category with it E-Class model and Honda with its Civic. Since many consumers complain about complex car electronics, the winners may have features that overcome those problems.

Zach Vlasuk, senior associate editor for KBB, announced:

Though many cars today offer loads of cutting-edge technology at increasingly attainable prices, one critically important measure helped catapult the Honda Civic and Mercedes-Benz E-Class into their respective winner’s circles: execution. The systems featured in both models delivered on their promise of enhancing the driving experience and safety quotient without adding complexity. And when distilled down to its essence, that’s what in-vehicle tech is all about.

Honda was specifically praised for its multi-angle camera and digital information display. Mercedes was cited for its airbag technology and Active Emergency Stop Assist.

Regularly, car research shows that drivers are often confused by too many electronic features. The best example of this may be the Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) MyTouch system from Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT). Ford discontinued the system in 2014.

Maybe the Mercedes E-Class and Honda Civic are more well received.