A Surprising Number of People Claim That Car Cupholders Are ‘Hard to Use’

      **Saturday Night Live/YouTube**

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      The consumer insight team at J.D. Power and Associates conducts an annual Initial Quality Survey (IQS) tailored to new car buyers. This survey provides a comparative analysis of customer satisfaction with vehicles from major brands in the market. Additionally, it reveals preferred features and trends among buyers. This year, one of the most notable increases in car-owner complaints was regarding cupholders.

      In its press release, J.D. Power explains:

      “Although it seemed that manufacturers had mastered the design of cupholders, the rise in owners using more reusable containers has left manufacturers struggling to adapt to the various shapes and sizes now available. As a result, there has been a noticeable rise in complaints from owners who expect their vehicles to accommodate different container sizes.”

      Further context was provided by Frank Hanley, Senior Director of Auto Benchmarking at J.D. Power. “In reviews of the top 10 problems within the industry, ‘cupholders – difficult to use’ has escalated from the [seventh] most troublesome issue for vehicles to the [third] most reported this year,” he shared via email.

      Third most troublesome seems significant, doesn’t it?

      Initially, the concept of climate-controlled cupholders seemed innovative, but with the prevalence of insulated coffee cups, it feels unnecessary.

      Hanley continued:

      “Our survey inquiries cover 227 specific areas where owners can report issues pertaining to their vehicles across 10 categories. Owners also have the option to mention any unsolved issues. This year, cupholders ranked as the third most reported item among those 227 issues.”

      “When a customer identifies a problem, we follow up with additional questions relevant to that issue, including requesting comments. Upon reviewing these comments, it became clear that more customers are unhappy about cupholders being unable to accommodate larger containers like Yetis and Stanley mugs. The larger cups also complicate access to storage spaces and controls in the center console, depending on where the cupholders are positioned.”

      As someone who enjoys both classic cars and large coffee cups, I deeply resonate with this issue. Driving my 20-year-old manual BMW with a drink in the center console is both amusing and frustrating. However, I am somewhat surprised that people are facing this problem with new cars—many of the press cars I have driven seem to handle cups quite adequately.

      Or could it be that my coffee cup just isn’t big enough?

      It's amusing to envision product planners at car manufacturers trying to anticipate the next travel mug trend as they design center console cupholder configurations. Years ago, during a discussion with someone at a German automotive company, I raised the query of, “Why aren’t the cupholders larger?” His hidden frustration with the idea of cupholders was evident. He responded, “Why do you need to drink while driving? Just take a break at a café.” Believe me, if I could spend my days sipping cappuccinos at scenic rest stops in Europe, that’s precisely where I would be writing this from today. However, here in America, I often endure long drives just to pick up groceries, and I’m unwilling to stay anywhere for that long without some coffee to enjoy.

      Joking aside, I genuinely appreciate having a drink while driving, and a well-designed cupholder greatly contributes to interior comfort. While it may seem trivial for so many individuals to voice complaints over something as minor as beverage storage, I can understand their perspective. Perhaps the silver lining is that one of the primary complaints from Americans regarding new cars might be resolved by simply opting for a smaller cup?

      For automakers facing the challenge of adapting to cup trends, here’s a suggestion: Cupholder adapters.

      Do you have a fantastic or frustrating cupholder experience in your vehicle? I’d love to hear about it at [email protected].