That’s according to a survey of 1,000 British car owners, carried out by BookMyGarage.com, which also found that one in five (19%) say they use only one or two of the settings available to them regularly, while 45% regularly use between just three and four settings.  

The research exposed a number of features that are commonly being left unused, due to lack of understanding. Cruise control was the most likely to cause confusion, followed by eco settings and gadgets such as Bluetooth.

Parking sensors and cameras were the fourth most likely to leave car owners bemused, followed by high-tech Heating and cooling systems.

And one in two (48%) of those who admit to not using all of the features said that not understanding how to use them was the main reason.

Karen Rotberg, director at BookMyGarage.com, said: “What is particularly interesting from the findings, is that so many car owners claim they specifically chose the car they did because of its features, yet lots haven’t got to grips with them or don’t use them – which is a shame considering a car is one of the biggest investments an adult will make.”