What’s the most tech-heavy car on the market? Probably not what you think.

If that’s a question that has been troubling you, well, look no further. We’re gonna get to the bottom of it.

In its latest research, Select Car Leasing has revealed the tech-heaviest car brands and models on the market, analyzing how many tech features are advertised by the most popular automakers for each of their cars.

So are you ready to see the results?

The top 10 cars

Yep, BMW models not only make up 60% of the list, but also occupy the first three places.

The 💜 of EU tech

The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!

Specifically, the BMW 5 series advertises the largest amount of tech features on the market, with a total of 59. They include, among others, real-time traffic display, Apple CarPlay, and the BMW Teleservices. 

As the BMW 3 and 5 series include electric versions, it’s possible that EVs are represented as well — although the individual models are not specified by Select Car Leasing.

To be honest with you, I was expecting a Tesla somewhere in there, but perhaps I’ve been affected by Elon Musk’s usual boasting comments.

The top 10 brands

I’m sure you’re not surprised that BMW is the leader, with an average of 50 tech features per vehicle. Mercedez-Benz follows with 44, and in the fourth place we finally have Tesla.

It’s even clearer now that German brands (BMW, Mercedez-Benz, Audi, and Volkswagen) are dominant, when it comes to the number of tech features available in your car. 

But at least in the brand leaderboard American and Japanese automakers are represented as well.

The top 10 “cost-per-tech” models

Select Car Leasing also compared the price of each car to the number of tech features advertised by the manufacturer to find the best value. 

At a starting price of approximately $19,750 the Mini Cooper Hatchback has a total of 36 tech features, and it comes on top as the best value choice for tech lovers who are on a budget.

In fact, the research revealed that Mini is the brand with the lowest cost per tech feature, while the automaker with the highest average cost is… Tesla.

Tesla might include some futuristic features, but it just goes to show there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to tech in cars.

Do EVs excite your electrons? Do ebikes get your wheels spinning? Do self-driving cars get you all charged up? 

Then you need the weekly SHIFT newsletter in your life. Click here to sign up.