Others respond to your spoken commands. Many work silently and automatically behind the scenes, getting all their marching orders from onboard sensors. Back At The Shop Not all automotive computing power ends up on wheels, of course. Much of it gets used back at the shop. That's where car companies and their legions of suppliers tap increasingly powerful computers to design and thoroughly test car parts and even entire vehicles before they're actually built.
Computers also are a growing part of sales, service, and repair.
That includes the Internet, a resource you can use to research your next purchase and, starting this fall, even order your vehicle. Every new model year brings innovations. But the pace seems to be accelerating lately. Some industry experts think it's because features are replacing quality as a primary driver in the purchase decision. That's not to say consumers are willing to settle for shoddy cars and trucks.