gavriil

2004 J.D. Power APEAL Rankings - - By TCC Team - - Source: The Car Connection


Lexus
910

Porsche
903

Cadillac
902

BMW
900

Jaguar
897

Infiniti
896

Mercedes-Benz
895

Acura
892

MINI
890

Audi
887

Lincoln
887

Volvo
883

HUMMER
881

Saab
873

Land Rover
867

Mazda
864

Nissan
859

Volkswagen
857

Mercury
856

Mitsubishi
855

Honda
854

Chrysler
852

Hyundai
852

Toyota
852

Industry Average
852

Scion
850

Dodge
848

GMC
847

Ford
843

Pontiac
841

Chevrolet
836

Buick
834

Saturn
834

Suzuki
834

Kia
830

Subaru
827

Jeep
818

Oldsmobile
811

Isuzu
810

gavriil

You know that things have changed when Cadillac has more appeal than BMW.

Crazy Bimmer

poor Audi


Good work for acura though, right below Benz means somthing. Im kinda shocked that people think the Lexus label has more appeal than a Porsche.

titan

Whoa... this is the survey that counts. Caddy above BMW and Mercedes?! Infiniti on top of Mercedes
! Way to, Infiniti. What I think is most amazing though, is the enormous strides the Hyundai brand has made, scoring the same amount of points as Chrysler and Toyota.

Crazy Bimmer

Does APEAL mean the same as APPEAL?

goldmemberer

APEAL = Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout.

Hyundai > Toyota? I'm impressed. But it does sound a little outside the real-world opinions I hear everday.

heyitsme

I really don't get the logic behind the study, cars that they have as highest ranked: marauder, gto, baja, etc aren't doing that well.

kansaiwalker1

Werd. Seems like more of a popularity contest.

phile

How come I didn't get a survey...where are they polling and who are they polling...

amir was here

.

TSX69

Fuel Price Concerns Lead to Decrease in Vehicle Appeal
Thursday June 26, 7:00 am ET
American Honda and Toyota Motor Sales Each Receive Three Model-Level Awards

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., June 26 /PRNewswire/ -- In a reversal of a steady upward trend from previous years, overall new-vehicle owner delight has declined slightly in 2008, primarily due to owner concerns about fuel prices, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study(SM) released today.

The study, now in its 13th year, measures owner delight with the design, content, layout and performance of their new vehicles. APEAL complements the J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study(SM) (IQS), which focuses on problems experienced by owners during the first 90 days of ownership. APEAL examines how gratifying a new vehicle is to own and drive, based on owner evaluations of 10 measures, encompassing more than 90 vehicle attributes. Over the years, vehicle models achieving high APEAL scores have been shown to benefit from faster sales, reduced need for consumer incentives and higher margins on each vehicle sold.

The overall APEAL score in 2008 averages 770 on a 1,000-point scale -- a 2-point decrease since 2007. A significant decrease in owner delight with fuel economy accounts for more than one-half of the overall decline.

"Average prices at the fuel pump have increased by 27 percent in the period between the 2007 and 2008 APEAL studies, creating heightened sensitivity to fuel economy among new-vehicle owners," said David Sargent, vice president of automotive research at J.D. Power and Associates. "Even though more consumers are now achieving the gas mileage they expect compared with previous years, the increased cost of filling their vehicles still leads to a greater level of dissatisfaction with fuel economy than in the past. Manufacturers that deliver more fuel-efficient vehicles and integrate alternative fuel technology into their designs stand a better chance of delighting their customers and being successful in this rapidly changing marketplace."

The study finds that overall scores for most APEAL performance measures have either stayed the same or declined since 2007; only performance in the area of audio, entertainment and navigation improves slightly.

"Manufacturers are working to increase customer delight by introducing entertainment and navigation technology that owners find particularly appealing," said Sargent. "The key to doing this successfully is to develop technology features with the needs and wants of the user in mind -- most importantly, ensuring that technology is designed to be consumer-friendly and intuitive to use. Technology that is overly complicated to operate runs the risk of disappointing the customer."

The study also finds that, in a departure from previous years, models that have been mildly "refreshed" achieve higher APEAL scores, on average, than all-new or redesigned models.

"Historically, all-new vehicle models have been more successful in delighting customers than refreshed models, but this year, launching appealing new models has been more difficult for manufacturers," said Sargent. "The long-term success of a model can be predicted partially from how well it launches, which underscores the importance of a strong debut. Those automakers that manage to achieve high levels of both appeal and initial quality in their models can expect to benefit not only from customer acclaim, but also increased profitability."

APEAL Model-Level and Nameplate Rankings

Honda captures three model segment awards -- more than any other vehicle nameplate this year -- for the Fit (for a second consecutive year), Odyssey (for a fourth consecutive year) and Ridgeline (for a fourth consecutive year). Porsche, Toyota and Volkswagen each garner two awards. Porsche models receiving awards are the Cayenne and Cayman (for a third consecutive year), while Toyota earns awards for the FJ Cruiser and Sequoia. Volkswagen receives awards for the GTI/R32 (for a second consecutive year) and the Passat. The Honda Fit and Toyota Sequoia are the only two models to rank highest in their segments in both the APEAL and IQS studies.

Also receiving awards are the BMW 5 Series, Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Avalanche, Dodge Magnum, Land Rover Range Rover, Lexus IS, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, and MINI Cooper.

Porsche is the highest-ranking nameplate in APEAL for a fourth consecutive year. Among the 36 ranked nameplates, 20 experience a decline in index scores since 2007, while 15 improve. Domestic brands comprise the eight most-improved nameplates. Buick posts the largest improvement, followed by Chrysler, Ford, Mercury and Dodge, respectively. A majority of the most-improved models are also from domestic manufacturers, including the redesigned Ford Focus, Dodge Grand Caravan and Chevrolet Malibu.

The 2008 APEAL Study is based on responses gathered between February and May 2008 from more than 81,500 purchasers and lessees of new 2008 model-year cars and trucks who were surveyed after the first 90 days of ownership.

Find more detailed findings on new-vehicle APEAL performance as well as model photos and specs by watching a video, reading an article and reviewing APEAL ratings at JDPower.com.

About J.D. Power and Associates

Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, training and customer satisfaction. The company's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP - News) is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2007 were $6.8 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.

J.D. Power and Associates Media Relations Contacts:
John Tews Syvetril Perryman
Troy, Mich. Westlake Village, Calif.
(248) 312-4119 (805) 418-8103
john.tews@jdpa.com syvetril.perryman@jdpa.com

No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of J.D. Power and Associates. http://www.jdpower.com/corporate

2008 Nameplate APEAL Ranking
(Based on a 1,000-point scale)

Porsche 854
Jaguar 844
BMW 841
Mercedes-Benz 841
Lexus 834
Cadillac 827
MINI 823
Audi 822
Infiniti 819
Land Rover 818
Acura 807
Lincoln 802
Volkswagen 797
SAAB 792
Volvo 791
GMC 778
HUMMER 778
Scion 773
Mazda 771
Buick 770
Industry Average 770
Mitsubishi 769
Ford 768
Saturn 767
Honda 764
Nissan 763
Toyota 760
Chrysler 759
Chevrolet 757
Mercury 755
Dodge 747
Hyundai 747
Kia 744
Pontiac 737
Jeep 722
Subaru 719
Suzuki 719

NOTE: smart is included in the study, but not ranked due to small sample size.

Top Three Models per Segment
Car Segments

Sub-Compact Car
Highest Ranked: Honda Fit
Toyota Yaris
Scion xD

Compact Car
Highest Ranked: MINI Cooper
Volkswagen Rabbit
Ford Focus

Compact Sporty Car
Highest Ranked: Volkswagen GTI/R32
Saturn SKY
Scion tC

Compact Premium Sporty Car
Highest Ranked: Porsche Cayman
Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
Audi TT

Entry Premium Vehicle
Highest Ranked: Lexus IS 250/IS 350/IS-F
BMW 3 Series
Mercedes Benz C-Class

Midsize Premium Car
Highest Ranked: BMW 5 Series
Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Audi A6

Large Premium Car
Highest Ranked: Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Lexus LS
Jaguar XJ

Midsize Car
Highest Ranked: Volkswagen Passat
Chevrolet Malibu
Honda Accord

Large Car
Highest Ranked: Dodge Magnum
Dodge Charger
Toyota Avalon

NOTE: There must be at least four models with sufficient sample in any given award segment for an award to be issued. In 2008, there are only two premium sporty models and three midsize sporty models with sufficient sample, thus no premium sporty and midsize sporty awards are issued.

Top Three Models per Segment
Truck / Multi-Activity Vehicle (MAV) Segments

Compact MAV
Highest Ranked: Toyota FJ Cruiser
Mazda CX-7
Nissan Rogue

Midsize MAV
Highest Ranked: Buick Enclave
Mazda CX-9
Hyundai Veracruz

Large MAV
Highest Ranked: Toyota Sequoia
Nissan Armada
Chevrolet Tahoe

Midsize Premium MAV
Highest Ranked: Porsche Cayenne
BMW X5
Audi Q7

Large Premium MAV
Highest Ranked: Land Rover Range Rover
Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
Lincoln Navigator

Large Pickup
Highest Ranked: Chevrolet Avalanche
Toyota Tundra
GMC Sierra LD

Midsize Pickup
Highest Ranked: Honda Ridgeline
Ford Explorer Sport Trac
Toyota Tacoma

Van
Highest Ranked: Honda Odyssey
Nissan Quest
Toyota Sienna

charliemike

When something comes along like these gas prices, I think JD Power should have done polling with and without gas prices in the model. The irrational reaction to a new car purchase because of gas expenses (partially independent of the car itself) skews the results.

And I'm stunned Hyundai is so low. This APEAL study is for new vehicles. Hyundais are pretty good cars now? Are their demographics still in the shitter?

I find it hard to believe that people love their Jags far more than others love their Hondas because Jags are better cars.

I think this study reveals (in part) that people are willing to overlook all kinds of faults (to a point) when they can say they have a Jag/BMW/Audi in the driveway.

For that reason, I think it's all the more important that Acura get their shit together and start rebuilding the marque.

Edward'TLS

No Honda/Acura SUV makes it to the lists.

Ashburner

I could not be happier with our Buick Enclave. It has far exceeded my expectations.

Ashburner

Do they appeal to anyone except boring ass people

IntegraVT

iTrader: (1)

Dodge Magnum, the highest ranked large car?

Good thing Cerberus decided to discontinue it... can't have it making the other Chrysler products look bad.

TMQ

From BMWCCA:

BMW was third overall and the 5 Series was first in its segment in the 2008 J.D. Power & Associates APEAL, or Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout study, which measures customer delight with new cars, or “how gratifying a car is to drive.” As you might expect, on a survey like this, a 5 Series is going to fare better than a Ford Taurus. Mini was first in its segment; the 3 Series and X5 were second in their segments. Porsche was first overall for the fourth straight year.

Of all the J.D. Power surveys, this is the one that’s kindest to luxury/performance cars: Porsche, Jaguar, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Cadillac typically score near the top. Counting back from this year, BMW’s finishes have been third (tie) this year, second in 2007, second in 2006, seventh in 2005, and fifth in 2004, out of three dozen makes surveyed. Mini didn’t have a big enough sample size last year to be rated; in 2006 it was ninth.

Power says 20 of the 36 nameplates suffered a drop in ratings this year, 15 improved, and one was unchanged. The industry average score was down by 2 points, to 770, on a 1,000-point scale. Honda did best overall in the breakouts with firsts in three model categories.

Also, according to Power:

* Dissatisfaction with higher fuel prices and the cost of fill-ups may have affected the scores.
* This year, all-new vehicles weren’t more successful at delighting buyers than refreshed models. Usually a new vehicle scores higher than a restyled vehicle.

Power runs several studies each year on cars. They include:

* Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS). It measures reliability after three years of ownership. BMW was 12th, Mini was 25th. This is the most clear-cut of the surveys and the most useful if you’re thinking of buying or leasing a three- to five-year-old car. See J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability: BMW 7th, Mini 25th on VDS.
* Initial Quality Study (IQS). It measures problems in the first 90 days of ownership; the problems include perceived design issues, not just mechanical defects. BMW was 21st, Mini 34th. BMW was marked down, for instance, for brake dust on the alloys. See Power quality survey: BMW stuck at 21st (Mini 34th).
* Customer Service Index (CSI). This measures satisfaction with the service department. The survey years ago was a broader customer satisfaction index of the entire dealership, buying process, and the car itself. It measures dealership service, so you don’t know, for instance, how BMW service operations stack up against independents, only against, say, Mercedes and Audi. (Answer: Best of all European luxury brands except Jaguar, which won the survey. Shows how times have changed.) See BMW No. 9 in JD Power CSI service-repair study.

The table below shows the 2008 APEAL scores, along with comparison scores for 2007 (score, then order of finish) and for 2006. APEAL was based on reponses from owners of more than 81,500 newly purchased or leased 2008 models.

J.D. POWER & ASSOCIATES 2008 APEAL - NAMEPLATES
(Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout)

Rank Brand. . . . . . . . .Score. .2007-Rank. 2006-Rank
1. Porsche. . . . . . . . . .854. . . .849-1. . . 859-1
2. Jaguar. . . . . . . . . . 844. . . .841-4. . . 820-7
3. BMW. . . . . . . . . . . .841. . . .847-2. . . 843-2
3. Mercedes-Benz. . . . . . .841. . . .844-3. . . 832-3
5. Lexus. . . . . . . . . . .834. . . .836-5. . . 829-4
6. Cadillac. . . . . . . . . 827. . . .818-8. . . 803-12
7. Mini. . . . . . . . . . . 823. . . .---NR. . . 811-9
8. Audi. . . . . . . . . . . 822. . . .829-6. . . 824-6
9. Infiniti. . . . . . . . . 819. . . .823-7. . . 827-5
10 Land Rover. . . . . . . . 818. . . .816-9. . . 818-8
11 Acura. . . . . . . . . . .807. . . .815-10. . .808-10
12 Lincoln. . . . . . . . . .802. . . .810-11. . .806-11
13 Volkswagen. . . . . . . . 797. . . .800-13. . .791-14
14 SAAB. . . . . . . . . . . 792. . . .784-14. . .799-13
15 Volvo. . . . . . . . . . .791. . . .792-14. . .791-14
16 GMC. . . . . . . . . . . .778. . . .768-21. . .770-20
16 Hummer. . . . . . . . . . 778. . . .773-19. . .776-17
18 Scion. . . . . . . . . . .773. . . .809-12. . .773-18
19 Mazda. . . . . . . . . . .771. . . .777-16. . .768-21
20 Buick. . . . . . . . . . .770. . . .750-28. . .759-26
-- Industry Average. . . . . 770. . . .772---. . .769---
21 Mitsubishi. . . . . . . . 769. . . .770-20. . .765-22
22 Ford. . . . . . . . . . . 768. . . .754-27. . .753-29
23 Saturn. . . . . . . . . . 767. . . .757-26. . .737-32
24 Honda. . . . . . . . . . .764. . . .776-17. . .782-16
25 Nissan. . . . . . . . . . 763. . . .776-17. . .773-18
26 Toyota. . . . . . . . . . 760. . . .761-25. . .760-25
27 Chrysler. . . . . . . . . 759. . . .740-31. . .755-28
28 Chevrolet. . . . . . . . .757. . . .763-23. . .756-27
29 Mercury. . . . . . . . . .755. . . .743-29. . .750-30
30 Dodge. . . . . . . . . . .747. . . .737-33. . .748-31
31 Hyundai. . . . . . . . . .747. . . .766-22. . .764-23
32 Kia. . . . . . . . . . . .744. . . .742-30. . .733-34
33 Pontiac. . . . . . . . . .737. . . .762-24. . .763-24
34 Jeep. . . . . . . . . . . 722. . . .718-35. . .703-35
35 Subaru. . . . . . . . . . 719. . . .724-34. . .723-34
35 Suzuki. . . . . . . . . . 719. . . .738-32. . .735-33

J.D. POWER & ASSOCIATES 2008 APEAL - TOP MODELS
(Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout)
Top Three Models per Segment

Car Segments
Sub-Compact Car
Highest Ranked: Honda Fit
Toyota Yaris
Scion xD

Compact Car
Highest Ranked: MINI Cooper
Volkswagen Rabbit
Ford Focus

Compact Sporty Car
Highest Ranked: Volkswagen GTI/R32
Saturn SKY
Scion tC

Compact Premium Sporty Car
Highest Ranked: Porsche Cayman
Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
Audi TT

Entry Premium Vehicle
Highest Ranked: Lexus IS 250/IS 350/IS-F
BMW 3 Series
Mercedes Benz C-Class

Midsize Premium Car
Highest Ranked: BMW 5 Series
Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Audi A6

Large Premium Car
Highest Ranked: Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Lexus LS
Jaguar XJ

Midsize Car
Highest Ranked: Volkswagen Passat
Chevrolet Malibu
Honda Accord

Large Car
Highest Ranked: Dodge Magnum
Dodge Charger
Toyota Avalon

Truck / Multi -Activity Vehicle (MAV) Segments

Compact MAV
Highest Ranked: Toyota FJ Cruiser
Mazda CX-7
Nissan Rogue

Midsize MAV
Highest Ranked: Buick Enclave
Mazda CX-9
Hyundai Veracruz

Large MAV
Highest Ranked: Toyota Sequoia
Nissan Armada
Chevrolet Tahoe

Large Pickup
Highest Ranked: Chevrolet Avalanche
Toyota Tundra
GMC Sierra LD

Midsize Premium MAV
Highest Ranked: Porsche Cayenne
BMW X5
Audi Q7

Large Premium MAV
Highest Ranked: Land Rover Range Rover
Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
Lincoln Navigator

Midsize Pickup
Highest Ranked: Honda Ridgeline
Ford Explorer Sport Trac
Toyota Tacoma

Van
Highest Ranked: Honda Odyssey
Nissan Quest
Toyota Sienna

No 2008 awards (requires 4 models with sufficient sample size) for: premium sporty models (only 2 in sample), midsize sporty models (3 in sample).

Steelers Wheels

It's too bad that Land Rover ranks so high here and then hits the bottom on the quality surveys

Their advertising slogan should be "you'll f"in love it until it breaks..........."



Also, I love the Bimmer reponse to the Initial Quality Report results" Initial Quality Study (IQS). It measures problems in the first 90 days of ownership; the problems include perceived design issues, not just mechanical defects. BMW was 21st, Mini 34th. BMW was marked down, for instance, for brake dust on the alloys."

Lol- good stuff

phile

Of all the awards, the Ridgeline comes out on top in its segment. As much as I think its clever, the looks, poor mileage (for a Honda), and performance (it feels as heavy as it is) garners poor marks in my book.

I wish Honda would give us that kind of package in a vehicle the size of a CR-V and with a 4-cylinder.

phile

Of all the awards, the Ridgeline comes out on top in its segment. As much as I think its clever, the looks, poor mileage (for a Honda), and performance (it feels as heavy as it is) garners poor marks in my book.

I wish Honda would give us that kind of package in a vehicle the size of a CR-V and with a 4-cylinder.

007TL-S

I wish my 07'TL got better mileage myself !...they placed 11th on performance & execution , man they need to get with it!

TMQ

Acura gets a ranking that we all expect. This is I think more accurate that some other surveys done previously that ask people about their perceptions about luxury cars.

Because of owner's expectations, Initial quality surveys are not that useful.

TSX69

J. D. Power & Associates 2010 Automotive Performance, Execution & Layout (APEAL) Study

Porsche once again grabs the top spot (for the sixth time in a row) in the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Automotive Performance, Execution, and Layout (APEAL) Study. This year's study asked 76,000 owners 90 days after purchasing their 2010 model-year cars "how gratifying their new vehicle is to own and drive." The answer, for the first time since 1997, was that the domestic brands were more "appealing" as a whole than the imports (the domestics earned a score of 787 on a 1,000-point scale – 13 points greater than the imports).

When it comes down to specific awards (as shown in the segment-level graphics), Ford leads with five. The automaker earned one each for the Expedition, Explorer Sport Trac, Flex, Fusion and Taurus. Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen each garner two awards. The Ford Taurus and Chevrolet Avalanche, both segment leaders, are the only two models that ranked highest in the 2010 APEAL study and in the 2010 Initial Quality Study (IQS) announced in June. Suzuki is credited with the greatest improvement this year, while Jeep drops one slot from last year's 2009 APEAL Study and falls to the bottom of the list for 2010. Check out the gallery for the graphics, and read the full press release after the break.

Moog-Type-S

Honda = not appealing?!?!?! SHOCKER!!!!

Don't worry...Honda can fix it by adding more buttons to the dash, and more "eye-catching" exterior designs.

mrdeeno

Honda is #1 in ALG residual, is #1 in the world, can command higher prices than its competition for older technology, is first in reliability and quality, and is renowned the world over! Just look at sales of the Euroaccord in china as evidence!

JD23

Are most other SUVs any less boring?

biker

Is JD Power looking to be more of an attention whore than it already is? Can we have any more studies? Let's rank car makers on the best looking shade of blue.

TSX69

AutoMakers Face up to Tough Market Conditions by Offering the Most Appealing LineUp of New Vehicles in History

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: 27 July 2011 — As the auto industry battles through another difficult year, vehicle manufacturers are fighting to win customers by offering the most appealing vehicles in history, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) StudySM released today.

Vehicle Appeal at a Historic High
The study finds that overall vehicle appeal has reached an all-time high since the study’s inception in 1996, with the industry average increasing to 781 on a 1,000-point scale (up from 778 in 2010). Furthermore, recently launched all-new and redesigned models are substantially more appealing than their carryover counterparts, widening the gap in score for a second consecutive year. In 2011, the gap is 29 points, compared with 18 points in 2010 and 10 points in 2009. This improvement is partially driven by higher ratings for vehicle styling and fuel economy provided by owners of recently launched vehicles.

“The auto industry has taken a battering during the past few years,” said David Sargent, vice president of global vehicle research at J.D. Power and Associates. “However, it is clear that throughout this period, automakers have never lost sight of the fact that survival—and ultimately success—only comes from winning over customers in the showroom. Offering highly appealing vehicles is one of the primary means to succeed.”

Vehicle Appeal and Initial Quality
While the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Initial Quality StudySM (IQS), which was released in June, found that all-new and redesigned models have more problems, on average, than do carryover models, the 2011 APEAL Study finds that these same models are more likely to offer the styling, performance and features that customers are looking for.

“There are 2 sides of the quality coin: things gone right and things gone wrong,” said Sargent. “Both are of critical importance, and models that perform well on both measures generate higher levels of recommendation and, ultimately, higher loyalty to the brand. In general, customers are also willing to pay more for vehicles that combine high appeal with high initial quality.”

Model-Level and Nameplate Rankings
BMW and Dodge each capture three segment-level awards. BMW models receiving awards are the X3, Z4 Roadster and 5 Series, while Dodge receives awards for the Challenger, Charger and Durango. The Charger, Durango, X3 and 5 Series are all redesigned for the 2011 model year. Ford and Honda capture 2 model-level awards each, with Ford receiving awards for the all-new Fiesta and F-150 LD and Honda receiving awards for the Ridgeline and redesigned Odyssey.

Also receiving awards are the Chevrolet Volt, Hyundai Equus, Land Rover Range Rover, Lexus IS, MINI Countryman, Nissan Armada, Porsche Cayenne, Scion xB, Suzuki Kizashi and Volkswagen GTI. Of these, the Countryman, Equus and Volt are all-new models, while the Cayenne is redesigned. The Equus achieves the highest APEAL score of any model in the industry in 2011. This is the 1st year that a model other than the BMW 7 Series, Lexus LS or Mercedes-Benz S-Class has led the overall model ranking.

3 models rank highest in their respective segments in both the 2011 APEAL Study and the 2011 IQS: the Dodge Challenger, Ford F-150 LD and Honda Ridgeline.

Porsche is the highest-ranking nameplate in the 2011 APEAL Study for a 7th consecutive year. Hyundai improves from 2010 more than any other nameplate this year, while Jeep and Chrysler also improve considerably.

The APEAL Study examines how gratifying a new vehicle is to own and drive, based on owner evaluations of more than 80 vehicle attributes. The 2011 APEAL Study is based on responses gathered between February and May 2011 from more than 73,000 purchasers and lessees of new 2011 model-year cars and trucks who were surveyed after the 1st 90 days of ownership. The APEAL Study complements the Initial Quality Study (IQS), which focuses on problems experienced by owners during the 1st 90 days of ownership.

biker

what has been known for decades - buy the second MY after a redesign. You get the new styling with the glitches fixed.

Invisible

Excuse me troll, it you took less time trying to be a smartass troll, and more time to read the article, you would see the Odyssey and Ridgeline topped their categories.

Now get back to the button on your vibrator.

pttl

fanboys...

Sarlacc

noob

TSX69

3 Chevys Capture Top Ratings in J.D. Power Study

DETROIT -- 3 Chevrolet models captured top rankings in their segment, the most of any brand in the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study released today.

The study named 3 Chevys best in segment in Power's 21 categories: the Sonic for subcompact cars, Volt for compact cars and Avalanche for large pickup.

Porsche continued to dominate the overall study, finishing 1st among brands for the 8th consecutive year, J.D. Power said. Dodge, Jaguar and Ram posted the largest year-over-year gains, increasing their scores by 21, 20 and 19 points, respectively, the report said.

The annual APEAL study "examines how gratifying a new vehicle is to own and drive, based on owner evaluations of more than 80 vehicle attributes," J.D. Power says.

7 other brands each received 2 model awards: Audi (A6 and A8), Dodge (Challenger and Charger), Ford (Expedition and Flex), Kia (Optima in a tie and Soul), Mini (Countryman and coupe/roadster), Nissan (Frontier and Quest) and Porsche (Cayenne and 911).

On a brand level, luxury brands captured 13 of the top 14 positions, led by Porsche, Jaguar and BMW. The 4 mass-market brands that finished above industry average are Volkswagen, Ram, Ford and Chrysler.

Smaller vehicle scores rise

But in a surprise finding, the study found many American buyers are choosing smaller vehicles but liking them more than the bigger models they replaced.

"Historically the smaller the vehicle, the less appealing it is," said David Sargent, Power's vice president of global automotive. "But people who are downsizing now often find the smaller vehicle is better than the car they replaced."

3 out of 5 new-vehicle buyers stick with the same size they had before, but those changing sizes are more than twice as likely to downsize than go larger, the study found.

More than a quarter of the new vehicles bought or leased in the study replaced larger ones. But those buyers, who are on average trading in 6-year-old models, are no longer sacrificing by going smaller.

"Now downsized doesn't mean downgraded," Sargent said. "For example, the Chevrolet Sonic subcompact delivers a high level of functionality and appeal that before would have required buying a mid-sized car to get. And the Chevy Volt, Volkswagen Golf and Buick Verano are every bit as appealing as a 4- or 5-year-old mid-sized."

And it shows in the scores. In this year's APEAL study, scores for the compact/subcompact segment averaged 765 identical to the score for the midsized segment in the 2008 study. Similarly, this year's midsized premium segment matched the 2008 score of large premium vehicles.

What's different? Today's small vehicles aren't the "econo-boxes" they once were, Sargent said. Today's smaller vehicles are more substantial and better performing than in the past, with many features and appointments that they lacked in the past.

Overall gains

This year, the average score for the entire industry improved 7 points to 788, an unusually large year-to-year improvement, Sargent said.

The 74,000 respondents in this APEAL study are the same group used in Power's Initial Quality Study released last month, reflecting vehicles purchased between November 2011 and February 2012 after 90 days of ownership.

But the studies use separate sets of questions and measure different attributes, Sargent said. He informally calls the IQS the "things gone wrong" study and APEAL "things gone right."

But both studies showed greater than normal improvements this year, Sargent said.

"The industry is turning out better cars than it ever has before," he said. "They have both better quality and more appeal."

You can reach Jesse Snyder at jsnyder@crain.com.

TSX69

Honda & Acura Imrove in "Fun-to-Drive" Survey

Honda and Acura both improved in an annual survey of which brands are the most fun to drive, though Honda remains below average.

The J.D. Power and Associates report , issued today, shows that new-car drivers were generally more pleased with their vehicles than a year ago, and that switching to a smaller vehicle segment does not necessarily diminish the pleasure of driving.

This is the research group’s Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout study, a lesser-known companion to the company’s Initial Quality study that was issued last month.

Honda scored 771 on a 1,000-point scale, which ranked 25th out of 34 brands. Last year, the brand had 762 points, which was 28th out of 32 brands.

Acura, which is Honda’s luxury brand, scored 816, which was 10th. Last year, it scored 808, which was 11th.

Honda has a major employment presence in central Ohio, where it assembles the Honda Accord and Acura TL sedans and the Honda CR-V crossover, among others.

The industry average was 788, up from 781.

The top performer was Porsche with 887, the brand’s 8th consecutive year on top. Jaguar and BMW also held their places in 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

The top 10 finishers were all luxury brands. The top non-luxury brand was Volkswagen with 812, which ranked 13th.

Suzuki maintained its spot at the bottom, with 745.

Moog-Type-S

Hyundai and Kia rank higher than Honda in Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout.

In other shocking news the world is round, the sky is blue, water is wet.

Yumcha

2014 results...

fsttyms1

Oh oh.... Hyundai is very close to Acura (and way higher than Honda). Lets see what next years rankings are

Yumcha

It's interesting for me that Audi is ahead of BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Would've never predicted that.

kurtatx

Lincoln is a bit of a head scratcher.

Mugen.Justice

That's what caught my eye too.