It’s called the annual J.D. Power APEAL Awards… “U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout” (APEAL) Study…and it assesses what new-vehicle owners like and dislike about the performance, design, layout, and features of their new cars, trucks, SUVs, and vans. And yes, survey respondents are genuine owners of their respective vehicles for a minimum of 90 days.
This year, J.D. Power got detailed responses from roughly 70,000 vehicle owners this year…telling how happy they are with the car regarding 77 different aspects. Their answers are then compiled into a satisfaction score…with 1,000 points being the maximum.
Here are the top 10 ten brands (and their points score) that owners liked the most…in reverse order
10) Mini – 838 points – Though the Mini is BMW’s entry-level brand, it’s price tag can become quite high as options are added.
9) Jaguar – 838 points – Jaguar adds a new dimension of stellar ride quality and elegant styling that’s classically beautiful.
8) Lexus – 842 points – Lexus, Toyota’s luxury division…is actually the only Japanese car brand to hit the top ten. Maybe not as fun to drive as other top 10ers…but luxurious it is indeed.
7) Cadillac – 843 points – Barely beating Lexus for seventh place…Cadillac (not unlike Jaguar) makes excellent strides at combining style with excellent driving dynamics.
6) Lincoln – 849 points – Surprising to some that it made it this high up the list, many people consider Lincoln to merely be repackaged Fords. However, the Continental and upcoming Navigator are relative standouts.
5) Mercedes – 851 points – Mercedes-Benz is one of four Germany top 10ers…but it’s also the lowest ranked of the German pack.
Wanna see the top 3?
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