Porsche (Go Figure) Ranked Most Appealing Brand in J.D. Power Study
This must be getting boring for the guys and gals in Stuttgart.
For the 12th year in a row, Porsche ranked first in J.D. Power’s new vehicle appeal study, but other automakers are closing in on its crown.
This year’s Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) study found that driver-assist safety features cause drivers to fall in love with their vehicles. They also bore friends and co-workers by talking about it all the time.
Across the industry, the overall APEAL score rose three points to 801. Vehicles with blind spot monitoring and collision avoidance technology scored higher than those without the technology. Safety features make people feel more comfortable behind the wheel, which is key to enjoying a vehicle.
The launch of several new vehicles for 2016 helped bump up the industry’s score, according to J.D. Power. That dumped a lot of feel-good technology into the marketplace for owners (and survey respondents) to enjoy. 22 out of 30 new or revamped vehicles scored higher than their segment average.
When vehicles scored above average (with no reported problems in the first three months), 90 percent of owners said they’d recommend the vehicle to a friend. Add one or more problem, and the advocacy rate dropped to 49 percent.
J.D. Power’s study considers 90 features in 10 categories: exterior, seats, interior, driving dynamics, storage and space, engine/transmission, fuel economy, visibility and safety, climate control, and infotainment/navigation. Porsche led the pack, but other premium brands are close behind. BMW, Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz were runners-up, and Land Rover, Lexus and Lincoln tied for fifth place.
With the ratings broken down into vehicle segments, General Motors leads in six. The Buick Cascada, Chevrolet Camaro, Chevrolet Colorado, Chevrolet Sonic, Chevrolet Tahoe, and GMC Sierra HD all saw awards.
Hyundai received five awards, for the Tucson, Optima, Sedona, Sorento and Soul. Volkswagen AG grabbed four, but not for the Volkswagen brand. The BMW 2 Series, X1, X6 and Mini Clubman ranked first in their segments. Nissan and Toyota each grabbed two awards.
Out of all automakers with more than one entry, Toyota, Mitsubishi and Volvo improved the most over last year’s scores.
Of the ten categories, fuel economy was the biggest winner with a 14-point gain. Media/infotainment and visibility/safety also made gains. The only loser? Transmissions — specifically, jerky trannies with eight or nine cogs.
[Image: Porsche Cars North America]
More by Steph Willems
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I don't understand the continued appeal of J.D. Power studies and would like to see media outlets stop reporting them as much or at least more closely examine their methodology and compare them with similar studies' findings. At any rate, this one seems to be based on asking 15 year olds--or maybe people who act like 15 year olds on forums--what cars they think are cool. So in that light, yes, I suppose those ratings make sense. In my last job however, most of my colleagues were enthralled with Subarus, almost to the point of cult-like worship. More than that, they often went out and bought them. I'll venture that the parking garage I used now has even more Subarus than BMWs or Audis.
Such an inane survey, and yet... can't stop... studying... bar graph. Info-porn is a terrible addiction.