Porsche, Ford Top List of Brands in 'Ideal' Survey
The Range Rover SUV from Land Rover was the overall top-rated vehicle in AutoPacific's 2010 survey of the most ideal vehicles as surveyed by new owners, Automotive News reported.
The Tustin, Calif., market research and consulting firm released its annual Ideal Vehicle Awards today, rating Porsche as the top premium brand and Ford as the best volume brand.
AutoPacific surveyed 42,000 owners to rate new vehicles “by how closely they come to their ideal,” using 15 categories, such as power and acceleration, interior lighting and storage, and seating visibility and comfort.
"After owning and operating a vehicle for some time, consumers often identify shortcomings and ideas about what they would like to change about their vehicle," said George Peterson, president of AutoPacific.
The Suzuki Kizashi was the top-rated car.
AutoPacific identified 27 Ideal Vehicle Award categories. The winners included 16 American brands, while European automakers won in six categories and Japanese automakers topped five segments.
“Surprisingly, no Korean brands scored segment wins,” the company said.
AutoPacific said owners picked the large-crossover/SUV segment as their favorite, “beating out last year's leading category -- large car.”
“American buyers continue to value large, comfortable vehicles suitable for suburban driving and longer-distance highway cruising,” AutoPacific said.
2010 Ideal Vehicle Award Winners | |||
Passenger Cars: | |||
Premium Luxury Car | Volvo S80 | ||
Aspirational Luxury Car | Volvo V70 | ||
Large Car | Ford Taurus SHO | ||
Luxury Midsize Car | Lincoln MKZ | ||
Premium Midsize Car | Ford Fusion | ||
Midsize Car | Suzuki Kizashi | ||
Premium Compact Car | Volkswagen GTI | ||
Compact Car | Volkswagen Golf | ||
Economy Car | Honda Fit | ||
Sports Car | Porsche Cayman | ||
Sporty Car | Chevrolet Camaro | ||
Hybrid Car | Ford Fusion Hybrid | ||
Pickups, SUVs, Minivans: | |||
Large Light-duty Pickup | Ford F-150 | ||
Heavy-duty Pickup | Ford F-250 | ||
Compact Pickup | Honda Ridgeline | ||
Luxury SUV | Range Rover | ||
Large SUV | Chevrolet Suburban | ||
Premium Midsize SUV | Ford Explorer | ||
Midsize SUV | Dodge Nitro | ||
Premium Luxury Crossover SUV | Lincoln MKT EcoBoost | ||
Luxury Crossover SUV | Lexus RX | ||
Large Crossover SUV | Ford Flex EcoBoost | ||
Premium Midsize Crossover SUV | Chevrolet Equinox | ||
Midsize Crossover SUV | Ford Escape | ||
Compact Crossover SUV | Jeep Compass | ||
Minivan | Honda Odyssey | ||
Hybrid Truck | Ford Escape Hybrid | ||
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