For the first time since 1997, domestic auto brands, collectively, have surpassed import brands as a whole in vehicle appeal, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study just released.
In this year’s report, the APEAL score for US domestic brands averages 787 on a 1,000-point scale—13 points higher than the average score for import brands (automakers headquartered in Europe or Asia Pacific). This represents a turnaround of 18 points, as import brands outpaced domestic brands by five points last year.
Imported cars retain their supremacy among premium models, but mass-market models from domestic brands are outperforming the imports. Improvement in 2010 is driven primarily by high-performing models from Ford Motor Company and General Motors Corporation, including several models that are all-new or have undergone major redesigns.
"Domestic automakers have performed three important actions during the past two years that have led to their gains," said David Sargent, vice president of global vehicle research at J.D. Power and Associates. "Firstly, they have retired many models that demonstrated low appeal. They have also introduced new, highly appealing models to their lineups, and finally, they have improved their existing models through freshenings and redesigns."
New models introduced by import brands between 2008 and 2010 have similar APEAL scores as models retired by these import automakers during the same period (averaging 784 vs.781, respectively). In contrast, newly introduced domestic models have strongly outperformed the models retired by domestic brands (803 vs. 758, on average).
Historically, vehicle models achieving high APEAL scores have been shown to generate faster sales, higher profit margins, and less need for cash incentives. High levels of vehicle appeal also have a strong influence on customer recommendation rates.
"When new-vehicle buyers go through the shopping process, vehicle appeal, along with price and perceptions of quality, is of major importance," said Sargent. "Attributes such as exterior styling are primary determinants of whether a model makes the customer's consideration list in the first place, while other attributes—particularly those related to the interior of the vehicle--are critical in determining which model is ultimately purchased."
Ford captures five segment-level awards—more than any other vehicle brand in 2010—for the Expedition, Explorer Sport Trac, Flex, Fusion and Taurus. Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen each receive two awards. Audi receives awards for the Q5 and Q7. BMW models receiving awards are the 3 Series and 5 Series. Chevrolet receives awards for the Avalanche and Camaro, while Mercedes-Benz earns awards for the E-Class Coupe and S-Class (for a fourth consecutive year) and Volkswagen receives awards for the GTI and Routan.
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class achieves the highest APEAL score of any model in the industry. Porsche is the highest-ranking nameplate in APEAL for a sixth consecutive year.
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 2010 APEAL Study is based on responses gathered between February and May 2010 from more than 76,000 purchasers and lessees of new 2010 model-year cars and trucks who were surveyed after the first 90 days of ownership.
See the next page for a full list of the rankings:
2010 APEAL Nameplate Ranking
(Based on a 1,000-point scale)
Porsche 877
Jaguar 854
BMW 846
Mercedes-Benz 842
Land Rover 836
Audi 832
Lexus 827
Acura 822
Lincoln 820
Cadillac 818
MINI 816
Infiniti 805
Buick 802
Volkswagen 797
Volvo 795
Ford 794
GMC 792
Chevrolet 789
Ram 780
Industry Average 778
Mazda 774
Mercury 769
Mitsubishi 767
Honda 766
Scion 764
Nissan 763
Dodge 761
Kia 761
Hyundai 760
Subaru 755
Suzuki 750
Chrysler 748
Toyota 745
Jeep 727
* * *
Top Three Models per Segment
Car Segments
Sub-Compact Car
Highest Ranked: Honda Fit
Scion xD
Toyota Yaris
Compact Car
Highest Ranked: MINI Cooper
Volkswagen Golf
Volkswagen Jetta
Compact Sporty Car*
Highest Ranked: Volkswagen GTI
Compact Premium Sporty Car*
Highest Ranked: Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe
Entry Premium Car
Highest Ranked: BMW 3 Series
BMW 1 Series
Acura TL (tie)
Audi A4/5 (tie)
Mercedes-Benz C-Class (tie)
Midsize Sporty Car*
Highest Ranked: Chevrolet Camaro
Dodge Challenger
Midsize Premium Car
Highest Ranked: BMW 5 Series
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan
Jaguar XF
Large Premium Car
Highest Ranked: Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Porsche Panamera
Lexus LS 460
Midsize Car
Highest Ranked: Ford Fusion
Buick LaCrosse
Volkswagen Passat
Large Car*
Highest Ranked: Ford Taurus
Nissan Maxima
NOTE: For a segment award to be issued, there must be at least three models with sufficient sample that comprise 80 percent of market sales within an award segment. There were only two premium sporty car models with sufficient sample size. Thus, no premium sporty car awards have been presented.
*No other model in this segment performs above the segment average.
* * *
Top Three Models per Segment
Truck / Multi-Activity Vehicle (MAV) Segments
Compact Crossover/SUV
Highest Ranked: GMC Terrain
Volkswagen Tiguan
Chevrolet Equinox
Compact MPV
Highest Ranked: Nissan Cube
Chevrolet HHR
Kia Soul
Entry Premium Crossover/SUV*
Highest Ranked: Audi Q5
Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
Midsize Crossover/SUV
Highest Ranked: Ford Flex
Honda Accord Crosstour
Buick Enclave
Large Crossover/SUV*
Highest Ranked: Ford Expedition
Nissan Armada
Midsize Premium Crossover/SUV
Highest Ranked: Audi Q7
Porsche Cayenne
BMW X5
Large Premium Crossover/SUV
Highest Ranked: Land Rover Range Rover
Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
Land Rover Range Rover Sport
Large Pickup*
Highest Ranked: Chevrolet Avalanche
Ford F-150 LD
Midsize Pickup
Highest Ranked:
Ford Explorer Sport Trac
Honda Ridgeline
Nissan Frontier
Minivan*
Highest Ranked: Volkswagen Routan
Honda Odyssey
NOTE: For a segment award to be issued, there must be at least three models with sufficient sample that comprise 80 percent of market sales within an award segment. There were no large van models with sufficient sample size. Thus, no large van awards have been presented.
*No other model in this segment performs above the segment average.
