An AutoPacific research study is currently underway to determine which vehicles will be honored with consumer-selected awards.
AutoPacific, whose consumer research helps automakers understand what is most important to their customers, presents three awards based on the extensive data it collects from new car buyers: the Vehicle Satisfaction Award, the Ideal Vehicle Award and the Motorist Choice Award.
“Our research, while important to automakers, also helps car shoppers make their buying decisions,” says George Peterson, president of AutoPacific. “In 2008, our data found that 27 percent of new car buyers’ purchase decisions were positively influenced by that car being an award-winner.”
“Automotive awards help consumers sort through the wide selection of vehicles out there and have more impact than simple advertising,” said Peterson. “Awards from objective third parties garner more attention from consumers than any type of advertising by car companies.”
AutoPacific’s data include owners’ recommendations for vehicles that score the highest with new vehicle buyers in response to the question “Would you recommend your NEW vehicle to a friend or relative?” The data for the recommendations was developed using results from AutoPacific’s national New Vehicle Satisfaction Survey of more than 36,000 new vehicle acquirers. Results were also tallied for all models by a particular brand, allowing AutoPacific to also present recommendations for automotive brands.
AutoPacific’s Top 5 most recommended models in 2008 were:
1. Audi A5
2. Toyota Corolla
3. Porsche Boxster
4. Ford Mustang
5. Audi Q7
AutoPacific’s Top 5 most recommended brands in 2008 were:
1. MINI
2. Audi
3. Porsche
4. Honda
5. Volkswagen
AutoPacific’s data for the 2009 model year is currently being analyzed, and the owner recommendations for 2009 will be released soon.
Later this summer, AutoPacific will release its established awards, again all presented based on the results of AutoPacific’s consumer survey of new vehicle buyers. Those awards are:
Vehicle Satisfaction Award (VSA)
The Vehicle Satisfaction Award establishes numerical satisfaction ratings for virtually every passenger car and light truck in the North American market. Owner satisfaction is measured across 46 specific areas related to a vehicle's operation, comfort, safety and the overall purchase/lease experience. The 2009 ratings will reflect input from buyers and lessees of new vehicles acquired September through December 2008.
Ideal Vehicle Award (IVA)
The Ideal Vehicle Award establishes numerical ideal vehicle ratings for virtually every passenger car and light truck in the United States market. This results from calculating owner input across 15 specific areas related to a vehicle's attributes, including: exterior styling, exterior size, passenger roominess, cargo space, driver's seat comfort, drivers seat visibility, interior technology, interior lighting, power and acceleration, ease of getting in and out, interior storage compartments, ride, handling, safety features and tires and wheels. The Ideal Vehicle Awards show which vehicles are best designed to their owners’ desires.
Motorist Choice Award
The Motorist Choice Award was designed by AutoPacific and IntelliChoice.com to recognize the vehicles that deliver both the highest customer satisfaction and the lowest cost of ownership. The awards take AutoPacific's owner satisfaction data from new car and truck buyers and combine those data with IntelliChoice.com's rating methodology to create a new kind of award that speaks to both the hearts and wallets of car buyers.
AutoPacific is a future-oriented automotive marketing research and product-consulting firm. Every year AutoPacific publishes a wide variety of syndicated studies on the automotive industry. The firm, founded in 1986, also conducts extensive proprietary research and consulting for auto manufacturers, distributors, marketers and suppliers worldwide. Company headquarters and its state-of-the-art automotive research facility are in Tustin, California, with an affiliate office in the Detroit area.
