AutoPacific, a market research and consulting firm based in Tustin, Calif., revealed its annual Ideal Vehicle Awards this week. Porsche was named as the top premium brand and Ford as the best volume brand. About 42,000 owners were asked to rate new vehicles “by how closely they come to their ideal.”
The 15 categories used include power and acceleration, interior lighting and storage, and seating visibility and comfort. George Peterson, president of AutoPacific, said that customers tend to spot shortcomings and come up with a list of what they want to change about their vehicle “after owning and operating a vehicle for some time.”
The Suzuki Kizashi was the top-rated car. AutoPacific had 27 Ideal Vehicle Award categories. A total of 16 American brands had wins, with European carmakers winning in six categories and Japanese carmakers receiving the award in five segments.
AutoPacific revealed its surprise that no Korean brands got segment wins. The winner of favorite category in 2009, the large car, was beat out this year by the large-crossover/SUV segment.
