Korean Automakers Move to the Top in AutoPacific’s 2015 Vehicle Satisfaction Awards

July 8, 2015 | By Business Wire News

TUSTIN, Calif.

AutoPacific today announced its 19^th annual Vehicle Satisfaction Awards (VSAs), identifying the most satisfying vehicles on the market. An industry benchmark for measuring how satisfied an owner is with his/her new vehicle, VSAs are based on survey responses from over 66,000 owners of new 2015 model year cars and light trucks.

“2015 represents a year of diversity,” says George Peterson, president of AutoPacific. “Competition is fierce and no one automaker dominates the results.” The 2015 winners are spread across nearly every manufacturer, with wins by 9 out of 11 automakers. General Motors receives the most wins with 5, followed by Kia and Nissan, with 4 and 3 wins, respectively. Honda, Toyota, FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobile), Volkswagen and Ford follow with 2 wins each. Volvo, Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai each take home 1 win.

“For the 2015 model year, there are 274 models and 33 brands from which to choose a new vehicle,” says Peterson. “It can be daunting for consumers to sort through all of those options and try to predict which one will work best for them in the long run. AutoPacific VSAs help to give them a strong starting point.”

The average VSA score for 2015 is 25-points higher than in 2014 confirming products and customer handling are improving markedly. The brands with the greatest year-over-year improvements are Jaguar – improving eleven positions; Volkswagen – improving ten positions; Ford – improving nine positions.

The Kia K900 – Kia’s range topping luxury car – set an all time high and wins AutoPacific’s President’s Award. This award is given only when the overall score tops the previous high score. Interestingly, the all-new aluminum bodied Ford F-150 would have won this award if the Kia was not in the running. The previous President’s Award winners were the 2014 Mercedes S-Class and the 2010 Hyundai Sonata.

Korean Manufacturers Take Over Top Spot in Satisfaction

With 5 winning vehicles, including the top ranking Kia K900, Korean manufacturers Kia and Hyundai come out on top in combined average score, taking over the position previously held by European manufacturers. “Kia and Hyundai are continually improving owner satisfaction in key areas like reliability and quality, yet are also hitting the mark with safety, braking, handling, styling and seat comfort, not to mention a very satisfying warranty program,” explains Peterson.

AutoPacific’s Vehicle Satisfaction Awards objectively measure owner satisfaction with 50 separate attributes ranging from interior comfort and styling to fuel economy and performance. “In many cases, an extremely satisfying vehicle is not the car or truck that has the best absolute build quality or the best safety rating,” says Peterson. “VSAs look at the big picture, which includes owners’ experiences with their vehicle’s quality and safety, but also goes deeper into the heart of the ownership experience.”

Top 2015 model year performers are:

MOST SATISFYING VEHICLE OVERALL: Kia K900
HIGHEST SATISFACTION PREMIUM BRAND: Tesla
HIGHEST SATISFACTION POPULAR BRAND: GMC

PASSENGER CARS:

Luxury Car			Kia K900
Aspirational Luxury Car			Volvo S60
Luxury Mid-Size Car			Lexus ES
Large Car			Kia Cadenza
Mid-Size Car			Hyundai Sonata
Premium Compact Car			Lexus CT 200h
Compact Car			Kia Soul (tie)
			Volkswagen Jetta (tie)
			Volkswagen Beetle (tie)
Economy Car			Honda Fit
Sports Car			Chevrolet Corvette
Sporty Car			Dodge Challenger

LIGHT TRUCKS:

Heavy Duty Pickup			Ford F-Series Super Duty
Light Duty Pickup			Ford F-150
Compact Pickup			GMC Canyon
Luxury SUV			Infiniti QX80
Large SUV			Chevrolet Tahoe
Mid-Size SUV			Jeep Grand Cherokee
Premium Luxury Crossover SUV			BMW X5 (tie)
			Mercedes-Benz ML (tie)
Luxury Crossover SUV			Buick Enclave
Large Crossover SUV			GMC Acadia
Premium Mid-Size Crossover SUV			Nissan Murano
Mid-Size Crossover SUV			Honda CR-V
Compact Crossover SUV			Kia Sportage
Minivan			Nissan Quest

About AutoPacific

AutoPacific is a future-oriented automotive marketing and product-consulting firm. Every year AutoPacific publishes a wide variety of syndicated studies on the automotive industry. The firm also conducts extensive proprietary research and consulting for auto manufacturers, distributors, marketers and suppliers worldwide. Company headquarters are in Tustin, California, with an affiliate office in the Detroit area. Additional information about AutoPacific and the Vehicle Satisfaction Awards can be found on AutoPacific’s websites: www.autopacific.com and www.vehiclevoice.com.