Annual Survey Shows Which Cars Design Engineers Luv

    CHICAGO--Oct. 25, 2002--Results in the 23rd annual Design News Auto Survey show that, in the survey's "Autos Under $15,000" category, the Honda Civic was named number one, edging the Toyota Corolla. Worst car in this category? The Kia.
    In the $15, - 24,999 price range, the Toyota Camry got honors, followed by the Honda Accord. The Hyundai was voted the worst car.
    In the highly competitive $25,000 - 34,999 price range, Honda, the BMW 3-series, Volvo, Toyota Camry finished at tied for first place, followed by Lexus. None of the five marques got more than five percent of the category's votes.
    In the $35-44,999 Mid-luxury category, the BMW 5-series took honors, followed closely by Lexus. Mercedes-Benz and Volvo tied for third place. In both the highest-priced categories, the Cadillac was called the worst car.
    At the top $45,000 + price range, Mercedes-Benz won big with 26%, followed by a tie between BMW and Lexus at a distant nine percent each.
    Asked "Which alternative fuel technologies promise the best chance of success in helping to solve today's environmental problems and energy shortages?", design engineers soundly trashed diesel power (8.7%) and ethanol (13.7%) in favor of hybrid engines (54%), fuel cells (40.8%), hydrogen (25.9%), and electric (13.7%). Asked what energy policy would have the greatest impact on our current situation, 74.4 percent said: Development of alternative fuels.
    Yet, the survey indicates that the jury still appears to be out on current hybrids and electric-powered cars. Asked "Would you consider buying a hybrid or electric vehicle today?", only 49.3 percent said, "yes," while 50.7 percent said, "no." Of the naysayers, 51.9 percent are concerned about sufficient driving range; 49.5 percent believe they offer insufficient power, while 44.2 percent think both are too expensive.
    Since 1980, Design News has asked its design engineer readers -- about 17 percent of whom work in auto-related fields -- to name the cars they'd buy on the basis of quality and good engineering, and to compare how each maker's car stacks up against the competition.
    "Design engineers have strong opinions about autos, and with their technical training, they understand quality design and good engineering when they see it," says Karen Augustin Field, chief editor of Design News.

    Design News is read twice monthly by 335,000 engineers who design products ranging from autos to spacecraft. It is published by Cahners publishing Co., Newton, Mass., the nation's leading publisher of specialized business magazines. Design News is the winner of five Folio magazine "Editorial Excellence" award as the top design engineering magazine in the U.S.