IRVINE, CA--May 24, 2012: Autobytel Inc. , the company dedicated to helping dealers and car-buyers connect online, and AutoPacific, an automotive marketing research and product-consulting firm, today announced the 16th annual Vehicle Satisfaction Awards. Based on the largest single-model-year survey of automotive owners, the Vehicle Satisfaction Awards are designed to help consumers make informed vehicle purchase decisions with a true "word of mouth" survey. More than 75,000 vehicle owners across all major manufacturers were surveyed based on their satisfaction of the current vehicle they own.
“The 48 vehicle attributes we survey is detailed information that only a vehicle owner can provide, and that most consumers would want to know. Cars that score highest in the Vehicle Satisfaction survey appear to be delivering the highest value and consumer satisfaction across a wide range of attributes.”
According to George Peterson, president of AutoPacific, "In today's market, it's difficult to find a low-quality vehicle. The quality of vehicles from all manufacturers has risen to the highest level in history and what delineates a car or truck is owner satisfaction." He continued, "Consumer purchases are often influenced by objective awards especially when they are based on consumer sentiment. It was our goal to get the input from as many consumers as possible because ultimately, it's the consumer's opinion that counts."
Autobytel and AutoPacific's Vehicle Satisfaction survey measures how satisfied an owner is with his or her new vehicle. New vehicle owners provide input on 48 individual attributes that objectively measure the ownership experience such as driver's seat comfort, power and acceleration, interior styling, exterior styling, cargo space/capacity, ease of getting in and out, and quietness inside the vehicle.
"With hundreds of 2012 model year vehicles available, consumers need assistance to find a vehicle that's right for them," said Autobytel Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer, Jeffrey H. Coats. "The 48 vehicle attributes we survey is detailed information that only a vehicle owner can provide, and that most consumers would want to know. Cars that score highest in the Vehicle Satisfaction survey appear to be delivering the highest value and consumer satisfaction across a wide range of attributes." He added, "We are pleased to announce this year's winners and congratulate them on their ongoing commitment to customer satisfaction."
Autobytel and AutoPacific Highest
Satisfaction
Premium Brand (2012 Model Year)
Mercedes-Benz
Autobytel and AutoPacific Highest
Satisfaction
Popular Brand (2012 Model Year)
Buick
Category Winners
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Passenger Cars: |
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Autobytel and AutoPacific Top Rated Premium Luxury Car |
2012 Mercedes-Benz S-Class |
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| Autobytel and AutoPacific Top Rated Aspirational Luxury Car | 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class | ||
| Autobytel and AutoPacific Top Rated Luxury Mid-Size Car | 2012 Lincoln MKZ | ||
| Autobytel and AutoPacific Top Rated Large Car | 2012 Chrysler 300 | ||
| Autobytel and AutoPacific Top Rated Premium Mid-Size Car | 2012 Volkswagen Passat | ||
| Autobytel and AutoPacific Top Rated Mid-Size Car | 2012 Subaru Legacy | ||
| Autobytel and AutoPacific Top Rated Premium Compact Car | 2012 Volkswagen GTI | ||
| Autobytel and AutoPacific Top Rated Compact Car | 2012 Volkswagen Beetle | ||
| Autobytel and AutoPacific Top Rated Economy Car | 2012 Chevrolet Sonic | ||
| Autobytel and AutoPacific Top Rated Sports Car | 2012 Chevrolet Corvette | ||
| Autobytel and AutoPacific Top Rated Sporty Car | 2012 Scion tC | ||
| Autobytel and AutoPacific Top Rated Hybrid Car | 2012 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid | ||
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Light Trucks: |
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Autobytel and AutoPacific Top Rated Heavy Duty Pickup |
2012 Ford F-Series Super Duty |
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| Autobytel and AutoPacific Top Rated Large Light-Duty Pickup | 2012 Ford F-150 | ||
| Autobytel and AutoPacific Top Rated Compact Pickup | 2012 Nissan Frontier | ||
| Autobytel and AutoPacific Top Rated Luxury Sport Utility Vehicle | 2012 Cadillac Escalade | ||
| Autobytel and AutoPacific Top Rated Large Sport Utility Vehicle | 2012 GMC Yukon | ||
| Autobytel and AutoPacific Top Rated Premium Mid-Size Sport Utility Vehicle | 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee | ||
| Autobytel and AutoPacific Top Rated Premium Luxury Crossover SUV | 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML | ||
| Autobytel and AutoPacific Top Rated Luxury Crossover SUV | 2012 Cadillac SRX | ||
| Autobytel and AutoPacific Top Rated Large Crossover SUV | 2012 Chevrolet Traverse | ||
| Autobytel and AutoPacific Top Rated Premium Mid-Size Crossover SUV | 2012 Honda Pilot | ||
| Autobytel and AutoPacific Top Rated Mid-Size Crossover SUV | 2012 Honda CR-V | ||
| Autobytel and AutoPacific Top Rated Compact Crossover SUV | 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan | ||
| Autobytel and AutoPacific Top Rated Minivan | 2012 Honda Odyssey | ||
| Autobytel and AutoPacific Top Rated Hybrid Truck | 2012 Lexus RX450h Hybrid | ||
Additionally, the vehicle - car or truck - registering the highest overall satisfaction in 2012 is the Cadillac Escalade Luxury SUV.
While Buick and Mercedes-Benz took the top spots as overall winners for the highest satisfaction brands, multiple top-ranked award winners include General Motors with six awards; Mercedes-Benz with three awards; Volkswagen with four awards; and Honda with three awards.
For more information about Autobytel and AutoPacific's Vehicle Satisfaction Awards, please visit www.Autobytel.com. Watch exclusive videos on Autobytel's YouTube page or join the conversation on the Autobytel Facebook Fanpage.
About Autobytel Inc.
Autobytel Inc., an online leader
offering consumer purchase requests and marketing resources to car
dealers and manufacturers and providing consumers with the
information
they need to purchase new and used cars, pioneered the automotive
Internet when it launched autobytel.com
in 1995. Autobytel continues to offer innovative products and
services
to help consumers buy, and auto dealers and manufacturers sell, more
used and new cars. Autobytel has helped tens of millions of
automotive
consumers research vehicles; connected thousands of dealers
nationwide
with motivated car buyers; and helped every major automaker market
its
brand online. Through its flagship website autobytel.com,
its network of automotive sites and its respected online affiliates,
Autobytel continues its dedication to innovating the industry's
highest
quality Internet programs to provide consumers with a comprehensive
and
positive automotive research and purchasing experience, and auto
dealers, dealer groups and auto manufacturers with some of the
industry's most productive and cost-effective customer referral and
marketing programs.
About AutoPacific
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.
