New Designs Dominate J.D. Power and Associates 1997 APEAL Study
28 August 1997
New Designs Dominate J.D. Power and Associates 1997 APEAL StudyAGOURA HILLS, Calif., Aug. 28 -- In a departure from previous years, new or redesigned vehicles make up the majority of the awardees in the J.D. Power and Associates 1997 APEAL (Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout) Study(SM). Seven of the 13 awardees in this year's study are captured by new or redesigned models, compared to only two in both 1995 and 1996. In addition, five of the top 1O scores in the study are earned by new designs compared to only two of ten last year. New or redesigned vehicles are often seen as the keys for manufacturers to compete in today's hyper-competitive marketplace. Based on what excites and delights car and truck owners, many of these new vehicles appear to be off to a great start. The new designs taking home awards include the Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac Grand Prix, Honda Prelude, Chevrolet Corvette, Lexus ES300, Dodge Dakota, and Chevrolet Venture (see following charts for a complete listing of segment leaders). "While newness doesn't always guarantee success, these models demonstrate what can happen when manufacturers hear what the consumer is telling them. In most cases, these models have improved upon the performance of their predecessors and significantly redefined their segment benchmarks," said Jacques daCosta, manager of the APEAL Study at J.D. Power and Associates. "Overall, these vehicles make it tougher for older models to compete. By raising the bar, they also put pressure on the models still being developed." Glancing over the list of award recipients, the success of many new GM models stands out. Five of the 13 awards go to GM products, with four of those five being new or redesigned for 1997. More importantly, these new GM models stand out in segments where GM has previously been weak and are cornerstones in GM's effort to win market share. The success of many new models notwithstanding, this year's results also illustrate that being new doesn't always guarantee success and that older models often generate tremendous consumer excitement. The Volkswagen Golf, BMW 7 series, Dodge Ram, GMC Suburban, Toyota 4Runner, and the Chrysler Town & Country -- which tied with the Chevrolet Venture -- are at least one year old or older, yet earn segment leading APEAL scores. "Some vehicles age better than others," continued Mr. daCosta. "These more mature models show that innovative design followed up with continuous refinement can extend a product's lifecycle and make it relatively immune to the onslaught of new competitors." The APEAL Study is based on responses from more than 29,000 new car and truck owners after three months of ownership. It is the only study to exclusively measure what owners like and dislike about their new cars and trucks. The study addresses eight specific elements of the vehicle and quantifies what owners like about their vehicle and why they have those attitudes. The eight elements measured include: * Vehicle Styling * Seats * Engine and Transmission * Heating, Ventilation and Cooling * Comfort and Convenience * Cockpit and Instrument Panel * Ride and Handling * Sound System J.D. Power and Associates is an international firm best known for its marketing information services in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, and customer satisfaction. The firm's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on actual customer responses from more than a million consumers annually. With its headquarters in Agoura Hills, California, the firm also has U.S. offices in Torrance, California; Michigan; and Connecticut. Its international locations include Japan, Korea, England, Canada and Brazil. J.D. Power and Associates can be accessed through the World Wide Web at http://www.jdpower.com. Email: info@power.com. No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release or J.D. Power and Associates survey results without the express prior written consent of J.D. Power and Associates. J.D. Power and Associates 1997 APEAL Study(SM) America's Most Appealing Cars Segment and Award Recipient Highest Rated Features Most Appealing Compact Car Volkswagen Golf * Unique exterior styling * Steering response and feel * Large, useful trunk and cargo space * Performance of heater in cold weather Most Appealing Entry Mid-Size Car Chevrolet Malibu * Driver and front-passenger leg and headroom * Outward visibility * Design and visibility of the instrument panel * Useful trunk and cargo areas Most Appealing Premium Mid-Size Car Pontiac Grand Prix * Unique and expressive styling * Power and acceleration * Driver and passenger legroom * Exterior and Interior colors Most Appealing Sporty Car Honda Prelude * Passing power on the highway * Handling stability * Driver's visibility * Side and rear-end styling Most Appealing Sports Car Chevrolet Corvette * Powerful and smooth engine * Passing power on the highway * New exterior styling * Handling stability Most Appealing Entry Luxury Car Lexus ES 300 * Smooth and quiet ride * Quality of interior workmanship and materials * Smooth and quiet powertrain * Interior color coordination Most Appealing Premium Luxury Car BMW 7 Series * Passing power on the highway * Rear passenger head and legroom * Handling stability * Smooth, powerful brakes * Quality of interior workmanship J.D. Power and Associates 1997 APEAL Study(SM) America's Most Appealing Trucks Segment and Award Recipient Highest Rated Features Most Appealing Compact Pickup Dodge Dakota * Front-end styling * Visibility for the driver * Unique exterior style * Attractive wheel/tire combinations Most Appealing Full-Size Pickup Dodge Ram * Front-end styling * Overall exterior styling * Driver and passenger headroom Most Appealing Compact Sport Utility Toyota 4Runner * Exterior styling * Vehicle ground clearance * Visibility for the driver * 4-wheel drive performance Most Appealing Full-Size Sport Utility GMC Suburban * Cargo carrying capacity * Driver and passenger room * Vehicle ground clearance * Visibility for the driver Most Appealing Compact Van (tie) Chevrolet Venture * Overall ride and handling * Driver and passenger headroom * Visibility for the driver * Passing power on the highway Chrysler Town & Country * Smooth, quiet ride * Adjustable driver's seat * Visibility for the driver * Cupholder design J.D. Power and Associates 1997 APEAL Study(SM) Top Three Models in 12 Major Categories Car Segments Truck Segments Compact Car Compact Pickup Most Appealing: Volkswagen Golf Most Appealing: Dodge Dakota Saturn Sedan GMC Sonoma Pontiac Sunfire Ford Ranger Entry Midsize Car Full-Size Pickup Most Appealing: Chevrolet Malibu Most Appealing: Dodge Ram Oldsmobile Cutlass Ford F-Series Volkswagen Jetta Chevrolet C/K Premium Midsize Car Compact Sport Utility Vehicle Most Appealing: Pontiac Grand Prix Most Appealing: Toyota 4Runner Buick Regal Mercury Mountaineer Volkswagen Passat Infiniti QX4 Entry Luxury Car Full-Size Sport Utility Vehicle Most Appealing: Lexus ES 300 Most Appealing: GMC Suburban Volvo S/V 70 Ford Expedition BMW 3-Series Lexus LX 450 Premium Luxury Car Compact Van Most Appealing: BMW 7-Series Most Appealing: Chevrolet Venture (tie) Lexus LS 400 Chrysler Town & Country (tie) BMW 5-Series Ford Windstar Sporty Car Most Appealing: Honda Prelude Chevrolet Camaro Volkswagen GTI Premium Sports Car Most Appealing: Chevrolet Corvette Porsche 911 Porsche Boxster Please Note: Full-Size Van category not shown due to insufficient samples. Source: (C) 1997 J.D. Power and Associates Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout -- APEAL Study(SM) SOURCE J.D. Power and Associates