Good Housekeeping Announces Winners of The 2001 Women's Automotive Satisfaction Award

NEW YORK--Nov. 20, 2001-- Good Housekeeping Institute Technical Director Donald Mays announced that nine automotive nameplates have earned the 2001 Good Housekeeping Institute Women's Automotive Satisfaction Award.

All of the winning models met the criteria initiated by a survey of female new car purchasers and lessees conducted on behalf of the Good Housekeeping Institute by J. D. Power and Associates. To earn the award, women must report that overall they are very satisfied with the vehicle, that they would recommend this vehicle to others, and that they would make the same purchase decision again themselves.

For the third consecutive year, Buick LeSabre, Chrysler Town & Country, Honda Odyssey, Pontiac Grand Am, and Pontiac Grand Prix have received awards. The Toyota Sequoia, Toyota Camry, GMC Yukon and Hyundai Sonata made the list for the first time this year.

``By asking the female owners directly about their experiences with their new cars, we are able to assemble a very accurate profile of women's satisfaction with the automotive products offered today,'' said Donald Mays. ``We see women paying more attention to performance and handling than in years past and, of course, safety remains a key concern.''

In the Compact Van category, Honda Odyssey ranked number one in the following areas: dependability, high quality and safety. Chrysler Town & Country ranked number one amongst Compact Vans for comfort and handling. In the Premium Midsize Car category, Pontiac Grand Prix was voted number one in terms of handling and being well suited to women's needs and Toyota Camry in terms of comfort, dependability and safety. Buick LeSabre tops the charts in the Fullsize Car category in three areas: comfort, safety and dependability. In the Entry Midsize Car category, Hyundai Sonata rated number one in terms of dependability, high quality and safety, while the Pontiac Grand Am received number one status for handling and being well suited to women's needs. Both winners in the Fullsize SUV category made the list for the first time: Toyota Sequoia was number one for dependability and quality; GMC Yukon for comfort and safety.

``Our research reports women's first-hand experience with vehicles. Since we launched this program in 1998, we have observed that women are more informed, especially when it comes to determining if they are satisfied with the ride and handling of the car,'' said Good Housekeeping Senior Vice President and Publisher Pat Haegele. ``It's also important to note that manufacturer brand perception is playing a bigger role in the selection process with today's women - brand names become shorthand for safety, for value, for performance and for style. With the help of J.D. Power and Associates, the Good Housekeeping Institute once again provides a benchmark for automotive manufacturers to meet the needs of women drivers.''

In order to be eligible to win a Women's Automotive Satisfaction Award, the automotive winners needed to participate in the Good Housekeeping initiative. They were measured against the standards established in a 1998 study conducted exclusively among more than 3,500 female new car purchasers and lessees, on behalf of the Good Housekeeping Institute, by J.D. Power and Associates. In 2001, this benchmark study was updated with responses from 5,346 women. The 2001 winner results were measured against the 2001 benchmark findings.

Winners of the award are featured on www.GoodHousekeeping.com, and will be featured in the January 2002 issue, on newsstands December 18.

Good Housekeeping, founded 116 years ago, reaches 25 million readers every month. The Good Housekeeping Institute, founded in 1900, is the consumer product testing facility that researches products appearing the magazine's articles and advertisements. Good Housekeeping is published by Hearst Magazines, a unit of The Hearst Corporation (www.hearst.com) and the world's largest publisher of monthly magazines, with 16 U.S. titles and 102 international editions. Of these, Hearst publishes 10 monthly magazines in the United Kingdom through its wholly owned subsidiary, The National Magazine Company Limited.