Innovative Designs and Continuous Improvements are Key
18 September 1998
J.D. Power and Associates Reports: Innovative Designs and Continuous Improvements are Key to Exciting and Delighting Vehicle Buyers
New Vehicle Designs for Compact Car and Luxury SUV Segments
Show Strong Consumer Appeal
AGOURA HILLS, Calif., Sept. 16 -- Vehicle manufacturers who
market exciting, relevant and innovative products that are responsive to
consumers' needs tend to achieve high rankings in J.D. Power and Associates
APEAL (Automotive Performance, Execution And Layout)(SM) studies, continuing a
trend that began at the study's inception in 1995.
"Understanding consumer hot buttons, as revealed in three prior APEAL
studies, allows manufacturers to design or modify products to more
specifically address the needs of consumers," said Chance Parker, partner and
director of product research at J.D. Power and Associates. "High APEAL scores
tend to result when manufacturers respond to consumer preferences with
effectively designed vehicles."
The study shows that two particularly interesting debut models in the
compact car and luxury SUV niches are home runs from consumers perspective.
In the area of innovative new designs, the VW Beetle and Lexus RX 300 luxury
SUV are highly responsive to consumer desires. The Beetle, with its unique
styling, addresses consumer preferences for a nostalgic, entry-level vehicle.
Owners of the RX 300, a car/truck hybrid leading the luxury SUV segment, find
the vehicle's unique packaging and car-like creature comforts to be most
appealing. Owners report that these and other vehicles are redefining the
compact car and luxury SUV segments and are generating excitement in areas
that previously recorded less appealing results.
Although compact cars typically have generated the lowest scores of any
segment leader, the Beetle's score is higher than awardees in both mid-size
segments.
A similar trend is occurring in the luxury SUV area. In the past, the
promise of luxury SUVs remained largely unfulfilled as owners migrating from
premium luxury cars to luxury SUVs reported relatively low ratings. The
results from this year's line of luxury SUVs are now more closely aligned with
the expectations of the luxury buyer.
"Several redesigned vehicles leapfrog their competition and take home
awards in this year's study; however, redesigns alone don't guarantee
success," said Jacques daCosta, manager of the APEAL study at J.D. Power and
Associates. "This year, as in the past, several established models remain the
benchmark among their competitors, illustrating the value some manufacturers
have achieved by successfully combining innovative design with continuous
improvements."
According to the study, the Chevrolet Corvette, Lexus LS 400, Dodge Dakota
and Dodge Ram remain the benchmarks in this area and are leaders in their
segments. The Dodge Ram is the most appealing full-size pickup for an
unprecedented fourth consecutive year.
Other segment leaders include the BMW 318ti, BMW M3, Pontiac Grand Am,
VW Passat, GMC Savana, Land Rover Discovery, Toyota Land Cruiser and Toyota
Sienna.
The APEAL Study is based on responses from nearly 98,000 car and
light-truck owners after three months of ownership -- the firm's largest
automobile study sample ever produced. The study addresses eight specific
areas of vehicle performance and design that uncover why consumers feel the
way they do about their vehicles. These areas include Vehicle Styling; Engine
and Transmission; Comfort and Convenience; Ride and Handling; Seats; Heating,
Ventilation and Cooling; Cockpit and Instrument Panel; and 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 one million consumers annually. Headquartered in Agoura Hills, Calif.,
the company has U.S. offices in Torrance, Calif., Michigan and Connecticut.
The firm also has international offices serving Canada the United
Kingdom/Europe and the Asia Pacific region.
J.D. Power and Associates can be accessed through the World Wide Web at
http://www.jdpower.com. Media e-mail contact: john.pepitone@jdpower.com. This press
release is provided for editorial use only. 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 1998 APEAL Study(SM)
America's Most Appealing Cars
Segment and Award Recipient Highest Rated Features
Most Appealing Compact Car
Volkswagen Beetle -- Unique styling
-- Front/rear exterior styling
-- Driver and front passenger leg
and headroom
-- Appearance and style of
wheels
Most Appealing Entry Mid-Size Car
Pontiac Grand Am -- Unique and expressive styling
-- Interior ventilation and
circulation
-- Useful interior storage space
-- User-friendly interior
controls
Most Appealing Premium Mid-Size Car
Volkswagen Passat -- Styling of profile, unique
appearance
-- Handling stability, powerful
brakes
-- Spacious interior and headroom
-- Useful trunk and cargo areas
Most Appealing Sporty Car
BMW 318ti -- Rear seat comfort and
headroom
-- Vehicle ground clearance
-- Driver's visibility
-- Useful and unique cargo space
Most Appealing Premium Sports Car
Chevrolet Corvette -- Interior comfort
-- Driving range between fuel
stops
-- Driver's seat comfort
-- Powerful engine performance
Most Appealing Entry Luxury Car
BMW M3 -- Powerful and smooth engine
performance
-- Passing power on the highway
-- Handling stability
-- Automatic transmission
performance
Most Appealing Premium Luxury Car
Lexus LS 400 -- Interior comfort and useful
storage space
-- Fuel economy and driving range
-- Rear passenger legroom
-- Smooth and quiet engine
J.D. Power and Associates 1998 APEAL Study(SM)
America's Most Appealing Trucks
Segment and Award Recipient Highest Rated Features
Most Appealing Compact Pickup
Dodge Dakota -- Overall styling
-- Interior comfort and amenities
-- Smoothness of ride
-- Interior storage space
Most Appealing Full-Size Pickup
Dodge Ram -- Unique styling
-- Cupholder design
-- Interior storage space
-- Smooth shifting manual
transmission
Most Appealing Compact Sport Utility
Land Rover Discovery -- Interior passenger headroom
-- Off-road ride and handling
-- Uniqueness of styling
-- Useable storage space
Most Appealing Full-Size Sport Utility
Toyota Land Cruiser -- Smooth, quiet engine
-- 2WD/4WD ride and handling
-- Driver's visibility
-- Precise automatic transmission
Most Appealing Luxury Sport Utility
Lexus RX 300 -- Fuel economy
-- Interior comfort and cupholder
design
-- Exterior color choices
-- Smooth, quiet engine
performance
Most Appealing Compact Van
Toyota Sienna -- Smoothness of automatic
transmission shifts
-- Convenience of cupholders
-- Engine smoothness
-- Quietness during highway
driving
Most Appealing Full-Size Van
GMC Savana -- Useful cargo space
-- Passenger head and legroom
-- Effectiveness of rear air
conditioning
-- Passing power on the highway
J.D. Power and Associates 1998 APEAL Study(SM)
Top Three Models in 12 Major Categories
Car Segments Truck Segments
Compact Car Compact Pickup
Most Appealing: Volkswagen Beetle Most Appealing: Dodge Dakota
Volkswagen Golf Chevrolet S-Series
Pontiac Sunfire Ford Ranger
Entry Mid-size Car Full-Size Pickup
Most Appealing: 1999 Pontiac Most Appealing: Dodge Ram
Grand Am
Volkswagen Jetta Chevrolet C/K (tie)
Chevrolet Malibu (tie) Ford F-Series (tie)
Chrysler Cirrus (tie)
Premium Mid-size Car Compact Sport Utility Vehicle
Most Appealing: Volkswagen Passat Most Appealing: Land Rover Discovery
Chrysler Concorde Dodge Durango
Pontiac Grand Prix Mercury Mountaineer
Entry Luxury Car Full-Size Sport Utility Vehicle
Most Appealing: BMW M3 Most Appealing: Toyota Land Cruiser
Lexus ES 300 Ford Expedition
BMW 3-Series Chevrolet Tahoe
Premium Luxury Car Luxury Sport Utility Vehicle
Most Appealing: Lexus LS 400 Most Appealing: Lexus RX 300
BMW 7-Series Lincoln Navigator
Lexus GS Sedan Mercedes-Benz M-Class
Sporty Car Compact Van
Most Appealing: BMW 318ti Most Appealing: Toyota Sienna
Honda Prelude Chrysler Town & Country
Volkswagen GTI Honda Odyssey (tie)
Pontiac Trans Sport (tie)
Premium Sports Car Full-Size Van
Most Appealing: Chevrolet Corvette Most Appealing: GMC Savana
Porsche 911 Chevrolet Express/Sport
Porsche Boxster Ford Van
Source: J.D. Power and Associates 1998
Automotive Performance, Execution And Layout -- APEAL Study(SM)