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Family Circle Names Family Car of the Year

14 October 1999

Family Circle Names Family Car of the Year; 12th Annual Survey Polls Women on the Best Family Cars

    DETROIT--(AutomotiveWire)--Oct. 14, 1999-- Once again, two American vehicles, the Dodge Intrepid and the Chevrolet Suburban, lead the list for Family Circle's 1999 Family Car of the Year, the 12th annual ranking of vehicles considered best for families, as judged by more than 1,700 women nationwide. The Family Circle Family Car of the Year winners released today are the only awards given to manufacturers for vehicle designs in two categories--Best Family Sedan (4-door only) and Best Family Activity Vehicle. The top automotive awards go to those vehicles which, through a national survey, are found to consistently and reliably meet the needs of the American woman and her family.
    In the Best Family Sedan category, the Dodge Intrepid won high marks based on overall space and comfort, ease of access and trunk and cargo capacity. Over 87% of Intrepid owners said they would buy the Intrepid again. The Intrepid won over the Chevrolet Malibu, Chevrolet Lumina, Ford Taurus, Honda Accord, Mercury Grand Marquis, Pontiac Grand Am and Toyota Camry.
    For Best Family Activity Vehicle, the Chevrolet Suburban took first place, ranking high in safety in case of an accident, value for the money and overall satisfaction with dealers. In fact, over 91% of Suburban owners said they'd buy the same vehicle again. Nominees for this category (open to minivans, wagons and 4x4s) also included: Chevrolet Tahoe (which took first place in 1998), Dodge Durango, Ford Expedition, Ford Explorer, Ford Windstar, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Plymouth Voyager and Toyota Sienna.
    "Consumers and manufacturers alike consider the Family Circle Family Car of the Year Award one of the most important endorsements for an automobile. Our program is unique in that we alone recognize consumer satisfaction among women who, increasingly, have become the family's automotive decision-makers," said James McEwen, the magazine's publisher.
    For the Family Circle Family Car of the Year survey, female buyers of the 17 automobiles with the highest unit sales to families (households with at least one child under the age of 18) in the first quarter of the 1999 model year (October 1998 through January 1999) were queried in writing by independent research firm R.L. Polk on eight areas:

(X) Performance/handling          (X) Value for the money
(X) Dependability/reliability     (X) Space/comfort
(X) Appearance/styling            (X) Suitability for intended uses
(X) Safety                        (X) Satisfaction with dealer

Established in 1988, past winners include:

1998     Buick LeSabre
         Chevrolet Tahoe

1997     Ford Taurus
         Mercury Mountaineer

1996     Honda Accord
         Chevrolet Tahoe

1995     Chevrolet Lumina
         Jeep Grand Cherokee

1994     Buick LeSabre
         Ford Explorer

1993     Saturn SL (Domestic)
         Nissan Altima (Import)

1992     Buick LeSabre (Domestic)
         Toyota Camry (Import)

1991     Chevrolet Lumina (Domestic)
         Honda Accord (Import)

1990     Chevrolet Lumina (Domestic)
         Toyota Camry (Import)

1989     Toyota Camry (Grand Winner)

1988     Volvo 240KL (Grand Winner)

    Family Circle, America's best-selling women's magazine, represents the single most influential and responsive print vehicle read by contemporary women who are the architects of today's American families. Family Circle is published by G+J USA, one of America's largest magazine publishers with "Magazines For Every Stage of a Woman's Life," including American HomeStyle & Gardening, Child, Family Circle, Fitness, McCall's, Parents and YM. G+J USA is 75% owned by Bertelsmann AG, the fourth largest media company in the world with yearly revenues of $16 billion.