New Designs Dominate J.D. Power and Associates 1997 APEAL Study
28 August 1997
New Designs Dominate J.D. Power and Associates 1997 APEAL Study
AGOURA 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