Honda and Porsche led all automakers in J.D. Power’s 2007 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study. Porsche was the top among all brands studied with the highest Brand Performance and Design Ratings, while Honda took home more category awards than any other manufacturer.
J.D. Power’s APEAL Study, conducted between February and May, surveyed 91,000 consumers within 90 days of their new car purchase. The study identifies customer satisfaction in the categories of performance, style, comfort and features. According to consumers, German cars lead the industry: Porsche, BMW and Mercedes-Benz took home the top three overall brand positions. Lexus and Jaguar finished fourth and fifth.
The biggest gainers of the year were Saturn and Jaguar , both due to heavily revised product portfolios. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Chrysler Group’s three brands, Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep all finished in the bottom five. Jeep took last place, a step down from 2006 when the brand finished second-to-last. However, ’06′s biggest loser, Isuzu, was not included in the ’07 study.
Honda won four of the 19 individual vehicle segments, including the Fit in the sub-compact category (tied with the Toyota Yaris); the CR-V in the compact MAV segment; the Ridgeline in the mid-size pickup category; and the Odyssey in the van category. BMW and Mercedes-Benz won three categories each, while Nissan , Ford and Volkswagen each won two categories.
The winners
Subcompact car: Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris (tie)
Compact car: Volkswagen Jetta
Compact sporty car: Volkswagen GTI
Compact premium sporty car: Porsche Cayman
Entry premium car: BMW 3 Series
Midsize premium car: Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Large premium car: Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Premium sporty car: BMW 6 Series
Midsize sporty car: Ford Mustang
Midsize car: Nissan Altima sedan
Large car: Hyundai Azera
Compact MAV: Honda CR-V
Midsize MAV: Ford Edge
Large MAV: Nissan Armada
Midsize premium MAV: BMW X5
Large premium MAV: Cadillac Escalade EXT and Mercedes-Benz GL-Class (tie)
Large pickup: GMC Sierra
Midsize pickup: Honda Ridgeline
Van: Honda Odyssey
