AutoPacific Announces 2013 Vehicle Satisfaction Awards

TUSTIN, Calif., June 6, 2013; AutoPacific today announced its 17^th annual Vehicle Satisfaction Awards (VSA) to identify the most satisfying cars on the market and help consumers make informed vehicle purchase decisions.

AutoPacific's Vehicle Satisfaction Awards objectively measure owner satisfaction with 51 vehicle attributes ranging from interior comfort and convenience to fuel economy and performance. "Vehicles that score highest in the Vehicle Satisfaction Awards are delivering value and satisfaction across a wide range of attributes," says George Peterson, president of AutoPacific. "The winners perform well in 51 separate categories that objectively measure the ownership experience." An industry benchmark for measuring how satisfied an owner is with his/her new vehicle, AutoPacific's VSA are based on the results of responses from over 52,000 new vehicle owners.

"With the launch of each new car and truck, carmakers try improve the product and increase the satisfaction of their buyers.  By surveying a substantial number of owners who purchased a new 2013 model year vehicle, AutoPacific's VSA provides an objective measurement of how well the makers are doing. More than one-third of new vehicle buyers are positively influenced by objective awards based on owner ratings when deciding on a new car or truck," says Peterson.

The most satisfying brands in 2013 are Cadillac, Top Premium Brand and Buick, Top Popular Brand. The vehicle - car or truck - registering highest overall satisfaction is the Cadillac SRX Luxury Crossover SUV.  The car with the highest overall satisfaction score is the Lexus LS460.

The awards in 2013 are much more diverse than they have been in previous years with no single manufacturer dominating the results. Brands with multiple wins are: Toyota and General Motors with four best-in-class winners, Chrysler with three wins, and Kia, Hyundai, Nissan, and Ford with two wins. The most improved brands compared with last year's results are Infiniti and Land Rover, rising ten and nine positions respectively, while Scion dropped ten positions and Ford dropped eight.

"AutoPacific's Vehicle Satisfaction Awards help vehicle buyers sort through an increasingly complicated selection of brands and models.  For the 2013 model year, there are 294 models and 33 brands from which to choose a new vehicle.  The VSA clearly shows the buyers which vehicles are at the top of the class they are considering," says Peterson.

Top 2013 model year performers are:

AutoPacific is a future-oriented automotive marketing and product-consulting firm. Every year AutoPacific publishes a wide variety of syndicated studies on the automotive industry. The firm also conducts extensive proprietary research and consulting for auto manufacturers, distributors, marketers and suppliers worldwide. Company headquarters are in Tustin, California, with an affiliate office in the Detroit area.

Additional information can be found on AutoPacific's websites: www.autopacific.com and www.vehiclevoice.com.