Who Should NOT Be On This List? AutoPacfic Releases Latest Vehicle Satisfaction Awards

AutoPacific today announced its 15th annual Vehicle Satisfaction Awards (VSA) to help consumers make informed vehicle purchase decisions.

Carmakers are constantly improving their products and relationships with their customers.  They communicate their success by citing the satisfaction of their owners.  “Proof of satisfied customers is as good as gold,” says George Peterson, president of AutoPacific. “We’ve found that more than one-third of new car buyers are positively influenced by objective awards based on owner ratings when deciding on a new car or truck.”

AutoPacific’s Vehicle Satisfaction Award is an industry benchmark for measuring how satisfied an owner is with his/her new vehicle.  This study by the Southern California-based automotive research firm summarizes the results of over 68,000 new vehicle owners.

“Vehicles that score highest in the Vehicle Satisfaction Awards are delivering value and satisfaction across a wide range of attributes,” says Peterson. “The winners perform well in 48 separate categories that objectively measure the ownership experience.”

The vehicle – car or truck – registering highest overall satisfaction in 2011 is the Cadillac Escalade Luxury SUV.  The car with the highest overall satisfaction score is the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

At the manufacturer level, multiple top-ranked award winners are: Ford with seven wins; Toyota with four wins; and General Motors and Hyundai with three wins.

“While the economy is strengthening, new vehicle buyers continue to be especially careful in selecting the perfect vehicle for their needs.  AutoPacific’s Vehicle Satisfaction Award will help this year’s customers sort through the 262 car and truck nameplates presently available in the United States.  A wise purchase decision is like money in the bank,” says Peterson.

Top 2011 model year performers are: