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Cadillac Top Brand, Mercedes-Benz S-Class Top Car, Toyota Sequoia Top Truck and Top Vehicle
Tustin, California, May 29, 2008 – A study released today by noted automotive consulting firm AutoPacific, Inc. summarizes the results of its 2008 model year vehicle satisfaction research. AutoPacific’s Vehicle Satisfaction Award (VSA) is an industry benchmark for objectively measuring how satisfied an owner is with their new passenger car or light truck.
In a year that promises to be the toughest in a decade, owner-based awards like AutoPacific’s Vehicle Satisfaction Award will help customers make their purchase decisions.
The brand with the highest satisfaction rating is Cadillac. The vehicle – car or truck – registering highest overall satisfaction in 2008 is the new-for-2008 Toyota Sequoia Large Sport Utility Vehicle. The passenger car with the highest overall satisfaction score is the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
There are twenty-eight Vehicle Satisfaction Award categories. At the manufacturer level, multiple top ranked award winners include: General Motors (eleven categories), Toyota (nine categories), Ford (six categories), Volkswagen (four categories), Honda (three categories) and Hyundai (two categories).
“Cadillac wins the Vehicle Satisfaction Award as the top brand in a close race. Strong satisfaction performance by Cadillac cars and trucks has Cadillac winning over other leading luxury marques including Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW says AutoPacific president George Peterson. “Top ranked finishes by Cadillac’s Escalade, CTS and DTS helped cement their industry topping position.”
Peterson continues, “Vehicles that are all new received top rankings in several categories: Cadillac CTS, Honda Accord, Mitsubishi Lancer, Scion xD, Toyota Sequoia, Audi Q7, Buick Enclave, Hyundai Veracruz, GMC Acadia, Saturn Vue and Nissan Rogue. These new-for-2008 vehicles were strongly rated by their owners showing that the industry continues to improve as new vehicles are added to the hotly contested American car and light truck markets.”
From a vehicle type perspective, Traditional Sport Utility Vehicles received the highest ratings as a class closely followed by Crossover Sport Utility Vehicles. Peterson says, “Clearly, SUVs continue to be one of the most popular and satisfying vehicle types available in the USA today. Even with skyrocketing gas prices, SUVs are attractive and Crossover SUVs fill the bill for most SUV buyers with better fuel economy.” Cars scored slightly below industry average followed by minivans and pickup trucks.

Top 2008 model year performers are:
BRAND: Cadillac
PASSENGER CARS:
Premium Luxury Car: Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Aspirational Luxury Car: Cadillac CTS
Large Luxury Car: Cadillac DTS
Large Car: Toyota Avalon/Ford Taurus
Luxury Mid-Size Car: Lexus ES350
Premium Mid-Size Car: Honda Accord
Mid-Size Car: Volkswagen Jetta/Mercury Milan
Image Compact Car: Chevrolet HHR/Volkswagen GTi
Compact Car: Mitsubishi Lancer
Economy Car: Scion xD
Premium Sports Car: Audi TT
Sports Car: Saturn Sky
Sporty Car: Scion tC
LIGHT TRUCKS:
Large Light-Duty Pickup: Cadillac Escalade EXT/Lincoln Mark LT
Large Heavy-Duty Pickup: Chevrolet Silverado HD
Compact Pickup: Ford Explorer Sport Trac/Honda Ridgeline
Luxury Sport Utility: Cadillac Escalade/Cadillac Escalade ESV
Large Sport Utility: Toyota Sequoia
Premium Mid-Size Sport Utility: Ford Explorer
Mid-Size Sport Utility: HUMMER H3/Kia Sorento
Compact SUV/Off-Road Vehicle: Toyota FJ Cruiser/Suzuki Grand Vitara
Premium Luxury Crossover SUV: Audi Q7
Luxury Crossover SUV: BMW X3/Acura RDX/Buick Enclave
Large Crossover SUV: Hyundai Veracruz/GMC Acadia
Premium Mid-Size Crossover SUV: Ford Edge/Suzuki XL-7
Mid-Size Crossover SUV: Saturn Vue/Toyota RAV4
Compact Crossover SUV: Nissan Rogue
Minivan: Toyota Sienna
In addition to identifying category winners, VSA also establishes numerical satisfaction ratings for virtually every passenger car and light truck in the North American market. Owner satisfaction is measured across 46 specific areas related to a vehicle’s operation, comfort, safety and the overall purchase/lease experience. The 2008 ratings reflect input from buyers and lessees of new vehicles acquired September through December 2007.
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 and its state-of-the-art automotive research facility are in Tustin, California, with an affiliate office in the Detroit area.