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Toyota and General Motors Lead in 2015 Motorist Choice Awards

Irvine, Calif. (October 13, 2015) – Notable automotive industry research companies IntelliChoice and AutoPacific today announced the winners of the 2015 Motorist Choice Awards. Now in its tenth year, this esteemed award recognizes vehicles that deliver the compelling and sought after combination of high consumer satisfaction and lower-than-expected ownership costs over time – meeting the needs and expectations of both the heart and the mind.

The Motorist Choice Awards were designed by IntelliChoice and AutoPacific ten years ago and have since become a reliable guide for new car shoppers. The awards take AutoPacific’s owner satisfaction data from new car and light truck owners and combine those data with IntelliChoice’s cost of ownership rating methodology.

Toyota and General Motors Lead in Motorist Choice Awards Wins

Winning vehicles came from 13 different brands and 10 different manufacturers. Toyota has the most wins with an even mix of winning cars and trucks from the Toyota and Lexus brands. “It’s an accomplishment in itself to bring to market a vehicle that satisfies a consumer emotionally, physically and financially,” says Dan Hall, vice president of AutoPacific. “Toyota is in the envious position of having achieved this combination across two brands, as well as the car and truck segments. Where many automakers do well with either their cars or their trucks, Toyota has done both.” Notably, 3 out of the 6 winning Toyota and Lexus vehicles have hybrid powertrains.

In contrast to Toyota’s diversity of winning vehicles, General Motors has dominated in the truck segments and follows with 5 winning vehicles from 3 brands, all in truck segments. General Motors’ truck brand GMC took 3 top spots, while Cadillac and Chevrolet each had one winning vehicle. “One of the great things about General Motors’ wins this year is that they have cornered the large SUV and truck market,” says Hall. “Whether consumers are looking for luxury, premium, or middle-of-the-road, GM has a winning vehicle there.”

The remaining wins go to Honda with 3 wins, Hyundai and BMW with 2 wins each, and Volvo, Subaru, Volkswagen, Mazda and Ford, each with 1 win.

Redesigned Vehicles Raise the Bar

This year’s list of winners also contains seven all-new vehicles: Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Canyon, Ford-F-150, Honda Fit, Subaru Legacy and Volkswagen Golf. “Each year the competition rises as automakers address consumer feedback and put out vehicles designed to fix previous issues, address needs, and ultimately, satisfy consumers,” explains Hall. “Winning in the first year of a new model truly means that automakers have been listening.”

The 2015 Motorist Choice Award Winners:

PASSENGER CARS:

LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS:

Each year, AutoPacific performs the broadest and most widely followed vehicle satisfaction survey in the U.S. This results in consumer feedback from more than 66,000 new vehicle buyers on a recently purchased model year 2015 vehicle. Using 50 key attributes covering the entire ownership experience, AutoPacific calculates overall vehicle satisfaction for individual models and vehicle segments and announces its annual Vehicle Satisfaction Awards (VSA) based on the findings.

Concurrently, IntelliChoice constantly monitors and updates the cost of ownership metrics for more than 2,000 model trim lines to give valuable insight into the financial impact of ownership over a five year period. This analysis is the foundation of the IntelliChoice Best Overall Value of the Year (BOVY) awards, announced each January, and its interim Best Deals Awards, which show case top values on a monthly basis, considering changing economic factors such as fuel costs, price changes and rebates.

The Motorist Choice Awards combine complementary analyses from both firms into one set of accolades representing vehicles that earn high marks on both sets of criteria. This methodology provides a superior means of evaluating “Best in Class” vehicles that align consumer shopping patterns with probability for both satisfaction and value.

“Combining the AutoPacific consumer survey data with the IntelliChoice cost of ownership data is a great benefit to consumers,” said Eric Anderson, Ownership Cost Database Supervisor for IntelliChoice. “Whether you are looking for a luxury crossover, a compact car or a minivan, the Motorist Choice Awards help shoppers choose a vehicle that fits their lifestyle and financial bottom line. Based on our research, we’re proud to recommend these vehicles to consumers.”

For more details on these categories and the winning vehicles, please visit http://www.IntelliChoice.com and http://www.AutoPacific.com.

About AutoPacific:
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. Since 1986, AutoPacific has provided innovative, methodologically sound, strongly implemented research in addition to expert automotive analysis. AutoPacific is nationally known for its annual Vehicle Satisfaction Awards and Ideal Vehicle Awards. Additional information can be found on AutoPacific’s websites: http://www.autopacific.com and http://www.vehiclevoice.com.

About IntelliChoice:

IntelliChoice, part of the Motor Trend Automotive Group, is the market leader in automotive ownership cost and car values analysis. Founded in 1986, IntelliChoice is committed to empowering consumers to make better purchase decisions by providing independent and essential automotive information and tools. Through the IntelliChoice.com website, consumers can research, compare and price new cars and the cost of ownership.  Motor Trend Automotive Group is an operating division of TEN: The Enthusiast Network (formerly, Source Interlink Media), a recognized provider of targeted media and marketing services and one of the largest publishers of magazines and digital content for enthusiast audiences.

About TEN: The Enthusiast Network:

TEN: The Enthusiast Network is the world’s premier network of enthusiast brands, such as MOTOR TREND, AUTOMOBILE, HOT ROD, SURFER, TRANSWORLD SKATEBOARDING, and GRINDTV. With more than 50 publications, 60 websites, 50 events, 1,000 branded products, the world’s largest automotive VOD channel, and the world’s largest action/adventure sports media platform, TEN inspires enthusiasts to pursue their passions. For more information, visit enthusiastnetwork.com.