Author Archive: George Peterson

The 2014 Lincoln MKZ is the top scoring Luxury Mid-Size Car in AutoPacific’s 2014 Vehicle Satisfaction Award research. Coming in a close second was the Lexus ES followed by the Nissan Maxima, Volkswagen CC, and the Acura TSX.

The 2014 Lincoln MKZ led its category with twenty-two wins and thirteen ties out of fifty satisfaction attributes. This puts the 2014 Lincoln MKZ hitting the top of the mark in seventy percent of the categories.

The top ten highest rankings by MKZ owners are: the exterior styling and color, the braking, the perception of reliability and dependability, feeling safe when driving, interior styling, the reputation of the Lincoln brand, overall quality and handling, and enjoyment of driving.  The MKZ had a difficult launch in early 2013, but clearly the teething problems of the [...]

The 2014 Chevrolet Impala is the leader in scoring for the Large Car category in AutoPacific’s 2014 Vehicle Satisfaction Award research. In achieving this level of satisfaction, the 2014 Chevrolet Impala wins in twelve categories and ties in fourteen. This puts the Impala as a leader in twenty-six out of fifty satisfaction categories. At over fifty percent for satisfaction measurements the Impala is at the top.

Part of luxury in the United States has always been big; big homes, big cars, and big diamond rings. And a luxury car has always been big, bold, and unapologetic. Elvis had a Cadillac. Elizabeth Taylor a custom-built 1956 Mark II. Arnold piloted a Hummer.

A common belief today is that younger buyers do not have the same affinity to big and bold. The storyline is that economic instability, and a renewed sense of environmentalism has changed the landscape for future luxury buyers. Armed with this story, luxury  brands are embarking on a downsizing strategy intended to bring in these new buyers to build their brands for the future.  But luxury attempts at compact vehicles have a checkered past: BMW 318ti, Mercedes-Benz C230, or, further back, the inglorious Cadillac Cimarron. Given history, low [...]

A gaggle of automotive journalists and analysts was transported to Meadowbrook Hall north of Detroit and near Chrysler's headquarters in Auburn Hills. This event was to celebrate the Dodge 100th Anniversary. We were given a brief history of the brand and description of ten historic concept Dodges on display from the first Viper concept to the Dodge Demon concept from 2007. Following the presentation of these concepts we were given the opportunity to drive and/or ride in 26 Dodges from the past ranging from 1915 through 2008.

The present big car in the Lincoln lineup is the MKS. The MKS is the top scoring Executive Luxury Car in AutoPacific's 2014 Vehicle Satisfaction Award research. These are outstanding results in a product segment that includes some very impressive competitors.

The AutoPacific 2014 Vehicle Satisfaction Awards objectively measure owner satisfaction with 50 separate 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 50 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 92,000 new vehicle owners.

AutoPacific awards its President's Award when a new Vehicle Satisfaction record is achieved. This year, the all new 2014 Mercedes S-Class scored 794 points almost 20 rating points higher than the previous highest score of 775 earned by the 2010 Hyundai Sonata.

The Lincoln Motor Company won AutoPacific's Vehicle Satisfaction Award for top brand of the 2014 model year. Lincoln has previously won in 2004 and 2011. Based on queries from the press, many are surprised at the success of Lincoln in AutoPacific's research. After all, Lincoln is portrayed as being a brand struggling to survive in the hotly contested luxury vehicle market in the USA.

Ford is offering the Crew Chief telematics system on its fleet vehicles. Developed by Telogis, Crew Chief is a GPS-based system designed to monitor vehicle activity and improve efficiency. The Ford Crew Chief system is available on the F-150, F-Series Super Duty, E-Series, Transit and Transit Connect.

Ford's One Ford strategy dictates that vehicles be as common as possible around the world. While the E-Series has been the top selling large van in the USA for years, it was basically a North America only product. The European Transit van was completely different. Also, the American E-Series never had the breadth of product choices that the European Transit had. Now that has changed with the American-made Transit about as complex as the European model.