Category: Survey Results

The all new 2014 Kia Soul is the highest scoring Compact Car in AutoPacific’s 2014 Vehicle Satisfaction Award research. The 2014 Kia Soul wins or ties in seven of fifty satisfaction categories. The Soul also was within one tenth of a rating point in thirteen other categories. The 2014 Kia Soul is at the top of a total of twenty categories.

The 2014 BMW 3-Series GT is the highest scoring Aspirational Luxury Car in AutoPacific’s 2014 Vehicle Satisfaction Award research. The 2014 BMW 3-Series GT demonstrated its excellence in luxury by winning or tying in twenty-one of fifty attributes. The 3-Series GT also came within one tenth of a rating point with eleven other attributes. For over sixty percent of the satisfaction measurements, the 3-Series GT is at the top.

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.

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 2015 Lincoln MKC hit Lincoln dealerships in June 2014 and promises to be the 2nd volume entry for Ford's premium brand after the award-winning Lincoln MKZ. Lincoln is the top brand in AutoPacific's 2014 Vehicle Satisfaction Award research and the MKZ and MKZ Hybrid are the winners of their product categories. The MKC is joining a booming market for smaller crossover SUVs and, based on our brief drive of the vehicle, should do very well in AutoPacific's 2015 Vehicle Satisfaction Award research..

In AutoPacific's annual survey of new car and light truck buyers, eleven of the top twenty vehicles whose drivers want simpler, easier to use technology are Fords or Lincolns. Six are from Toyota or Lexus. One is from Cadillac. One is from BMW. One is from Audi. If you have been paying attention to Ford's standings in Consumer Reports ratings and other customer satisfaction measurements, you undoubtedly have heard Ford's and Lincolns ratings have dropped precipitously since MyFord/LincolnTouch was introduced.

Only 37% of hybrid owners are extremely satisfied with power and acceleration compared with 40% of small car owners. This might be expected since these products are biased toward maximum fuel economy usually at the expense of spirited driving.