Consumer’s Rate Satisfaction with 2008 Automobiles
2008 Porsche Cayenne GTS, originally uploaded by JDPower.com Photography
It is that time of year for the results of this years APEAL studies (Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout). “APEAL” is the shortened description for when J.D. Power and Associates rolls out their list of appealing automotive attributes, and ask buyers to rate how last years automotive offerings stacked up to their expectations.
It was undoubtedly a rough year for most automotive manufacturers in 2008. Consumers witnessed the initial proceedings of bankruptcy, job loss, stock loss, gas price increase, and a host of other ups and downs, so it would not be surprising to find them rather down on the automobile in general. This however did not appear to be the case.
The Bloody Consequences of Higher Gas Prices, originally uploaded by lorenzodom
The Automotive Market Maybe Down, But Certainly Not Out
The overall consumer opinion of 2008 models was fairly positive, except for performance/fuel economy and audio/entertainment. The dissatisfaction with fuel economy has already been attributed mostly to the high gas prices of 2008, while electronics still remains somewhat of a mystery why it was rated lower than usual.
Unlike most years, consumers appeared to prefer freshened, previous models, to the all-new, redesigned ones. A few examples of this was seen in the popular opinion of such previous models as the Ford Focus, Dodge Grand Caravan, and Chevrolet Malibu. We also saw a lot of familiar faces from last year’s poll reappear with some old consumer favorites, such as Porsche Cayenne, BMW 3-Series, and Jaguar XJ Series.
With this said, Buick was one of the few who actually did enjoy noteworthy success by introducing an all-new, stylish vehicle. We are of course speaking of the Enclave, which may have very well brought a whole new generation back in touch with the aging Buick brand.
Ford deserves some extra applause for being surveyed as having one of the most improved models of 2008, the Ford Focus. Of the more disappointing models according to consumers was the Honda CR-V, Saturn Aura, and Lincoln MKX.
A few other noteworthy vehicles exhibiting top scores according to consumer opinion was the Mini Cooper, Volkswagen GTI/CC/Tiguan, Hyundai Genesis, Smart Fortwo, Dodge Challenger, Ford Flex/F-150, Nissan Armada/Maxima, Honda Odyssey/Ridgeline, Mercedes-Benz SLK/S-Class, and Chevrolet Avalanche.
Source: J.D. Power & Associates
