New Designs Get Top Marks in Buyer Satisfaction Survey

Underscoring the importance of stand-out design in the automotive market, buyers of three of the most striking vehicles introduced in the last year have given their cars and trucks top scores in J.D. Power & Associates’ annual APEAL study.

The study measures new-car buyers’ satisfaction with their vehicles after 90 days of ownership. BMW’s Mini Cooper, Ford’s Thunderbird roadster and Cadillac’s Escalade EXT sport truck led a field of more than 200 models reviewed by 117,800 respondents.

Overall, the study--Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout--found that 26 of the 31 all-new or extensively redesigned vehicles launched in the last year led their respective segments.

“Radical designs and concepts are paying off,” said Brian Walters, director of product research at Westlake Village-based J.D. Power.

Automakers willing to take risks with design and performance characteristics, he said, are being rewarded in the market.

“These cars sell faster, fetch premium prices and need fewer incentives,” Walters said, adding that though car buyers typically respond well to unique designs, “automakers have been loath in the past to break away from the pack.”

The last two years have seen a renaissance of individualism in auto design, he said.

Ford and Lincoln brands ranked highest in five APEAL segments. American Honda, General Motors and Toyota Motor Sales brands each received three top segment rankings.

And for the first time in the 7-year-old study, a South Korean car led a category; the redesigned Hyundai Sonata received top ranking in the entry-level mid-size segment.