Domestic automakers top imports in appeal study
First it was reliability. Now it is basic looks and appeal.
For the first time since 1997, domestic auto brands have collectively surpassed imports in vehicle appeal, said J.D. Power and Associates, the Westlake Village auto research company.
Fancy luxury autos from overseas still have an edge, but among mass-market vehicles, the domestic automakers are the top dogs, the research firm said Thursday in its annual Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout, or APEAL, study.
U.S. domestic brands averaged 787 on a 1,000-point scale, 13 points higher than the score for automakers headquartered in Europe or the Asian Pacific region, J.D. Power said. Last year, import brands outscored domestic brands by 5 points.
“Domestic automakers have performed three important actions during the past two years that have led to their gains,” said David Sargent, vice president of global vehicle research at J.D. Power. “They have retired many models that demonstrated low appeal. They have also introduced new, highly appealing models to their lineups, and finally, they have improved their existing models through freshenings and redesigns.”
Models with high scores typically sell faster, have higher profit margins, and require smaller discounts and other incentives to move, he said.
“Attributes such as exterior styling are primary determinants of whether a model makes the customer’s consideration list in the first place, while other attributes — particularly those related to the interior of the vehicle — are critical in determining which model is ultimately purchased,” Sargent said.
Domestic brands have trended up in the study in recent years, helped by a surge in newly designed models. The brands have risen from an average score of 754 in 2006. The score for import nameplates declined slightly to 774 from 781 both last year and in 2006.
Top-scoring models included the Ford Fusion and Buick LaCrosse in the midsize-car segment, and the Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger in the midsize-sporty-car category. The GMC Terrain topped the crossover/SUV segment, and the Chevrolet Avalanche had the highest score for a large pickup truck. The BMW 3 Series topped the entry-level premium car segment and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class was ranked highest for a large premium car.
Ford received five segment awards, more than any other brand, and scored 794 points. Porsche had the highest score of any make, garnering 877 points.
Among mass-market brands, Buick and Volkswagen also scored well, 802 and 797 points respectively. Toyota and Jeep had the lowest overall scores, 745 and 727 respectively. Along with Porsche, Jaguar and BMW logged the highest scores for luxury brands, 854 and 846. The industry average was 778.
J.D. Power said this year that domestic brands edged out imports in its annual study of initial quality for the first time in nearly a quarter of a century.
Overall, domestic brands suffered from an average of 108 problems per 100 new vehicles, an improvement from 112 last year and down sharply from the 164 garnered by American automakers in 2000. Imports had an average of 109 problems, up from 106 a year ago.
