Newly Redesigned Vehicles Hit the Mark with Consumers in AutoPacific's 2014 Ideal Vehicle Awards

TUSTIN, Calif., Aug. 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Automotive research and consulting firm AutoPacific, Inc. today announced the 2014 Ideal Vehicle Awards (IVA). AutoPacific's IVAs are designed to recognize vehicles that best meet their owner's expectations and desires, helping consumers make informed vehicle purchase decisions with "owners talking" feedback.

Porsche and GMC Most Ideal Brands in 2014

For the second year in a row, the top luxury brand is Porsche. The top popular brand is GMC, also the top popular brand in AutoPacific's 2014 Vehicle Satisfaction Awards. Ford Motor Company and General Motors both had the most wins at 5 apiece, followed by a diverse brand breakdown, including Honda and Volkswagen, each with 3 wins, MINI and BMW with 2 wins, and 1 win each for Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota (Lexus), and Fiat-Chrysler (Jeep).

This year's winner's list also contains 6 completely redesigned vehicles: Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Acura RLX, BMW 3-Series GT and X5, Chevrolet Impala, and Fusion HEV-PHEV. "Winning an IVA in their first year of release shows that these newly redesigned vehicles have hit the mark with their owners, but it also shows that the designers did their research to know how to best meet the needs and expectations of their core group of buyers," said George Peterson, president of AutoPacific. Of these new vehicles, only the BMW X5 and Ford Fusion Hybrid were IVA winners in their previous generation.

While overall vehicle performance varies within each attribute, more than 25% of consumers still seek more interior storage, better visibility and easier ingress/egress. 17% of consumers want easier to use technology, up 4%pts from 2013, and the only attribute with a significant increase in desired change.

The 2014 awards are based on responses from over 92,000 new vehicle owners across all major manufacturers. Surveyed after 90 days of ownership, respondents were asked what changes they would make to their car or truck in 15 key categories, including interior storage, ease of technology use, power and acceleration and seat comfort. "The vehicle buying and owning experience is often a love-hate relationship," explained Peterson. "Buyers purchase their vehicle for many reasons, including price, style, and lifestyle fit, but it's often not until the vehicle is driven for a while that the little annoyances start to show themselves and people wish things were a bit different." AutoPacific's IVAs recognize vehicles where owners want the least amount of change across the 15 surveyed attributes.

2014 Overall Winner: Chevrolet Corvette
2014 Most Ideal Premium Brand: Porsche
2014 Most Ideal Popular Brand: GMC

About AutoPacific
AutoPacific is a future-oriented automotive marketing research and product-consulting firm. Every year AutoPacific publishes a wide variety of syndicated studies on the automotive industry. The firm, founded in 1986, also conducts extensive proprietary research and consulting for auto manufacturers, distributors, marketers and suppliers worldwide. Company headquarters and its state-of-the-art automotive research facility are in Tustin, California, with an affiliate office in the Detroit area. Additional information can be found on AutoPacific's websites:  http://www.autopacific.com and http://vehiclevoice.com/

SOURCE AutoPacific