TUSTIN, Calif. — The 2011 Ideal Vehicle Awards (IVA), announced by automotive research and consulting firm AutoPacific, reveal the vehicles that most closely match their owners desires. “Everyone has had the experience of wanting to change something after you’ve bought it and experienced it for awhile.  This is especially true of vehicles,” says George Peterson, President of AutoPacific. “This research recognizes the vehicles that owners want to change the least.  In other words, the vehicles that already match their owner’s demands.

The IVAs are based on owners’ ratings of their new 2011 model year cars and trucks across 15 key vehicle attributes ranging from power and acceleration to interior roominess.  The survey includes responses from more than 72,000 vehicle acquirers. The cars or trucks that owners would change the least are the most ideal.

“Its getting harder and harder to measure quality differences in today’s vehicles, says Peterson. “Consumers need better insights into which vehicles will meet their ideal for comfort, ride and handling, cargo space, and other attributes that are experienced on a daily basis. IVA winners deliver the most of what consumers are really looking for in their vehicles. Shoppers can use the IVAs as a benchmark for vehicles that are designed and built with customers in mind.”

Among premium brands, Porsche scores the highest for 2011, giving Porsche its fourth straight IVA win since 2008.  Chrysler leads the pack among popular brands, followed by Hyundai and Ford.

“Ford Motor Company leads the industry with a total of seven segment winners. Like last year, no other manufacturer came even close,” said Peterson.  Volvo scores three category wins and has a “win and a place” among Luxury Crossover SUVs with the XC70 and XC60.  American-branded vehicles perform well in this year’s IVAs. Of the twenty-four Ideal Vehicle Award (IVA) categories, American brands win eleven segments, European brands seven and Asian brands six.

The top-rated product segment is Premium Luxury Car, beating out Large Pickups and last year’s leading category Large Crossover SUV. As in previous years, American buyers continue to value large, comfortable vehicles suitable for suburban driving and highway cruising.

In addition to identifying segment winners, IVA also establishes numerical ideal vehicle ratings for virtually every passenger car and light truck in the United States market. These results come from calculating owner input across 15 specific areas related to a vehicle’s attributes, including: exterior styling, exterior size, passenger roominess, cargo space, driver’s seat comfort, driver’s seat visibility, info/entertainment technology, interior lighting, power and acceleration, ease of getting in and out, interior storage compartments, ride, handling, safety features and tires and wheels.

AutoPacific’s IVAs are featured on autobytel.com, the original website for consumer research and car buying, providing visibility of the awards to millions of new car shoppers.  Autobytel.com will highlight AutoPacific’s IVA’s on each individual vehicle with an award icon along with vehicle award descriptions and exclusive editorial content based on the market research.

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/

Kelley Blue Book News

July 1, 2009

Kbb.com names most-researched new-vehicles in first-half ’09

Redesigned Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Fusion, Volkswagen Jetta, Lexus RX350 in Top 20

Kelley Blue Book said the Honda Accord was the most-researched new-vehicles for the first half of 2009. kbb.com is one of the most trafficked automotive research sites with more than 12 million visits per month, so which specific vehicles consumers are checking out on the site has become a leading indicator of sales patterns for manufacturers, Kelley says. Kbb.com’s top 20 Most-Researched New Vehicles for First-Half of 2009 had Japanese models taking the first nine spots followed by Ford Mustang and No. 10.1. Honda Accord

2. Honda Civic

3. Toyota Camry

4. Honda CR-V

5. Toyota Corolla

6. Toyota Highlander

7. Nissan Altima

8. Toyota RAV4

9. Toyota Prius

10. Ford Mustang

11. Honda Pilot

12. MAZDA3

13. Honda Odyssey

14. Ford Fusion

15. Ford Escape

16. Chevrolet Camaro

17. Volkswagen Jetta

18. Toyota Sienna

19. Chevrolet Malibu

20. Lexus RX350

Import manufacturers Honda and Toyota frequently dominate the kbb.com most-researched lists, and while they still have a major turnout for the first-half of 2009 (securing 11 of the top 20 spots), this list demonstrates that a few newly redesigned models have captured the attention of consumers.

When compared year-over-year to the most-researched new-vehicles for the first half of 2008, four models are all-new to this year’s top 20 list: Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Fusion, Volkswagen Jetta and Lexus RX350.

Chevrolet’s buzzworthy Camaro made the most impressive jump onto this year’s list, from number 427 in June 2008 to number 16 in June 2009. Primary drivers of increased Camaro research include hefty movie promotions with the “Transformers” films and significant advertising executed in the past year.

The Ford Fusion jumped 43 positions from number 57 in June 2008 to number 14 in June 2009 due to the introduction and heavy promotion of Ford’s 2010 Fusion and Fusion Hybrid models.

Volkswagen’s Jetta climbed from number 32 in June 2008 to number 17 in June 2009; increased interest arose from the introduction of the Jetta’s TDI diesel variation.

The Lexus RX350 jumped from number 29 in June 2008 to number 20 in June 2009, as Lexus introduced and promoted its redesigned 2010 model heavily in recent months.

The MINI Cooper saw the largest decline in new-vehicle research in the past year, falling 18 positions from number 19 in June 2008 to number 37 in June 2009. Interest in the MINI was uncommonly high in June 2008 due to extremely elevated gas prices at the time; now that fuel prices have returned to more ‘normal’ levels in June 2009, new-car shoppers are not researching compact and sub-compact models like the Cooper nearly as often.

“While mainstays Toyota and Honda continue to take the majority of the most-researched spots, the interesting newcomers to this year’s list demonstrate the vast power of marketing, advertising and product placement in generating interest among in-market new-car shoppers,” said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book and kbb.com. “Increased interest in sexy new vehicles like the Camaro, new fuel-efficient variations such as the Fusion Hybrid and Jetta TDI, and redesigned popular models like the RX350, indicates that consumers are paying attention to what’s new in the automotive marketplace and expanding their options as they research their next new car.”