Would you recommend your car to a friend? Of course, we'd encourage you to conduct more thorough research before investing tens of thousands in a new car - we can even recommend a good website - but millions of Americans do ask friends, neighbors and co-workers "how do you like your new car?" when considering purchase. Auto industry research firm Auto Pacific did the same, asking 25,000 new car owners whether they were satisfied with their recent purchase. The result?
In a press release, the company writes, "For the second straight year, Cadillac ranks highest among new car owners, taking the Highest Satisfaction Brand honors even with the turmoil surrounding General Motors and the industry as a whole." Hyundai won the "Rising Star" award for the biggest jump, leaping over 11 other brands to sit in the top five for the first time.
The results come from a survey that, according to Auto Pacific, considers "48 separate categories that objectively measure the ownership experience."
If you're looking to buy the specific vehicle that leaves customers most satisfied, be prepared to part with some cash. Motor Trend reports, "The vehicle gaining the most satisfied customers for MY2009 was the Lexus LS series sedan, which bested the industry average by 99 points. Top truck or SUV honors went to the Cadillac Escalade."
The full list of winners is below, though, reading it, we'd quarrel with some of Auto Pacific's categories. The Hyundai Sonata is a premium midsize car while the Ford Fusion is just a midsize car? The Scion tC is sporty?
Again, we can recommend a good website for more research.
PASSENGER CARS:
Premium Luxury Car Lexus LS
Aspirational Luxury Car Hyundai Genesis
Luxury Large Car Lincoln Town Car
Luxury Mid-Size Car Lexus ES
Premium Mid-Size Car Hyundai Sonata
Mid-Size Car Ford Fusion
Image Compact Car Toyota Prius
Compact Car Mitsubishi Lancer
Economy Car Honda Fit
Sports Car Porsche 911
Sporty Car Scion tC
LIGHT TRUCKS:
Large Pickup Dodge Ram 1500
Compact Pickup Ford Explorer Sport Trac
Luxury Sport Utility Cadillac Escalade
Large Sport Utility Chevrolet Tahoe
Premium Mid-Size Sport Utility Ford Explorer
Mid-Size Sport Utility Jeep Liberty
Luxury Crossover SUV Land Rover LR2
Large Crossover SUV Mazda CX-9
Premium Mid-Size Crossover SUV Toyota Venza
Mid-Size Crossover SUV Volkswagen Tiguan
Compact Crossover SUV Kia Sportage
Minivan Toyota Sienna
If you're in the market for a new car, check out the U.S. News rankings of this year's best cars as well as this month's best car deals.
