AutoPacific Announces 2020 Ideal Vehicle Awards - GMC Acadia Wins Most Ideal Overall Vehicle; Tesla and Land Rover Tie for Most Ideal Brand

NORTH TUSTIN, Calif., Oct. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Automotive research and consulting firm AutoPacific, Inc. today announced the 2020 Ideal Vehicle Awards (IVA), recognizing vehicles that best meet owners' expectations for the product. The 2020 awards are based on responses from more than 73,000 owners of new vehicles across all major manufacturers. Based solely on owner input, AutoPacific IVAs link owner expectations with their actual vehicle experiences by measuring respondent desire for change with 14 vehicle attributes ranging from interior storage to power and acceleration. "IVA's speak to a vehicle's layout and design by revealing which vehicles best meet their owner's needs and expectations," says AutoPacific president George Peterson.

Winners Spread Across 17 Brands; 11 Manufacturers
Highlighting a diversity of offerings, the twenty-four winning vehicles come from seventeen different brands. Mercedes-Benz and Honda receive the most brand wins with three wins each, followed by Tesla, Toyota and Volvo with two wins each, and one win from each of the remaining twelve brands. "Not only do this year's winners span the market in terms of brand, they also span the segments within each brand," says AutoPacific market research manager Deborah Grieb. "Honda's three wins come from the car, truck and SUV segments, while the three wins from Mercedes-Benz come from both the car and SUV segments, showcasing each brand's knowledge of their customer base."

Tesla and Land Rover tie for Most Ideal Brand
Tesla, a 2018 Ideal Brand winner, returns to the top by providing owners with an ideal amount of info and entertainment technology, interior storage and power and acceleration. Tying for Most Ideal Brand, Land Rover hits the right mark with owners by providing ideal interior quietness, safety features, and center screen size.

Info and Entertainment Technology Presents an Industry Challenge
Only 56% of new vehicle buyers are content with their vehicle's info/entertainment technology, an area that has been a challenge for automotive manufacturers for years. "The challenge with info and entertainment technology is in the user interface, as well as the type and amount of content provided," explains Peterson. AutoPacific data reveal that of the 44% of new vehicle buyers who would change their info/entertainment technology, 30% want more advanced info/entertainment technology in their vehicle and 14% want it to be simpler or easier to use. Desire for changes to info and entertainment technology is often dependent on the age of the vehicle buyer, as 42% of buyers under age 40 say they want more advanced info/entertainment technology compared to 24% of those 40 and older.

2020 Ideal Vehicle Award Summary

2020 Overall Winner: GMC Acadia
2020 Most Ideal Brand Overall: Tesla and Land Rover (tie)
2020 Most Ideal Premium Brand: Tesla and Land Rover (tie)
2020 Most Ideal Popular Brand: Volkswagen                                   

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, forecasting, and consulting for auto manufacturers, distributors, marketers and suppliers worldwide. Company headquarters are in North Tustin, California, with affiliate offices in the Detroit, Michigan area, North Carolina, South Carolina and Wisconsin. Additional information can be found on AutoPacific's website: http://www.autopacific.com/.

The 2020 Ideal Vehicle Awards (IVA) are based on scores developed using results from AutoPacific's national New Vehicle Satisfaction Survey. Respondents to this survey are owners of new model year cars and trucks. The questionnaire was administered from March through July 2020.

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SOURCE AutoPacific