Drawing from actual owner input, the Autobytel and AutoPacific Vehicle Satisfaction Awards are a significant look into how satisfied new owners are with their car and light truck purchases. After surveying more than 75,000 new owners within the first three months of ownership, the rankings are tabulated from 48 data points that summarize the overall ownership experience. The 48 attributes used in the survey are based on the importance and satisfaction of a variety of new vehicle features.
The national participants are owners of new 2012 model year cars and trucks purchased from September through December 2011 and are surveyed through February, 2012. The survey helps communicate the credibility of these automotive brands to shoppers when researching their next new car and light truck purchase because these are the experiences of actual buyers and owners of these vehicles.
See all of the winners and learn more about them and their category competitors below.
| Category Winners | |
| Category | Winner |
| Premium Luxury Car | Mercedes-Benz S-Class |
| Aspirational Luxury Car | Mercedes-Benz C-Class |
| Large Car | Chrysler 300 |
| Luxury Mid-Size Car | Lincoln MKZ |
| Premium Mid-Size Car | Volkswagen Passat |
| Mid-Size Car | Subaru Legacy |
| Premium Compact Car | Volkswagen GTi |
| Compact Car | VW Beetle |
| Economy Car | Chevrolet Sonic |
| Sports Car | Chevrolet Corvette |
| Sporty Car | Scion tC |
| Hybrid/EV Car | Hyundai Sonata Hybrid |
| Large Light Duty Pickup | Ford F-150 |
| Heavy Duty Pickup | Ford F-Series Super Duty |
| Compact Pickup | Nissan Frontier |
| Luxury SUV | Cadillac Escalade |
| Large SUV | GMC Yukon |
| Premium Mid-Size SUV | Jeep Grand Cherokee |
| Premium Luxury Crossover SUV | Mercedes-Benz ML |
| Luxury Crossover SUV | Cadillac SRX |
| Large Crossover SUV | Chevrolet Traverse |
| Premium Mid-Size Crossover SUV | Honda Pilot |
| Mid-Size Crossover SUV | Honda CR-V |
| Compact Crossover SUV | Volkswagen Tiguan |
| Minivan | Honda Odyssey |
| Hybrid/EV SUV/Truck | Lexus RX 450h |