Cadillac Receives a Top Quality Honor
One of General Motors true success stories over the last several years has been the resurgence of the Cadillac brand. With the renaissance has come a pledge of quality and satisfaction. GM continues on the right course with Cadillac, where for the second year in a row AutoPacific has given the brand the title of top dog in their annual Vehicle Satisfaction Awards.
Cars or light trucks that scored the highest in the Vehicle Satisfaction Awards delivering value and satisfaction across a wide range of elements. The winners scored well in 48 separate categories that objectively measure the ownership experience.
The Cadillac Escalade, a favorite with many sports and entertainment celebrities, was rated the highest for satisfaction among trucks and SUVs, which AutoPacific said helped propel the brand to its lofty position.
In addition to Cadillac a number of other manufactures received awards.
Hyundai was also a big winner in this year's award judging. Overall brand satisfaction ratings among Hyundai purchasers jumped 11 positions, earning Hyundai the 2009 'Rising Star' honor. Hyundai scored higher in 40 of the 48 categories in 2009 compared with 2008, and two of the company's vehicles were the top scorers in their respective classes: the Genesis sedan in the Aspirational Luxury Car category and the Sonata sedan in the Premium Midsize class.
Lexus, always a top winner in satisfaction surveys, wasn't the overall brand winner, but its centerpiece LS full-size luxury sedan was rated the individual 2009 model vehicle with the highest owner satisfaction. It scored 99 points above the industry average.
Manufacturers with multiple vehicles ranked first in their classes included Toyota, with six winners, three for Toyota, two for Lexus and one for Scion; Ford with four awards, three Fords, one Lincoln; Hyundai and its Kia subsidiary with three honors, two for Hyundai, one Kia; Chrysler with two for a Dodge and a Jeep; and GM with two with Cadillac and one for Chevrolet.
Automakers with one model each at the top of their respective classes were Honda, Land Rover, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Porsche and Volkswagen.
Besides the Cadillac, Hyundai and Lexus vehicles already mentioned, individual car winners included:
- Lincoln Town Car, large luxury class;
- Lexus ES 350, luxury midsize;
- Ford Fusion, midsize;
- Toyota Prius, image compact;
- Mitsubishi Lancer, compact;
- Honda Fit, economy;
- Porsche 911, sports car; and the
- Scion tC, sporty car.
- Dodge Ram, large pickups;
- Ford Explorer Sport Trac, compact pickups;
- Chevrolet Tahoe, large sport utility;
- Ford Explorer, premium midsize sport utility;
- Jeep Liberty, midsize sport utility;
- Land Rover LR2, luxury crossover;
- Mazda CX-9, large crossover;
- Toyota Venza, premium midsize crossover;
- Volkswagen Tiguan, midsize crossover;
- Kia Sportage, compact crossover; and the
- Toyota Sienna, minivan.