Porsche is once again ranked as the number one brand according to the Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout 2015 study released by JD Power. The sports car maker has managed to maintain its rank for 11 consecutive years.
The 20th edition of the APEAL study which measures the appeal of driving and owning new cars revealed that Porsche and Jaguar competed for the number one position. Cars and brands were rated on a 1,000-point scale. Porsche was able to gather 874 points while Jaguar earned 855.
More than 84,000 people gave their responses to the 2015 cars they bought or leased. After 90 days of ownership, JD Power gathered surveys from the owners which they used as basis for the rankings. The vehicles included in the rankings were registered from the period of February to May.
In the study, 77 vehicle attributes were evaluated. According to the Vice President of U.S. automotive quality at J.D. Power Renee Stephens, there are categories which have high weights like the engine and transmission of the vehicle, the exterior, audio and navigation. Car makers that added safety technologies to their new models gained more points in this year's study.
The market research company states that vehicles having higher appeal sell faster and are usually recommended by owners to other buyers. Higher appeal rate also improves the loyalty rate to the brand.
JD Power granted Porsche, Ford and Chevrolet with three segment awards, while eight famous brands received multiple awards. Among the cars who received segment awards are Ford Expedition, Infiniti QX80, Mazda6, CX-5, Volkswagen Golf and Ford F-150 which earned the large pickup category. Porsche Cayman sports car was awarded as the most appealing in its category.
The car brands that completed the top five include BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi. Though BMW and Mercedes-Benz did not obtain the highest spot, both brands are showing improved ratings compared last year.