IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Automotive research and consulting firm AutoPacific and Autobytel Inc. (Nasdaq: ABTL), the company dedicated to helping dealers and car-buyers connect online, today announced the 2012 Ideal Vehicle Awards (IVAs). Established in 2006, the IVAs recognize the cars that meet their owner's expectations and desires about their automotive purchases.
Based on the largest single-model-year survey of automotive owners, the IVAs are designed to help consumers make informed vehicle purchase decisions with a true “peer-to-peer” survey. More than 75,000 vehicle owners across all major manufacturers were surveyed to reveal the vehicles that best meet their owners’ demands. The survey reflects the views of over 75,000 automotive owners who have owned their 2012 vehicles for 90 days. It then measures any changes that the owners would make to their new car or light truck. The Ideal Vehicle Awards recognize vehicles where owners wanted the least amount of change across 15 key vehicle attributes, including: exterior styling, exterior size, passenger roominess, cargo space, driver's seat comfort, driver’s seat visibility, info/entertainment technology, interior lighting, power and acceleration, ease of getting in and out, interior storage compartments, ride, handling, safety features and tires and wheels.
“The significance of the Ideal Vehicle Awards is that they identify the automotive manufacturers that are listening to their buyers when updating and developing their latest cars,” said George Peterson, President of AutoPacific. “In addition to identifying segment winners, the IVAs also establish numerical Ideal Vehicle Ratings for virtually every passenger car and light truck in the United States market. With 38% of car buyers being positively influenced by owner-based awards like the IVAs, these awards can give car shoppers a good direction to go when searching for their next vehicle purchase.”
“The Ideal Vehicle Awards complement the Vehicle Satisfaction Awards we recently announced,” said Autobytel Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer, Jeffrey H. Coats. “We gladly provide car buyers with consumer-to-consumer points-of-view to assist them with their car buying choices. The Ideal Vehicle Awards offer shoppers a unique perspective based on current owners’ recommendations.” He continued, “We are pleased to announce this year’s winners and congratulate the manufacturers on their ongoing commitment to listening to their customer and providing the vehicles that come closest to their buyers’ desires.”
2012 Overall Winner
Mercedes-Benz
S-Class
Premium Brand (2012 Model Year)
Audi
Popular Brand (2012 Model Year)
MINI
2012
Ideal Vehicle Awards: Passenger Cars
| Most Ideal Premium Luxury Car | 2012 Mercedes Benz S-Class | |||||
| Most Ideal Aspirational Luxury Car | 2012 Audi A4 | |||||
| Most Ideal Large Car | 2012 Dodge Charger | |||||
| Most Ideal Luxury Mid-Size Car | 2012 Acura TSX | |||||
| Most Ideal Premium Mid-Size Car | 2012 Volkswagen Passat | |||||
| Most Ideal Mid-Size Car | 2012 Subaru Legacy | |||||
| Most Ideal Premium Compact Car | 2012 MINI Cooper | |||||
| Most Ideal Compact Car | 2012 Volkswagen Golf | |||||
| Most Ideal Economy Car | 2012 Honda Fit | |||||
| Most Ideal Sports Car | 2012 Chevrolet Corvette | |||||
| Most Ideal Sporty Car | 2012 Dodge Challenger | |||||
| Most Ideal Hybrid/EV Car | 2012 Nissan Leaf | |||||
2012 Ideal Vehicle Awards: Light Trucks
| Most Ideal Large Light Duty Pickup | 2012 Ford F-150 | ||||
| Most Ideal Heavy Duty Pickup | 2012 GMC Sierra HD | ||||
| Most Ideal Compact Pickup | 2012 GMC Canyon | ||||
| Most Ideal Luxury SUV | 2012 Land Rover LR4 | ||||
| Most Ideal Large SUV | 2012 GMC Yukon XL | ||||
| Most Ideal Mid-Size SUV | 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee | ||||
| Most Ideal Premium Luxury Crossover SUV | 2012 Porsche Cayenne | ||||
| Most Ideal Luxury Crossover SUV | 2012 Volvo XC70 | ||||
| Most Ideal Large Crossover SUV | 2012 Ford Flex | ||||
| Most Ideal Premium Mid-Size Crossover SUV | 2012 Honda Pilot | ||||
| Most Ideal Mid-Size Crossover SUV | 2012 Honda CR-V | ||||
| Most Ideal Compact Crossover SUV | 2012 MINI Countryman | ||||
| Most Ideal Minivan | 2012 Honda Odyssey | ||||
| Most Ideal Hybrid/EV Truck | 2012 Toyota Highlander Hybrid | ||||
While MINI and Audi took the top spots as overall winners for the highest scores for Most Ideal Vehicles, multiple top-ranked award winners include Honda/Acura with five awards; General Motors with four awards; Chrysler/Jeep with three awards; and Volkswagen/Audi with three awards. MINI and Ford achieved two awards, and Audi swept the first three spots in the Aspirational Luxury Car category – A4, A5, A6 – in that order.
For more information about Autobytel and AutoPacific’s Ideal Vehicle Awards, please visit www.Autobytel.com. Watch exclusive videos on Autobytel’s YouTube page or join the conversation on the Autobytel Facebook Fan Page.
About Autobytel Inc.
Autobytel Inc., an online leader
offering consumer purchase requests and marketing resources to car
dealers and manufacturers and providing consumers with the information
they need to purchase new and used cars, pioneered the automotive
Internet when it launched its flagship website in 1995. Autobytel
continues to offer innovative products and services to help consumers
buy, and auto dealers and manufacturers sell, more used and new cars.
Autobytel has helped tens of millions of automotive consumers research
vehicles; connected thousands of dealers nationwide with motivated
car buyers; and helped every major automaker market its brand online.
Through its flagship website, network of automotive sites and respected
online affiliates, Autobytel continues its dedication to innovating the
industry's highest quality Internet programs to provide consumers with a
comprehensive and positive automotive research and purchasing
experience, and auto dealers, dealer groups and auto manufacturers with
some of the industry's most productive and cost-effective customer
referral and marketing programs.
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