SptBiz

The Daily Auto Insider
Cadillac and Lexus Score High in Satisfaction Study
April 25, 2002

Two brands share top ratings in the 2002 AutoPacific VSS (Vehicle Satisfaction Score): Cadillac and Lexus.

AutoPacific, a California-based marketing and consulting firm said in a press release that the performance is a repeat for both, Cadillac was top-rated in 2001, and Lexus in 2000.
VSS ratings record satisfaction with vehicles overall, as well as in 43 specific areas related to the vehicle's operation, comfort, safety and purchase/lease experience, AutoPacific said. Ratings reflect input from over 34,000 owners of new vehicles acquired September-November 2001, AutoPacific explained.

The individual vehicle model registering highest overall satisfaction for a third consecutive year is Lexus' LS sedan, represented for 2002 by the LS430 model. The highest-rated truck is Cadillac's new extensively upgraded Escalade.
"The corporate combination of Toyota and Lexus once again demonstrates significant strength with seven segment winners and nine total awards," notes AutoPacific founder and president George Peterson. "General Motors also shines with three class winners and five total awards. On a corporate level, Ford and Hyundai have three class wins each, while DaimlerChrysler, Honda, Nissan and Volkswagen earn a class win apiece.

Top performers by segment are:
PASSENGER CARS:

Compact Car - Volkswagen Beetle
Mid-Size Car - Hyundai Sonata
Premium Mid-Size Car - Nissan Altima
Contemporary
Luxury Car - Lexus ES 300
Luxury/Large Car - Cadillac DeVille (tied)(repeat winner), Toyota Avalon (tied)(repeat winner)
Premium Luxury Car - Lexus LS 430 - (repeat winner)
Sporty Car - Mercury Cougar
Sports Car - Lexus SC 430
AWD Sport Wagon - Volvo V70XC
"Green" Car - Toyota Prius (repeat winner)
LIGHT TRUCKS:

Minivan - Kia Sedona
Compact Sport Utility - Honda CR-V
Mid-Size Sport Utility - Hyundai Santa Fe (tied)(repeat winner), Toyota Highlander (tied)
Large Sport Utility - Ford Excursion (repeat winner)
Luxury Sport Utility - Cadillac Escalade
Compact Pickup Truck - Toyota Tacoma
Large Pickup Truck - Chevrolet Silverado HD
4-Door Pickup Truck - Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab
In addition to identifying segment winners, VSS also posts numerical ratings for nearly every passenger car and light truck in the North American market.

Among passenger cars, following LS 430 as top scorer is Mercedes-Benz S-Class in second place, Lexus ES 300 third, Mercedes-Benz E-Class fourth and (2001) BMW 7-Series fifth. Among light trucks, ranking second behind Cadillac Escalade is last year's winner Lincoln Navigator, followed by Ford Excursion in third, Acura's acclaimed MDX sport utility fourth and Lexus RX 300 fifth.