• by Tanya Gazdik , July 26, 2020

Porsche ranks the highest overall for driving sales, as well as generating brand loyalty and advocacy, according to J.D. Power.

Dodge ranked the highest among mass-market brands and Hyundai Motor Group received the most segment-level awards in the J.D. Power 2020 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study.

Now in its 25th year, the study complements the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study and the J.D. Power Tech Experience Index Study by measuring owners’ emotional attachment to their new vehicle across 37 attributes, ranging from the sense of comfort and luxury they feel when climbing into the driver’s seat to the feeling they get when they step on the accelerator. These attributes are aggregated to compute an overall APEAL index score measured on a 1,000-point scale.

This year, the gap between luxury and mass-market brands is the narrowest ever: The average APEAL score for luxury brands is 861 points, compared with 838 for mass market brands.

As the top-ranked mass-market brand, Dodge becomes the first domestic automaker to rank highest in the mass-market segment for both APEAL and IQS in the same year. Only Hyundai has previously achieved the feat in the mass-market segment, while Genesis, Lexus and Porsche have done so in the luxury segment.

Porsche ranks highest in the luxury segment and overall with a score of 881. Lincoln (876) ranks second, followed by Cadillac (874), BMW (869) and Land Rover (866).

Dodge ranks highest in the mass-market segment with a score of 872. Ram (871) ranks second, followed by GMC (857), Ford (853) and MINI (846).

Mazda climbs the most in the mass market rankings, placing nine spots higher than in 2019. Cadillac climbs six places in the premium rankings, the most in that segment.

The parent company receiving the most model-level awards (given to models ranking highest in their respective segment) is Hyundai Motor Group (five awards), followed by BMW AG and Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., with four each.

The BMW X6 is the highest-scoring model in the study. Receiving a model-level award for a third consecutive year are Mini Countryman and Nissan Maxima. BMW X4, Chevrolet Blazer, Dodge Challenger, Honda Odyssey and Lincoln Navigator each receive a model-level award for a second consecutive year.

The 2020 U.S. APEAL Study is based on responses from 87,282 owners of new 2020 model-year vehicles who were surveyed after 90 days of ownership. It was fielded from February through May 2020.