The Ridgeline rated highly with respect to exterior size, interior lighting, passenger room, exterior styling and interior storage. The Ridgeline also won AutoPacific's 2010 Vehicle Satisfaction Award for Compact Pickup.
Economy Car: Great things can come in small packages! The Honda Fit is proof positive that owners in the Economy Car segment don't have to feel relegated to the penalty box. After winning the 2010 Vehicle Satisfaction Award it was not too surprising that owners would elevate it back up to the top of its class for a 2010 IVA award. Owners tout the Fits exterior size and styling along with its safety and ingress/egress.
What do Odyssey owners want left unchanged? Just a few things, like, for example, exterior size, passenger room, cargo space, handling, ride, ease of getting in and out and interior storage. Sounds like a winning Minivan to me. The Odyssey is also the winner of AutoPacific's 2010 Vehicle Satisfaction Award for Minivan.
Owners of the 2010 Honda Accord rate the car strongly a give the Accord a win in the hotly contested Premium Mid-Size Car Category. The Accord's victory comes with the car winning twenty-two of forty-eight satisfaction categories.
Accord Delivers on Honda's Promise Accord's win comes from some superlative scores (4.5 or higher on a 5.0-point rating scale) including: seating capacity (EPA rates Accord as a Large Car, not a Mid-Size Car), driver's seat comfort, vehicle and brand reputation, color, power and acceleration, braking, handling, reliable/dependable, forward visibility, safety features and durable/long lasting. Clearly, the Accord delivers its owners the promise of "Honda" - reputation, reliability, dependability and durability.
In its last year before being replaced and in the face of an all new Toyota Sienna Minivan, Honda Odyssey owners rated the Odyssey tops in its class in AutoPacific's 2010 Vehicle Satisfaction Award research.
Overwhelming Minivan Victory Odyssey's win is overwhelming. Its owners gave Odyssey the highest ratings in thirty-five of forty-eight categories. Odyssey won superlative ratings (4.5 or higher on a 5-point rating scale) in: overall satisfaction, exterior size, ease of getting in and out, driver's seat comfort, overall seating capacity, second row seat comfort, cargo space, vehicle reputation, brand reputation, color, exterior and interior styling... the list goes on.
Next Gen Odyssey Needs to be Outstanding The 2010 Odyssey is a hard act to follow. With a new Odyssey getting ready for launch late in the 2010 calendar year, Honda will need another superlative performance to match its outgoing Minivan.
For a complete list of winners and description of the Awards, click here.
Ridgeline Wins 2010 VSA Honda Ridgeline wins AutoPacific's 2010 Vehicle Satisfaction Award for compact pickup trucks. Its highest ratings (4.5 or higher on a 5.0 point rating scale) were for overall satisfaction, seating capacity, ease of loading and unloading cargo, vehicle reputation, brand reputation, feeling safe while driving, safety features, and overall quality.
Ridgeline Tops in Satisfaction For 24 of 48 Attributes Overall, Ridgeline was rated tops in twenty-four of forty-eight attributes. In addition to those noted above, Ridgeline wins the class comfort and convenience areas like rear seat comfort (since all are double cabs/crew cabs), interior fabrics and materials and interior styling, It also wins in other practical areas like cargo space and capacity, braking, handling and ride. Honda's reputation for durability/quality/reliability follows through to the Ridgeline with Ridgeline owners giving the vehicle top ratings.
Ridgeline is also tops in important value categories - value for the money and anticipated resale value.
Ridgeline is a Tough Act to Follow Among compact pickups, Ridgeline is a class act. Given its unique unit body construction no one else in the class has or is likely to have it is a tough act to follow.
For a complete list of winners and description of the Awards, click here.
The 2010 Vehicle Satisfaction Award winner in the Economy Car segment is the Honda Fit. The Fit scores particularly well with respect to overall quality, reliability/durability and overall satisfaction, all characteristics considered important by many new-car buyers. Fuel economy was also highly rated by Fit owners. Of the 48 characteristics evaluated, the Fit was either best in class or tied for best in class in a remarkable 23.
Congratulations to Honda for a job well done.
For a complete list of winners and description of the Awards, click here.
National Survey Reveals Cadillac as Top Premium Brand, Buick as Top Popular Brand, Ford Motor Company Has Most Awards with Seven, Suzuki Kizashi as Top Car and Lincoln MKT as Top Truck
TUSTIN, Calif. (May 20, 2010) -- AutoPacific today announced its 14th Annual Vehicle Satisfaction Awards (VSA) to help consumers make informed vehicle purchase decisions.
"While the auto industry is showing signs of improvement, more than ever before, manufacturers need to be able to differentiate themselves. Proof of satisfied customers is as good as gold," says George Peterson, president of AutoPacific. "We've found that more than 25% of new car buyers are positively influenced by owner-based awards like the VSA when deciding on a new car or truck."
AutoPacific's Vehicle Satisfaction Award is an industry benchmark for measuring how satisfied an owner is with his/her new car or light truck. This study by the Southern California-based automotive research firm summarizes the results of over 42,000 new vehicle owners.
"Vehicles that score highest in the Vehicle Satisfaction Awards are delivering value and satisfaction across a wide range of attributes," says Peterson. "The winners perform well in 48 separate categories that objectively measure the ownership experience."
Continue reading "Autopacific Announces 2010 Vehicle Satisfaction Awards" »
Has Honda developed yet another blended vehicle--or just a big hatchback? On sale since November 2009, the Accord Crosstour aims to be a modern and stylish CUV. To our eyes, it is more like a hatchback on steroids. Honda's not the only maker exploring this shape, as it is not unlike the idea behind the BMW 5-Series GT or Toyota's Venza or Acura's ZDX (the larger and more expensive ZDX is not a Crosstour in different metal). Accord Crosstour offers everything you expect from the Accord, wrapped in a new shape. Is that enough?
While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, most people we've talked to have not found beauty the shape of the Crosstour. A love-it-or-hate-it shape can be great for image and buzz. But it seems to be difficult to find the love-it Crosstour crowd, at least relative to styling.
Continue reading "2010 Honda Accord Crosstour: Modern Wagon or New-Style CUV?" »
PickupTucks.com and AutoPacific have taken a look at all the new trucks sold in the past 10 years and made their picks for the most significant trucks of the decade. The trucks that made the list introduced cutting edge technologies and pushed the segment into new territory.
"Despite the economic challenges of the past two years, it's hard not to look back at the last ten years without calling it the decade of the pickup truck," said PickupTrucks.com editor Mike Levine. "Sales of full-size pickups hit 2.56 million units in 2004 and Ford's F-Series trucks remain the nation's best-selling vehicles, 33 years in a row."
Though there are many trucks that had a significant impact in the last decade, it's clear that the 2009 Ford F-150 earned the title of "Most Significant".
"On balance, we thought the 2009 Ford F-150 was the most significant pickup of the last decade," said Jim Hossack, vice president of consulting for AutoPacific. "It sells in high volume, owners like it and its body, chassis and powertrain are all first rate. Features abound, and there are more models, series and options than can be counted. It's a good looking truck and suitable for the widest possible range of tasks and uses."
After the jump are those trucks deemed most significant, in no particular order.
Luxury and Economy Cars Stand Out in Data from 32,000 Consumers
TUSTIN, Calif. (September 1, 2009) -- Three cars stand above the crowd of 2009 model year vehicles, as judged by owners participating in research firm AutoPacific's annual survey. Of the vehicles that earned honors in AutoPacific's 2009 awards, only the Lexus LS, Lexus ES and Honda Fit topped their segments in each contest: the Vehicle Satisfaction Award, the Ideal Vehicle Award, the Motorist Choice Award (presented jointly with IntelliChoice.com) and Owner Recommendations.
Data collected by AutoPacific from more than 32,000 new vehicle owners rated 2009 vehicles on 48 vehicle attributes related to satisfaction, value, comfort, styling, size, performance, reliability, fuel economy and more. The winning vehicles best met their owner's expectations.
"Winning one award is quite an achievement, and proof an automaker is able to meet its customers' needs," said George Peterson, President of AutoPacific. "But winning all four honors in a single year shows that Lexus and Honda are able to provide what their customers want in a reliable, satisfying vehicle; a single car owners are proud to recommend to their friends and family."
Continue reading "Trio Of Cars Make A Clean Sweep Of AutoPacific's 2009 Awards" »
When I was a kid, I loved all manner of transforming robots. Transformers, Go-bots, Voltron...if it could change shape and function, I loved it. As an adult, I'm no different. I love multi-functional furniture, living spaces, and of course, automobiles.
Apparently, so do a lot of people. Part of the reason that SUVs became so popular was because they were multi-functional. They could carry people in comfort, but they could also be reconfigured to haul cargo. Or, they could be reconfigured to carry both. SUVs gave people the flexibility to adapt the vehicle to their needs, rather than the other way around.
Of course, there's no reason why lessons learned from the SUV can't be applied to other kinds of vehicles, and the Honda Fit you see here is one of the best examples of multi-functionality applied to a vehicle at any price. It may be tiny on the outside, but there's a staggering amount of out-of-the-box smart thinking on the inside that makes it more useful than many vehicles twice its size.
Continue reading "2009 Honda Fit: Maybe the Most Ingenious Car You Can Buy Today" »
"Minivans aren't for everyone, but those that like 'em love 'em. And the Honda Odyssey is the one to beat, winning its segment in the Motorist Choice Awards but also in the 2009 AutoPacific Ideal Vehicle Awards. There are sound product and financial reasons for selecting the Odyssey, including seating capacity, reputation and safety features. Some owners consider it stylish as well." - AutoPacific
"The Odyssey was a 2009 BOVY Winner. The Odyssey has best-in-segment ownership costs and segment-leading retained value and low insurance costs." - IntelliChoice
Owner Satisfaction Highlights
• Overall Seating Capacity
• Driver's Seat Comfort
• Brand Reputation
• Safety Features
• Feeling Safe While Driving
Cost-of-Ownership Strengths
• 2009 BOVY Winner
• Best-in-Segment Ownership Costs
• Best Retained Value
• Low Insurance Costs
"The Honda Fit's image and reputation helped it earn a 2009 Motorist Choice Award, as well as AutoPacific's Ideal Vehicle Award. This Economy Car's owners applaud the Fit's versatility, as it is easy to live with. The Fit also benefits from its Honda badge, as owners cite Brand Reputation as a contributing factor." -- AutoPacific
"The Fit was a 2009 BOVY winner and has above average retained value and fuel costs. In addition, the Fit has the lowest maintenance costs within the segment." -- IntelliChoice
Owner Satisfaction Highlights
* Image
* Vehicle Reputation
* Brand Reputation
* Reliability / Dependability
* Overall Quality
* Durability / Long Lasting
Cost-of-Ownership Strengths
* 2009 BOVY Winner
* Strong Retained Value
* Low Fuel Costs
* Lowest Maintenance Costs
"The Honda CR-V wins the 2009 Motorist Choice Award in the Mid-Size Crossover SUV segment. Traditional CR-V strengths include brand reputation, vehicle reputation, reliability/dependability, durability, and overall quality. What a base to build upon! Even subjective attributes like exterior styling and environmental friendliness were highly rated. A solid winner." -- AutoPacific
"The CR-V has best-in-segment ownership costs. The CR-V has the highest retained value and strong insurance, fuel, and maintenance costs." -- IntelliChoice
Owner Satisfaction Highlights
* Brand and Vehicle Reputation
* Reliability / Dependability
* Durability
* Overall Quality
* Safety Features/Feeling Safe While Driving
Cost-of-Ownership Strengths
* Best-in-Segment Ownership Costs
* Best Retained Value
* Low Insurance Costs
* Low Fuel Costs
* Low Maintenance Costs
Awards Show Consumers Enjoy Luxury and Size
(August 11, 2009) -- Right brain, left brain; the practical versus the emotional -- an age-old dilemma often at the center of decision making when buying a new car or truck. The 2009 Motorist Choice Awards recognize new cars and trucks that give their owners both economic and emotional satisfaction, helping new-car buyers find vehicles that best satisfy all of their personal-transportation needs. The fourth annual Motorist Choice Awards survey, announced today, scores 196 cars, trucks, crossovers and SUVs. With the top overall scores in both owner satisfaction and value, the Lexus LS placed highest of any 2009 model year vehicle.
Large and luxury vehicles dominated this year's results. The top 34 ranked cars, and 106 of the top 107, are large cars, luxury cars, sport utility vehicles, crossover SUVs or minivans. Only one small car, the BMW 1-Series, scored in the top 100, landing in the 35th slot. Toyota Prius is the next-highest-scoring small car, coming in 107th.
Awards are given for top-scoring vehicles scoring in each of twenty-three segments, as well as for the top-scoring brand. Nine manufacturers earned segment wins, led by Toyota with nine awards (including three for Lexus), followed by General Motors with six (Chevrolet 4, Cadillac 2), Honda with three, and Chrysler with two (Dodge 1, Jeep 1). Audi, Ford, Hyundai, Nissan and Volkswagen took top honors in one segment each.
(And check out our video on YouTube.)
Continue reading "Motorist Choice Awards Reveal Vehicles That Please Both Hearts And Minds" »
If Honda's goal was for the Accord to reflect "Honda's desire for accord and harmony between people, society and the Automobile," they've been hitting their mark for more than thirty-three years. The Honda Accord has been attracting hoards of loyal buyers since its successful debut in 1976. In fact, the Honda Accord has been so successful it is practically synonymous with the brand. And Accord has done so by adapting to its environment. Growing in terms of size, options, and price, the Accord has kept pace with our society and its core audience; the Baby Boomers.
Interesting Aside: Redesigned just last year (2008MY) the Accord four-door became rated a large car by the EPA, whereas the coupe still squeaks by as a mid-size car.
Continue reading "2009 Honda Accord 2Dr EX-L V6 - The Everycar; Couped" »
"The Honda Odyssey wins AutoPacific's 2009 Ideal Vehicle Award achieving the highest IVA score of any vehicle measured. Odyssey not only is the highest rated minivan, but also the highest rated vehicle!" said George Peterson, president of AutoPacific, Inc. "Owners rate the Odyssey best-in-class in seven of fifteen rating categories and very competitive in the others. Clearly Honda understands what the Minivan buyer wants and have designed the Odyssey to hit that target." Top-scoring Odyssey characteristics include:
* Exterior size
* Passenger room
* Cargo room
* Both ride and handing
* Power and acceleration
* Safety features
"Honda Fit wins AutoPacific's 2009 Ideal Vehicle Award for Economy Cars with an extraordinary eight category-leading ratings by their owners. Adding the IVA to its win of AutoPacific's Vehicle Satisfaction Award and being the top car in owner recommendations in its class is an impressive achievement - an absolute homerun," said George Peterson, president of AutoPacific, Inc. Some of the class-leading attributes that make the Fit ideal include:
* Exterior size
* Cargo space
* Interior storage
* Visibility
* Level of fechnology
* Handling
* Safety features
* Ingress/egress
If you read our F1 post from several days ago, the world known as Formula One was on the brink of becoming CART Wars, PART II. A majority of the teams who race in the international F1 Championship were prepared (so they said), to launch a breakaway series, due in large part to their dissatisfaction with the requirements set forth by the governing body and its president, Max Mosely.
Continue reading "Luca trumps Max: New Era in Formula One Announced" »
Public Responds Positively to Ford's Actions, but Some Still Have Reservations
TUSTIN, Calif. (June 17, 2009) -- American consumers' opinions about Ford Motor Company have been positively influenced by the company's decision not to accept government bailout funds, and by the bankruptcy filings of rivals General Motors and Chrysler. Automotive research and analysis firm AutoPacfic conducted an online survey of more than 900 U.S. consumers regarding their purchase intent and opinions of individual car companies. Highlights include:
* Asian and European manufacturers scored highest when the survey asked "How concerned are you about buying/leasing a vehicle from" a particular maker, with an average of 61% "Not concerned at all." Ford scored 48%, far ahead of GM's 15% and Chrysler's 14%.
Continue reading "Survey Indicates Ford Benefits From Troubles Of Others And Not Taking Bailout" »
To me, it's actually amazing that it's taken this long for someone to come up with another "dedicated" hybrid considering the runaway success of Prius. Much of Prius' success is directly linked to the fact that it is immediately recognizable as a hybrid. The car's looks make a huge statement; simply driving one makes a statement about your priorities and values.
So, enter the similarly distinct new Insight, which once it's common enough, will also be immediately recognizable as a hybrid. Not to be confused with the dinky two-seater of the same name (which was actually the first hybrid sold in America), this new Insight invites inevitable comparisons to Prius. They both have five doors and have similar proportions. And of course, both are dedicated hybrids. However, both Toyota and Honda are quick to point out that their hybrids are different types of cars that have different missions in life. It's easy to dismiss that as marketing-speak, but having now spent considerable time behind the wheel of both the Insight and the brand-new third generation Prius, I can definitely say that these are in fact apples and oranges we're talking about here.
Within the Economy Car segment, the Honda Fit blew the competition into the weeds. There is simply not much owners don't like about the Fit. From overall satisfaction to anticipated resale value, the Fit dominated the Economy Car segment, scoring highest in no fewer than 34 of 48 attributes. A few of those class-leading attributes include:
• Overall quality with top scores for reliability, dependability, durability and longevity
• Ease of getting in and out with flexible changeable seating - a clever interior with interior storage/ compartments
• Ease of loading/unloading cargo
• Brand and vehicle reputation along with image
• Fun to drive with best in segment ride and handling
• Controls have quality feel/operation
• Perhaps most important, value for the money including operating costs, fuel economy and anticipated resale value
• Top marks for seat visibility and instrument layout
• Innovative technology and safety features received top marks and helped owners feeling safe while driving
Can you imagine the technology of your car in the future? How about 80 years from now? Will your car fly? Will you have a personal jetpack? Here's one to consider: Take all the bad drivers you curse every day while you pilot your way to work and give them all flying machines. That would make for some fantastic video. And lawsuits, too.
It's not easy to look into the future. But it takes a good imagination, and true desire to look beyond what sits in the driveway today. And I would bet that every one of you has some of this future-think in your DNA.
Think about your car. What do you like? What would you like to remove from your car and install, say, in your mother-in-law's car? Or just eliminate, perhaps? Honda has been developing a remarkable documentary series. While it's true that it's a sales pitch, it's also terrific insight into the future of the automobile. Check out their idea about vehicles 88 years from now. (watch video)
Continue reading "What Will Cars Do in 80 Years?" »
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has announced the winners of its 2009 Top Safety Picks. There are 72 winners in 2009; more than double in 2008 and more than 3 times as many as in 2007. Some key factors leading to winning results are better structure to protect from side impacts and increased application of electronic stability control which helps maintain control and minimize rollovers. Additionally, improved headrests are doing a better job protecting against whiplash.
IIHS works for auto insurers and publishes the results of its Top Safety Picks to help consumers select the safest cars and light trucks when they are in the market. AutoPacific's research shows that safety features and feeling safe while driving are very important when a person selects their vehicle.
Ford Wins 16 Top Safety Picks - almost 25% of Those Awarded
A major result of the 2009 Top Picks was that Ford Motor Company (including Volvo) had 16 of the 72 Top Picks. Several years ago, after Ford acquired Volvo, Ford began adopting Volvo safety strategies in its designs. Several Ford vehicles are derived from the Volvo S80 platform - Lincoln MKS, Ford Taurus, Ford Taurus X, Mercury Sable, Ford Flex, Volvo S80. Using Volvo's vaunted SIPS (Side Impact Protection System), Ford has been able to make its larger vehicles able to withstand significant blows from the side.
The Ford Fusion with ESC and Mercury Milan with ESC, Lincoln MKZ, Volvo C70, Ford Edge, Lincoln MKX, Volvo XC90, Ford Escape, Mercury Mariner, Ford F-150 also won IIHS Top Safety Picks for 2009.
Honda Comes In Second - Close Behind Ford
Coming in close behind Ford Motor Company products was another company that set an objective to become a safety leader several years ago. American Honda has Top Safety Picks for Acura RL, Acura TL, Acura TSX, Acura MDX, Acura RDX, Honda Accord 4-doors, Honda Civic 4-doors with ESC, Honda Fit, Honda Odyssey, Honda Pilot, Honda CRV, Honda Element and Honda Ridgeline. The Honda Fit is the first Economy (Mini) Car to achieve an IIHS Top Safety Pick.
The IIHS Press Release Is shown below the fold.
Continue reading "Top Safety Picks by Insurance Institute of Highway Safety" »
