It may be famous for reporting on things gone wrong, but J. D. Power may be doing auto buyers as much of a favor by telling them about things gone right.
In the 1999 Automotive Performance, Execution And Layout (APEAL) Study, the California-based researchers outline which vehicles in each segment some 88,000 Americans find "most appealing," though sometimes for reasons outsiders might not have considered, such as storage space in a sportscar.
Jacques daCosta, the Canadian who is now senior manager of product research at J.D. Power and Associates, says the APEAL study measures what excites and delights owners with their new vehicle's features and design.
"Although new and redesigned vehicles tend to stand out from other models," says daCosta, "our trend data shows that this phenomenon is decreasing," meaning that older vehicles have just as a good chance of pleasing buyers if they have the right attributes.
According to daCosta, successful vehicles are those that "attract consumers with abalance of innovative styling, new technologies, vehicle performance, and interior and safety features."
To find out which current vehicles appeal to people, J. D. Power's APEAL study comprised eight specific areas of vehicle performance and design, including more than 100 attributes that uncover what consumers like and dislike about their new vehicles.