J.D. Power: U.S. Auto Brands “Appealing”

They’ve been telling anyone who would listen for a couple of years that they are coming out with the most interesting and attractive new vehicles in the industry these days. And now, General Motors and Ford have more objective evidence of their claim – in the form of a new brand-ranking report by J.D. Power & Associates.

For the first time since 1997, Power ranked domestic auto brands collectively over import brands in "vehicle appeal." The study covers cars’ performance, execution and layout including exterior styling and interior amenities. To quote the Ford Fiesta commercial above, "It's a pretty big deal."

This conclusion by Power follows its June finding that, for the first time ever in its rankings, domestic brands’ actual levels of “initial quality” edged out the quality levels of import brands.

This year in Power’s vehicle-appeal study, U.S.-bred brands outperformed import brands by 13 points on a 1,000-point scale after placing second by five points last year. Their gains were driven primarily by what Power called “high-performing” models from Ford and General Motors, including several that are all-new or have undergone major redesigns.

Presumably, those would include the Ford Fusion and the Chevrolet Equinox.

Especially encouraging for domestics is that Power’s research showed that new models introduced by GM and Ford far outranked models they retired in buyer appeal.

“When new-vehicle buyers go through the shopping process, vehicle appeal, along with price and perceptions of quality, is of major importance,” said David Sargent, VP of global vehicle research for Westlake Village, Calif.-based J.D. Power.

The market-research firm said that vehicles with high scores in its appeal survey “have been shown to generate faster sales, higher profit margins, and less need for cash incentives.”

But Power did point out one remaining weakness in the appeal of domestic vs. foreign brands: luxury models. Import nameplates “continue to retain a notable edge,” the company said.

And not surprisingly, Porsche was the highest-ranking nameplate overall in the study for the sixth consecutive year. There’s not much GM or Ford can do to change that.