(September 18, 2019) NORTH TUSTIN, Calif. –– Automotive research and consulting firm AutoPacific has announced the 2019 Ideal Vehicle Awards (IVA), recognizing vehicles that best meet owners expectations for the product. The 2019 awards are based on responses from more than 50,000 owners of new vehicles across all major manufacturers.

Based solely on owner input, AutoPacific IVAs measure the fusion between owner expectations and reality.

“Giving owners a chance to tell us what they would change and how they would change it reveals which vehicles are best designed to meet their needs and expectations," said AutoPacific President George Peterson.

Ram was named the number one popular brand and the most Ideal brand overall. Volvo was named top premium brand.  The Volvo XC60 was ranked the top vehicle overall.

U.S. brands received eight IVA vehicle wins, down from 14 last year, plus the top popular brand. European brands received three vehicle wins, down from eight in 2018. Asian brands received 13 wins, up from five in 2018.



Winners distributed among 11 manufacturers

Nissan, Honda and FCA were tops with four category wins each. Ford, Volvo, Subaru, Hyundai and Tesla each had two wins. The remaining wins went to GM, BMW and Toyota.

"While no single brand or manufacturer is taking all the glory, several brands have exceptional designs," said Peterson. Nissan was strong in the mid-size car and large SUV segments; Honda took the economy/compact car segments; and Subaru swept the mid-size SUV segments.

Trucks outperform cars

While there is still room for improvement, trucks (SUVs and pickups) outperformed cars in most IVA attributes, notably visibility, technology, interior quietness and safety features.

"SUVs continue to grow in popularity by giving consumers car-like fuel economy and better overall design, including technology and visibility. We will most certainly see continued growth in SUV sales, coupled with a decline in car sales," says Peterson.



IVAs reveal industry shortcomings

Consistent with past years, IVAs reveal that info/entertainment technology, interior quietness, power and acceleration, safety features and interior storage are the areas where consumers most likely want to change.

"Overall, the percentage of consumers who want better performance in these areas is about the same today as it was three years ago, and these represent major opportunities for automakers to improve," said Peterson.