If “Proof of satisfied customers is as good as gold”—and that’s the analysis from industry expert George Peterson, president of noted auto observers AutoPacific—then the Ford Motor Company has hit the mother lode. Owners voted seven of the automaker’s vehicles to the top of their respective classes in AutoPacific’s 2010 Vehicle Satisfaction Awards (VSAs). That’s almost twice as many award winners as the second-place automaker, Toyota, which only had four.
Notably, the most satisfying hybrid was a Ford product—the Mercury Milan—as was the truck/SUV/crossover with the best satisfaction score in the entire study—the Lincoln MKT. The MKT’s total satisfaction score was a full 94 points above the industry average.
The complete list of Blue Oval honorees:
- Ford Taurus—America’s most innovative full-size sedan took highest honors in the Large Car segment.
- Ford F-150—In the Light Duty Pickup category, the country’s best-selling vehicle showed it’s also one of the most satisfying.
- Ford Expedition—The capable and comfortable big SUV lived up to its positioning by winning the Large Sport Utility segment.
- Lincoln MKT—The available EcoBoost engine and standard luxury appointments in the Lincoln MKT satisfied the largest number of Premium Luxury Crossover customers.
- Ford Edge—The Edge, an IIHS Top Safety Pick, led all other Premium Mid-Size Crossover SUV rivals.
- Ford Escape—Turning up a satisfying 28 mpg on the highway, the Escape was the class of the Mid-Size Crossover SUV class.
- Mercury Milan Hybrid—Segment-leading fuel efficiency and Mercury style met the most customers’ needs in the Hybrid Car category.
The VSAs are particularly significant because they represent the ratings of more than 42,000 actual vehicle owners, who review their vehicles in 48 separate dimensions of ownership satisfaction. That means the “Vehicles that score highest in the Vehicle Satisfaction Awards are delivering value and satisfaction across a wide range of attributes,” according to Peterson.
And that means more goods new for the folks at Ford.
* * *
Read the latest Ford news on this blog. Subscribe now for the latest.
You must log in to post a comment.