Study Indicates Americans Are Clearly Still In Love With Big Luxury Cars

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.

The Motorist Choice Awards were co-developed by Tustin, Calif.-based AutoPacific, known for its owner satisfaction rankings, and Campbell, Calif.-based IntelliChoice.com, the online source for automotive ownership cost and value analysis, to recognize the vehicles that delivered both the highest customer satisfaction and the lowest cost of ownership. The awards combine AutoPacific's owner satisfaction data from new car and truck buyers with IntelliChoice.com's cost-of-ownership rating methodology to find and honor those vehicles that speak to both the hearts and wallets of car buyers.

"Automakers have long known that car buyers are looking for outstanding value, and want to be proud of the car they drive" said James Bell, publisher and editor of IntelliChoice.com. "This is data that helps consumers make purchase decisions. Every car winning a Motorist Choice Award is a defendable purchase, and their owners will be pleased, both financially and behind the wheel."

"Clearly, consumers still get great satisfaction from large and luxurious cars, despite the economy, rising fuel costs and manufacturers' focus on smaller vehicles," said George Peterson, president of AutoPacific. "The highest scoring cars in this survey are Premium Luxury Cars, Large Cars, Crossovers and SUVs, whether they're built in the U.S., Asia or Europe. This affinity for big vehicles makes the American market unique compared to the rest of the world."

WINNERS
The complete list of winners for the 2009 Motorist Choice Awards include:

Top Brand: Lexus