According to the team at AutoPacific—one of the industry’s top research and consulting groups—”an ‘ideal’ is defined as conforming to an ultimate standard of perfection or excellence.” Needless to say then, an automaker that receives one of AutoPacific’s “Ideal Vehicle Awards” (IVAs) must be selling a truly satisfying product; so just imagine what this means for the Ford Motor Company, which earned 11 IVAs in the 2010 rankings, by far the most of any automaker.
In addition, said George Peterson, president of AutoPacific, “the Ford brand scored highest of any brand in the 2010 research, including all premium brands.”
The winners, as judged from survey data garnered from thousands of consumers after 90 days’ of new-vehicle ownership, were as follows:
The powerful and premium-level Ford Taurus SHO, with its high-performance, high-efficiency 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6, bested all rivals in the Large Car segment.
Among the Luxury Mid-Size Cars, the Lincoln MKZ took tops honors with a performance that should improve even further once the refreshed 2011 models—including the MKZ hybrid, which will be the most fuel-efficient car in its class—go on sale later this year.
The Ford Fusion showed off impressive levels of content, comfort and driving dynamics by achieving the highest rating in the Premium Mid-Size Car category, and this even though it features an MSRP lower than rivals like the Nissan Altima or Chevrolet Malibu.
The best-selling vehicle in America, the Ford F-150, showed how it achieved that title by out-scoring the competition in the Large Light Duty Pickup segment, while the Ford F-250 built on that success by leading the way among the Heavy Duty Pickups.
Like the Fusion, the Ford Explorer also competed against up-level competition, and like the Fusion, it also won out, grabbing first place among Premium Mid-Size SUVs.
The EcoBoost-equipped Lincoln MKT then took things to the next level by setting the benchmark in the Premium Luxury Crossover SUV segment.
EcoBoost power made the difference in the Large Crossover SUV group as well, where the Flex rose to the top thanks to Ford’s breakthrough powertrain technology.
Finally, the Ford Escape racked up an impressive double play by achieving the best results in both the highly competitive Mid-Size Crossover SUV category and the Hybrid Truck segment.
As explained further by Peterson: “In today’s vehicle market, quality is expected, and car buyers take many factors into consideration—styling, safety features, fuel economy and more. IVA winners deliver the most of what consumers are really looking for in their vehicles.”
And leave it to Ford to deliver the most IVA winners.
* * *
Read more Lincoln news on this blog soon. Subscribe now for the latest.
You must log in to post a comment.