J.D. Power APEAL study shows growing interest in safety features

J.D. Power announced the results of its 2015 U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) study this week, the rankings of which show the growing usage of safety technologies in new vehicles make them more attractive to shoppers and vehicle owners.

The APEAL study, which allows owns to evaluate their vehicles across 77 categories, combines these numbers into an overall APEAL Index score based on a 1,000-point scale. Overall, the APEAL score for the industry has spiked by four points year-over-year coming in at a score of 798.

On a brand basis, Porsche ranked the highest out of all brands with an APEAL score of 874 index points. This is the 11th consecutive year the luxury nameplate has made the No. 1 spot for the study.

Among the non-premium segment,  Mini is the highest-ranking brand in the study with a score of 825.

And Porsche, as well as Chevrolet and Ford, each received three segment level awards.

Looking at the overall results for the study, J.D. Power explained safety features can contribute to a significant boost in APEAL scores.

"Unlike other technologies, such as voice recognition, that can be challenging to operate, most safety features provide information in a more intuitive way, giving owners a greater sense of security," said Renee Stephens, vice president of U.S. automotive quality at J.D. Power. "Not only are models increasingly offering systems that improve safety and visibility, but owners are also using them on a regular basis. This can go a long way toward generating positive feelings about their vehicle overall."

In fact, owners of vehicles touting blind-spot monitoring and warning systems scored their vehicles 38 points higher than among those without them. And the study found that 69 percent of vehicles owners with these features said they use them every time they drive.

And it seems automakers are catching on, as these safety features become more prevalent in vehicles. The study found that 36 percent of owners have blind-spot monitoring and warning systems in their cars, which is up 7 percent from 2014.

Taking a look at brand performance this year for the APEAL study, J.D. Power noted that the gap between premium and non-premium brands is “narrowing.”

This year, the average APEAL Index score in the non-premium segment came in at 790, which is up five points since 2014. The average score for the premium segment is 841, which is only up by one point over last year.

The gap is the smallest it’s been in 10 years, down 16 percent since 2006.

"Over the past several years, we have seen non-premium brands increasingly offer the types of in-vehicle technologies that used to be available only to premium buyers," said Stephens. "The positive impact these technologies have on owners is more pronounced among non-premium owners. In fact, owners of non-premium vehicles that include the latest technology¹ register higher APEAL scores by 50 points, compared with just a 29-point increase among owners of premium vehicles with the same technologies."

Among the luxury nameplates, of course, Porsche came out ahead, followed by Jaguar (855), BMW (854), Mercedes-Benz (853) and Audi (852).

Among the non-premium brands, Chevrolet and Ford received the most segment awards. Chevrolet notched top spots for its Colorado, Corvette and Sonic, while Ford won for its C-Max hybrid, Expedition and F-150.

Below you will find the full APEAL Index ratings for 2015 as well as a list of the segment award winners, provided by J.D. Power:

2015 APEAL Nameplate Index Ranking
(Based on a 1,000-point scale)

Top Three Models per Segment

City Car*
Highest Ranked: Fiat 500

Small Car
Highest Ranked: Chevrolet Sonic
Kia Rio
Ford Fiesta

Small Premium Car
Highest Ranked: Audi A3
BMW 2 Series
Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

Compact Car
Highest Ranked: Volkswagen Golf
Subaru WRX
Volkswagen Beetle

Compact Sporty Car*
Highest Ranked: MINI Cooper
Compact Premium Car
Highest Ranked: BMW 4 Series
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Lexus RC

Compact Premium Sporty Car*
Highest Ranked: Porsche Cayman
Porsche Boxster

Midsize Car
Highest Ranked: Mazda MAZDA6
Hyundai Sonata (tie)
Nissan Altima (tie)

Midsize Sporty Car*
Highest Ranked: Dodge Challenger
Ford Mustang

Midsize Premium Car
Highest Ranked: BMW 6 Series
Audi A7
Infiniti Q70

Midsize Premium Sporty Car*
Highest Ranked: Chevrolet Corvette
Porsche 911

Large Car
Highest Ranked: Dodge Charger
Chevrolet Impala
Chrysler 300 (tie)
Toyota Avalon (tie)

Large Premium Car*
Highest Ranked: Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Small SUV
Highest Ranked: MINI Countryman
Volkswagen Tiguan
Buick Encore

Small Premium SUV
Highest Ranked: Audi Q3
Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class

Compact SUV
Highest Ranked: Mazda CX-5
GMC Terrain
Subaru Forester

Compact Premium SUV
Highest Ranked: Porsche Macan
BMW X4
Audi Q5

Compact MPV*
Highest Ranked: Ford C-Max
Kia Soul

Midsize SUV
Highest Ranked: Nissan Murano
Toyota Highlander
Buick Enclave

Midsize Premium SUV
Highest Ranked: Porsche Cayenne
BMW X5
Audi Q7 (tie)
BMW X6 (tie)

Midsize Pickup*
Highest Ranked: Chevrolet Colorado
GMC Canyon

Minivan
Highest Ranked: Kia Sedona
Honda Odyssey
Toyota Sienna

Large SUV
Highest Ranked: Ford Expedition
Chevrolet Tahoe
GMC Yukon

Large Premium SUV
Highest Ranked: Infiniti QX80
Land Rover Range Rover
Lincoln Navigator

Large Light Duty Pickup
Highest Ranked: Ford F-150
Ram 1500 LD
GMC Sierra LD

Large Heavy Duty Pickup
Highest Ranked: GMC Sierra HD
Chevrolet Silverado HD (tie)
Ford Super Duty (tie)

* No other model in this segment performs above segment average.