TUSTIN, Calif. -

AutoPacific has announced the 2013 Ideal Vehicle Awards, based on surveys from more than 52,000 new-car owners on their satisfaction with their vehicles.

Who came out on top?

Well, Porsche is the top premium brand (Porsche has also won the IVA for sports cars in seven of the past eight years), while the top-scoring popular brand is Chrysler Group’s Ram.

The top-scoring vehicle overall is the Mercedes-Benz ML-Class Luxury Crossover SUV. Another highlight was the Jeep Grand Cherokee, which has now won its individual segment category three years in a row.

“AutoPacific’s Ideal Vehicle Awards are significant because they identify which automotive manufacturers listen best to their buyers when updating and developing their latest vehicles,” said George Peterson, president of AutoPacific.

“In addition to identifying segment winners, the IVAs also establish numerical Ideal Vehicle Ratings for virtually every passenger car and light truck in the United States market. With 38 percent of car buyers being positively influenced by owner-based awards like the IVAs, these awards can give car shoppers a great head start finding cars and trucks that have best satisfied their friends, neighbors and other buyers like them,” he said.  

In number of segment wins, Ford scores most of any OEM, taking four categories. With its 2013 win, the Ford Flex Large Crossover SUV has won the IVA award in each of its four years of existence, and the Ford F-150 has won the Light Duty Pickup IVA for the past six years.  

General Motors vehicles win in four categories, while Toyota Motor Sales has two wins for Lexus and one for Toyota. Toyota hybrids win the IVAs for both cars — Toyota Avalon Hybrid — and trucks, Lexus RX450h.

Chrysler also took two: the Grand Cherokee and Chrysler Town & Country.

The Honda Fit has won the IVA in the Economy Car category for the past five years, and the Mini hardtop has won the award for the past two years.

Established in 2006, the IVAs are based on a survey reflecting the views of owners who have driven their 2013 vehicles for 90 days or more.

Owners were asked what changes they would make to their car or truck, and the Ideal Vehicle Awards recognize the vehicles where owners want the least amount of change across 15 key vehicle attributes.

Those attributes include exterior styling, exterior size, passenger roominess, cargo space, driver’s seat comfort, driver’s seat visibility, info/entertainment technology, interior lighting, power and acceleration, ease of getting in and out, interior storage compartments, ride, handling, safety features and tires and wheels.

Here are highlights from the 2013 IVA rankings:

2013 Overall Winner: Mercedes-Benz ML-Class

Premium Brand: Porsche 

Popular Brand: Ram

Luxury Car: Hyundai Equus

Aspirational Luxury Car: Audi A5

Large Car: Ford Taurus

Luxury Mid-Size Car: Lexus ES

Mid-Size Car: Nissan Altima

Premium Compact Car: Mini 2-door

Compact Car: Volkswagen Beetle

Economy Car: Honda Fit

Sports Car: Porsche 911

Sporty Car: Chevrolet Camaro

Hybrid/EV Car: Toyota Avalon Hybrid

Light Duty Pickup: Ford F-150

Heavy Duty Pickup: Chevrolet Silverado

Luxury/Large SUV: GMC Yukon

Midsize SUV: Jeep Grand Cherokee (tie)

Luxury Crossover SUV: Mercedes-Benz ML-Class

Large Crossover SUV: Ford Flex

Premium Mid-Size Crossover SUV: Chevrolet Equinox

Midsiize Crossover SUV: Ford Escape

Compact Crossover SUV: Subaru XV Crosstrek

Minivan: Chrysler Town & Country

Hybrid/EV Truck: Lexus RX450h
 

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