IRVINE, Calif. -

More than 75,000 vehicle owners across all major manufacturers have had their say, and two brands and one individual model stand atop the list of customer satisfaction..

Autobytel Inc. and AutoPacific on Thursday announced the winners of the 16th annual Vehicle Satisfaction Awards, with vehicle owners surveyed based on their satisfaction of the current vehicle they own.

Registering the highest overall satisfaction rating in 2012 is the Cadillac Escalade Luxury SUV, the companies report.

Showing highest satisfaction among premium brands for the 2012 model year is Mercedes-Benz, and among popular brands is Buick.

Other top-ranked award winners include General Motors with six awards, Volkswagen with four awards and Honda with three awards.

“In today’s market, it’s difficult to find a low-quality vehicle,” said George Peterson, president of AutoPacific. “The quality of vehicles from all manufacturers has risen to the highest level in history and what delineates a car or truck is owner satisfaction.

“Consumer purchases are often influenced by objective awards, especially when they are based on consumer sentiment. It was our goal to get the input from as many consumers as possible because ultimately, it’s the consumer’s opinion that counts.”

Based on the largest single-model-year survey of automotive owners, the Vehicle Satisfaction Awards are designed to help consumers make informed vehicle purchase decisions with a true “word of mouth” survey.

Several brands noted their appreciation of the owner-survey awards.

“We are honored to have the Chrysler 300 and Jeep Grand Cherokee receive awards for best in class Vehicle Satisfaction by AutoPacific,” said Reid Bigland, Chrysler Group’s head of U.S. sales and president and chief executive officer of the Dodge brand. “Recognition from our buyers underscores our efforts toward improving quality and customer satisfaction at Chrysler.”

“It’s fantastic to have so much of Honda’s product line represented in these awards,” said Michael Accavitti, vice president of marketing operations for American Honda Motor Co. “AutoPacific’s awards tell us we’re creating truly satisfied owners, and … demonstrate how widely and well regarded Honda’s products are among top authoritative sites.”

Scott Margason, director of product planning for Hyundai Motor America, said, “Having our models recognized in AutoPacific’s 2012 Vehicle Satisfaction Awards is a testament to the hard work and dedication that goes into all the vehicles in the Hyundai lineup. At Hyundai, we strive to exceed customer expectations in safety, quality, value and performance.”

Autobytel and AutoPacific’s Vehicle Satisfaction survey measures how satisfied an owner is with his new vehicle. New vehicle owners provide input on 48 individual attributes that measure the ownership experience, such as driver’s seat comfort, power and acceleration, interior styling, exterior styling, cargo space/capacity, ease of getting in and out and quietness inside the vehicle.

“With hundreds of 2012 model year vehicles available, consumers need assistance to find a vehicle that’s right for them,” said Autobytel president and CEO Jeffrey Coats.

“The 48 vehicle attributes we survey is detailed information that only a vehicle owner can provide, and that most consumers would want to know. Cars that score highest in the Vehicle Satisfaction survey appear to be delivering the highest value and consumer satisfaction across a wide range of attributes.”

Winners in the 2012 year-model categories of passenger car and light truck are:

Passenger Cars:
Top Rated Premium Luxury Car, Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Top Rated Aspirational Luxury Car, Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Top Rated Luxury Mid-Size Car, Lincoln MKZ

Top Rated Large Car, Chrysler 300

Top Rated Premium Mid-Size Car, Volkswagen Passat

Top Rated Mid-Size Car, Subaru Legacy

Top Rated Premium Compact Car, Volkswagen GTI

Top Rated Compact Car, Volkswagen Beetle

Top Rated Economy Car, Chevrolet Sonic

Top Rated Sports Car, Chevrolet Corvette

Top Rated Sporty Car, Scion tC

Top Rated Hybrid Car, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid

Light Trucks:
Top Rated Heavy Duty Pickup, Ford F-Series Super Duty

Top Rated Large Light-Duty Pickup, Ford F-150

Top Rated Compact Pickup, Nissan Frontier

Top Rated Luxury Sport Utility Vehicle, Cadillac Escalade

Top Rated Large Sport Utility Vehicle, GMC Yukon

Top Rated Premium Mid-Size Sport Utility Vehicle, Jeep Grand Cherokee

Top Rated Premium Luxury Crossover SUV, Mercedes-Benz ML

Top Rated Luxury Crossover SUV, Cadillac SRX

Top Rated Large Crossover SUV, Chevrolet Traverse

Top Rated Premium Mid-Size Crossover SUV, Honda Pilot

Top Rated Mid-Size Crossover SUV, Honda CR-V

Top Rated Compact Crossover SUV, Volkswagen Tiguan

Top Rated Minivan, Honda Odyssey

Top Rated Hybrid Truck, Lexus RX450h Hybrid

For more information about the Vehicle Satisfaction Awards, visit www.Autobytel.com.