WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. —The Big 3 enjoyed some good news on Thursday, as it was revealed that their brands earned a stronger average vehicle appeal score from J.D. Power and Associates than their import counterparts. This is something that hasn't happened since 1997.

Specifically, the average score for domestics in J.D. Power's 2010 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout Study was 787 (out of 1,000). The average score for imports was 774. A year ago, imports' score was five points stronger than what the Big 3 averaged.

And while imports still have the upper hand when it comes to premium models, domestics led the way on the mass-market front, according to J.D. Power.

Officials said there have been consistent gains in appeal for the Big 3 over the last four years, but the biggest strides have been those made since 2008. 

The models most heavily pushing the domestics' progress in this year's APEAL study came out of Ford and General Motors. Many of the vehicles were either significantly revamped or completely new altogether.

"Domestic automakers have performed three important actions during the past two years that have led to their gains," explained David Sargent, vice president of global vehicle research at J.D. Power.

"Firstly, they have retired many models that demonstrated low appeal. They have also introduced new, highly appealing models to their lineups, and finally, they have improved their existing models through freshenings and redesigns," he added.

Comparing the progression of domestics from 2008 to 2010 with that of imports, J.D. Power found some interesting results when it comes to all-new models versus retired vehicles.

Specifically, the average APEAL score for new import models launched in this time frame is 784, which is not much higher than the average score of import models that were discontinued in the same period (781).

Meanwhile, new models from Big 3 brands have averaged an APEAL score of 803, up significantly from 758, which was the average score of domestic models that were retired from 2008 to 2010.

Having models that earn high APEAL scores can be quite beneficial for automakers, as these units tend to sell quicker at higher profit margins with less incentives needed to move them, J.D. Power noted.

What's more, models that have stronger vehicle appeal are most likely to be recommended. For example, 97 percent of owners of models with APEAL scores of at least 950 claimed they "definitely will" recommend their ride to others.

Conversely, just 8 percent owners of models with APEAL scores below 400 said they "definitely will" suggest others buy the same model.

"When new-vehicle buyers go through the shopping process, vehicle appeal, along with price and perceptions of quality, is of major importance," Sargent noted.

"Attributes such as exterior styling are primary determinants of whether a model makes the customer's consideration list in the first place, while other attributes-particularly those related to the interior of the vehicle-are critical in determining which model is ultimately purchased," he continued.

Model and Nameplate Rankings

Moving on, J.D. Power also shared how individual models and brands performed. Ford took home the most segment awards at five, as the Expedition, Explorer Sport Trac, Flex, Fusion and Taurus were recognized.

"It's a significant accomplishment to do so well in APEAL on the heels of receiving high marks from J.D. Power on initial quality," stated Bennie Fowler, Ford's group vice president of global quality and new model launches. "The APEAL results stand as another proof point that Ford is redefining quality. We know it's not enough to build defect-free cars and trucks. We move to the next step by delivering an experience that exceeds our customers' expectations with features they would expect to find only in high-priced luxury lines."

Represented in two categories each were Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen.

Audi's Q5 and Q7 won awards, as did the BMW 3 Series and 5 Series. Chevrolet was represented by the Avalanche and Camaro. The E-Class Coupe and S-Class generated awards for Mercedes-Benz, and the GTI and Routan were honored for VW.

Taking one apiece were GMC (Terrain), Honda (Fit), Land Rover (Range Rover), Mini (Cooper) and Nissan (Cube).

The model with the highest APEAL score was the S-Class, while Porsche earned the highest APEAL score (877) for a brand. This is the sixth consecutive year Porsche has earned this honor.

Suzuki showed the most year-over-year improvement.