In what we’re proud to call an annual tradition, Cherokee Media Group’s Women in Remarketing program has evolved into a celebrated franchise of Auto Remarketing and a key pillar of the National Remarketing Conference and Used Car Week.
For more than a decade, Women in Remarketing has recognized excellence among the leaders of the remarketing and used-car business, while also inspiring and fostering future leaders. And we’re excited to do the same in 2020. We hope you enjoy the stories of this year’s honorees, which can be found in the May issue of Auto Remarketing.
Join us at Used Car Week in November to recognize these outstanding leaders in person. The full list of 2020 honorees can be found below:
Julie Alley, GM Financial
Judith Ayub, El Paso Independent Auto Auction, an XLerate Group Auction
Jesse Ball, ACV Auctions
Gina Barro, Toyota Financial Services
Chrissy Briggs, Greater Erie Auto Auction
Vivian Capritto, Auto Auction Services Corp./AutoIMS
Leslie Center, America's Auto Auction
Stephanie Compton, Exeter Finance
Kristin Gaffney, Capital One
Jane Gitere, Cox Automotive Inventory Solutions
Jennifer Heizer, Manheim Digital (Cox Automotive)
Tricia Heon, NAAA
Carrie Johnson, Select Remarketing Group
Amy Kadlec, IAA
Kelly Lee, McConkey Auction Group/DAA Northwest
Lea Malloy, Cox Automotive Mobility
Colette Marcilliat, Auction Edge
Jessica Mauro, KAR Global
Rebekah Musquiz, Ally
Lisa O'Neil, ADESA Tampa
Amy Wirges, AFC (Automotive Finance Corporation)
General Motors Corp. retained its position as the leader in automotive manufacturer loyalty in this year’s Automotive Loyalty Awards from information and analytics company, IHS Markit.
The awards, which recognize OEMs and brands for their leadership in customer retention, are now in their 24th year.
The program recognized automotive manufacturers and brands for top customer retention and conquest efforts during the 2019 calendar year. IHS Markit named winners across 15 categories.
General Motors won the top award, Overall Loyalty to Manufacturer. The automaker achieved that by posting a loyalty rate of 68.9%.
The Ford brand took top honors for Overall Loyalty to Make, showing a 62.3% loyalty rate.
With approximately 17.5 million new-vehicle registrations during the 2019 calendar year, 54.6% of customers returned to market to purchase or lease another new vehicle from the same make they already owned, according to the IHS analysis.
For the study, 2019 marks the seventh consecutive year of an industry loyalty rate of higher than 50%.
IHS said that is the result of brands’ overall investment in owner retention strategies.
The study also addressed the current COVID-19 challenges, stating that the ability of manufacturers to maintain the increased loyalty rates in the current environment is yet to be seen.
IHS performed an analysis of loyalty rates during and following the recession of 2008-2009. A substantial decline in the brand loyalty rate — 4.1 percentage points — occurred in the quarter immediately following the recession.
To prevent a recurrence of the trend heading into the recovery phase that will follow once the COVID-19 situation begins to resolve, brands will need to prioritize owner retention strategies and messaging as quickly as possible, IHS said.
But IHS Markit senior vice president and general manager, automotive, Joe LaFeir said his company was proud to honor OEMs, brands and dealer networks as they win back customers.
“This competitive environment requires strategic efforts and great products, and it’s clear these initiatives have been a key focus for this year’s winners,” LaFeir said in a news release.
The awards also measured Ethnic Loyalty to Make among all ethnic groups combined. Toyota won the honor in that category, leading in loyalty in the African American, Hispanic and Asian categories.
Lincoln was the leader in the Overall Loyalty to Dealer category. IHS said that during the 2019 calendar year, more Lincoln owners returned to a Lincoln dealer for another Lincoln than any other brand.
Tesla won the category of Highest Conquest Percentage during the 2019 calendar year.
IHS Markit also honored 10 segment winners for their work in bringing customers back for another vehicle of the same make and model in the 2019 calendar year.
Following are the 2019 calendar year award winners:
Overall loyalty awards
Overall Loyalty to Manufacturer
General Motors
Overall Loyalty to Make
Ford
Ethnic Market Loyalty to Make
Toyota
Overall Loyalty to Dealer
Lincoln
Highest Conquest Percentage
Tesla
Segment model loyalty awards
Car
Honda Civic
CUV
Chevrolet Equinox
Luxury Car
Lexus ES
Luxury CUV
Lexus RX
Luxury Sport Car
Porsche 911
Luxury SUV
Land Rover Range Rover
Pickup
Ram 1500, 2500, 3500
Sport Car
Ford Mustang
SUV
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Van
Chrysler Pacifica
Another 66 technicians earned honors as being the best in the automotive-repair business.
On Monday, the Auto Care Association announced the latest recipients of the prestigious World Class Technician Award; a program in partnership with the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). The two organizations provide this annual recognition to professional technicians who have achieved the extraordinary accomplishment of attaining ASE certification in 22 specific areas during the previous calendar year.
Officials said there are an estimated 879,000 technicians in the United States, with approximately 250,000 holding ASE certification. More than 2,000 technicians have earned the respected status of “World Class Technician” since its inception more than 30 years ago.
The newest round of World Class Technicians includes:
James Adair Jr. — Phoenixville, Pa.
Jason Arst — Signal Hill, Calif.
Brian Atwood — Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Rodney Bennett III — Beaufort, S.C.
Jason Branch Sr. — Castle Rock, Colo.
Timothy Burnley — Lewisville, Texas
Scott Dickson — Jacksonville, Fla.
Chris Elkins — Adrian, Mich.
Travis Elliott — Windham, Maine
Mike Evans — Mesa, Ariz.
Lucas Ewald — Naples, Maine
Thomas Flentie — Oak View, Calif.
David Frank — Flint, Mich.
Hayden Frazier — Halifax, Mass.
Reuben Gosewisch — Saint Michael, Minn.
Brian Grabsky — Lombard, Ill.
Brian Haskell Jr. — Naples, Maine
Joshua Hassing — Augusta, Mich.
Robert Heintz — Hopatcong, N.J.
Matthew Heller — Park Ridge, Ill.
Dennis Higdon — Lawrenceville, Ga.
Brandon Homan — St. Louis
Raymond Jackson Jr. — Elkridge, Md.
Randall Kang — Fountain, Colo.
Keith Kelly — Tipp City, Ohio
Kenneth Kerbaugh — Needville, Texas
Basil Konnaris — Oakville, Ontario
William Krones — Mason City, Iowa
Shane Lally — Brookfield, Conn.
Cody Lana — Riverside, Iowa
Marty Leach — Imlay City, Mich.
Kevin Lockhart — Beaverdam, Va.
David Luka II — Grand Island, N.Y.
Eric Mattice — Bakersfield, Calif.
Alejandro Mayorga — Lompoc, Calif.
Jason Montini — Madison, Tenn.
Angel Morales Jr. — Marana, Ariz.
Ryan Moraux — Fairhaven, Mass.
Kevin Myers — Weymouth, Mass.
Ryan Oblak — Saltsburg, Pa.
Fadi Oweis — Jacksonville, Fla.
John Paolino Jr. — Pollock Pine, Calif.
Kevin Paradis — Westford, Mass.
Michael Pritulsky — Mesa, Ariz.
James Przybylski — Batavia, Ill.
Andrew Ramirez — Lompoc, Calif.
Mike Ream — Defiance, Ohio
Michael Rodriguez — Mansfield Center, Conn.
Shannon Saili — Waipahu, Hawaii
Michael Sanders — Doyle, Calif.
Michael Sandmeier — Bel Air, Md.
Michael Schultz — Torrance, Calif.
Richard Sena Jr. — Youngtown, Ariz.
Gregory Shelby — Canal Fulton, Ohio
Patrick Shine — Saint Charles, Mo.
Kevin Speaks — Duncanville, Texas
Meredith Spencer — Milford, Maine
Daniel Symeon — Tallahassee, Fla.
Jeffrey Tinsley — Dickson, Tenn.
Erik Ulintz — Grove City, Ohio
Angel Velazquez — Gurnee, Ill.
Steven Vezensky — Lakemoor, Ill.
John Warrington — Tolland, Conn.
Cleidus Shawn White — Imperial, Mo.
Jeffrey Wood — Saint Charles, Mo.
William Woods — Delta, Pa.
The Auto Care Association surveyed this year’s World Class Technician award recipients to learn about their career journeys, what motivated them to pursue the goal of ASE World Class Technician and what achieving this status means to them in their own words. Five shared their experiences, including:
— Angel Morales: “I believe that earning ‘World Class’ status will allow me to show that there is so much more to being a technician than changing parts on a vehicle. There is so much technology and engineering that goes into today’s vehicles, technicians now have to have the knowledge and skill to make the proper diagnosis and repair. Becoming ASE Certified has opened many doors for me in my life and has made me more marketable when looking for that next step in my career. I believe that I can use this status to show up-and-coming technicians that ASE Certifications are not just ‘a piece of paper,’ but an important tool of the trade.”
— John Warrington: “To achieve world class status shows great commitment to the automotive trade. I wanted to show upcoming techs like my son, the importance of staying relevant and to keep pursuing knowledge to stay top of your field.”
— Fadi “Eddie” Oweis: “I believe all professionals should strive to achieve the highest level of certification and training required to be fit at their profession. World class does just that and sets a goal for which all techs should strive.”
— David Frank: “I feel that World Class represents the zenith of qualification for technicians It displays commitment, talent, discipline and a well-rounded knowledge base.”
— Jason Montini: “In this industry, certification is everything. Never settle for bare minimum. It feels awesome being a part of an elite group of skilled individuals.”
For more information about the Auto Care Association’s World Class Technician certification qualifications, timing and recognition, visit autocare.org/worldclass.
Among the many festivities this past weekend during the 103rd National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Show in Las Vegas was awarding of one of the highest honors a franchised store operator can receive.
Susan Moffitt of Porsche in Shreveport, La., was named the 2020 TIME Dealer of the Year by TIME and Ally Financial.
Moffitt was chosen from a field of 49 dealer nominees who were selected from nearly 17,000 franchised dealers across the country. One of the most prestigious honors for dealers, the TIME Dealer of the Year Award recognizes leaders who have succeeded in business and go above and beyond in their efforts to give back to the community.
Doug Timmerman, president of Ally Auto Finance, and Susanna Schrobsdorff, executive editor and chief partnerships officer of TIME, announced Moffitt as the winner at a ceremony where all the dealer nominees were honored.
“Everyone nominated for the TIME Dealer of the Year Award deserves recognition for their selfless dedication not just to their businesses, but to the communities that support them,” Timmerman said.
“It’s my pleasure to recognize Susan for her outstanding work, and to thank all the incredible dealers across the country who put giving back at the center of their careers,” Timmerman continued.
In addition to Moffitt, four dealer nominees were recognized as Dealer of the Year finalists, including:
—David Kelleher, David Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram, Glen Mills, Pa.
—Natalie Tindol, Tindol Ford Roush, Gastonia, N.C.
—David Cuene, Broadway Automotive, Green Bay, Wis.
—Diana Pfeiffer, Alaska Sales and Service, Anchorage, Alaska
As exclusive sponsor of the TIME Dealer of the Year Award, Ally will give $10,000 to the charity of Moffitt’s choice. Ally also will donate $5,000 to each of the nonprofit organizations selected by the four finalists and Will Green, president of the Louisiana Automobile Dealers Association, who nominated Moffitt for the award.
In recognition of their achievements and generosity, Ally also gave $1,000 to the charities of choice for each of 49 nominees. For more information on each of the nominees, visit www.AllyDealerHeroes.com.
Moffitt earned degrees in business administration and finance at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, La., in 1983 and 1984 before joining the Bossier City, La. dealership founded by her father, Fred. After college, Moffitt was the dealership’s cashier and telephone operator, and also worked in the service department. She later switched to sales where she excelled and found her niche.
Today, she shares ownership of Moffitt Automotive with her two brothers and sister. The group oversees dealerships in Bossier City and Shreveport, representing the Audi, Mazda, Porsche and Volkswagen brands.
Moffitt continues her father’s legacy of giving back by spearheading numerous charitable initiatives. She is a lifetime sponsor of the Louisiana State University (LSU) Health Foundation and LSU Health Shreveport and served as chair of An Evening for Healers in 2017, a fundraiser for the medical and research center.
Moffitt is also proud of her association with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. For the past four years, Moffitt Automotive has donated a car to the hospital’s fundraising initiative, the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway.
Other groups that Moffitt supports include:
—Catholic Charities
—Shriners Hospitals for Children
—Betty & Leonard Phillips Deaf Action Center in Shreveport
—Shreveport-Bossier Military Affairs Council (liaison between the civilian/business community and the commanders of Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier Parish)
—Barksdale Air Force Base (Bossier Parish)
—Special Olympics
—Volunteers of America North Louisiana
—Shreveport Symphony Guild
—Boy Scouts of America Norwela Council
—Holy Angels residential care and programs for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Shreveport
Officials recapped the TIME Dealer of the Year winner and finalists were chosen by a faculty panel from the Tauber Institute for Global Operations at the University of Michigan. Dealers are nominated for the award by state and regional automotive trade association executives.
One of the consignors that uses Motley’s Richmond Auto Auction rewarded the operation for its wholesale performance with a high honor.
C&F Finance Co. named Motley’s Richmond Auto Auction as its 2019 Auction of the Year Award recipient, highlighting the operation posted the highest combination of retention and volume among the 26 auctions in 20 states used by the consignor.
C&F Finance provides automobile, marine and RV financing in multiple states throughout the U.S. from its headquarters in Richmond, Va.
“We appreciate the great relationship and partnership with the Richmond Auto Auction team and the effort they put forth. We look forward to continued growth and what we can do together in 2020,” said Mike Wilson, chief operating officer of C&F Finance and C&F Remarketing.
Richmond Auto Auction averages 500 vehicles during its sales every Friday and is a subsidiary of Motleys Asset Disposition Group.
Operating on 35 acres of land, Motley’s Richmond Auto Auction offers the ability to run seven simultaneous lanes, plus full reconditioning and mechanical facilities, in-house body shop, enhanced vehicle imaging, in-house transportation, AutoIMS and full integrated online capabilities.
Spireon added two more honors to its awards mantle; one arriving just before 2019 finished and the other in the opening days of 2020.
In January, the company announced that Kahu was named Connected Car Product of the Year in the 2020 IoT Breakthrough Awards. And in December, Spireon announced that Kahu also earned gold for Most Innovative App of the Year in the 2019 Best in Biz Awards.
As a connected vehicle solution designed specifically for franchise dealerships, Kahu leverages Spireon’s NSpire IoT platform to offer dealers data-driven insights that increase customer loyalty, enhance the vehicle-buying experience, streamline asset management and recover stolen vehicles.
“While connected car innovations are quickly transforming the automotive industry, dealerships have largely missed out on the value the technology provides,” said Brian Skutta, president of automotive at Spireon.
“Kahu is pioneering a new category in automotive, offering dealers the ability to leverage next-generation technology for their businesses to drive efficiency and profit,” Skutta continued in a news release. “We are thrilled to see Kahu’s contributions recognized and excited to be on the leading edge.”
Building on its commitment to innovation, Spireon launched MyDealer for Kahu, a mobile application for growing service revenue and customer loyalty. MyDealer uses actual vehicle mileage and other data insights to deliver timely, relevant service reminders, promotions and other messages in a convenient and personalized way. By tapping into basic vehicle data — make, model, year and mileage — dealerships can remain top of mind, ready to serve when customers need them.
“As franchise dealerships enter the new decade, technology-driven buying experiences and targeted, bespoke marketing campaigns will be crucial to acquiring new customers and retaining old ones,” Skutta said.
“MyDealer delivers on these needs with a single technology solution that serves both dealers and their consumers,” he went on to say.
To learn more about Kahu, go to this website.
Spireon’s trophy case is getting full. Earlier in 2019, the company’s risk management solution for auto finance providers — GoldStar by Spireon — was recognized in among the IoT Breakthrough Awards recognize the world’s best IoT companies, products and people.
To see the full list of the latest winners, go to this website.
And Spireon’s honor among the 2019 Best in Biz Awards came against some stiff competition.
Since 2011, Best in Biz Awards’ entrants have spanned the spectrum, from the most innovative local companies and start-ups to some of the most recognizable global brands. With more than 700 entries, the ninth annual program attracted a record number of entries from an impressive array of public and private companies of all sizes and spanning all geographic regions and industries in the U.S. and Canada.
Best in Biz Awards 2019 honors were conferred in 80 different categories, including Company of the Year, Fastest-Growing Company, Most Innovative Company, Best Place to Work, Customer Service Department, Executive of the Year, Most Innovative Product, Enterprise Product, Best New Service, CSR Program, Event and Blog of the Year.
“It seems to get harder each year to select the best of the best in Best in Biz Awards,” said Mark Huffman, who returned to judge Best in Biz Awards for the sixth year. “As a consumer reporter, it is particularly gratifying to me to see so many businesses striving to enhance the customer experience.”
For a full list of gold, silver and bronze winners in Best in Biz Awards 2019, go to this website.
Among the festivities during Used Car Week 2019, the seventh annual Vincentric Best Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) Value in America Awards were announced.
Leading the way was Ford, which collected six model-level awards. Lexus and Subaru also demonstrated strong CPO value with five and four model-level awards, respectively.
The best in class performance by Ford Vans earned them the Best CPO Value brand award in the Van category for the fourth consecutive year, while a notable showing by Subaru earned the OEM top honors in both the Passenger Car and SUV/Crossover categories.
Lexus took home the Luxury Car brand award for the third time, and Ram won the Truck category brand award for the second year in a row.
Volvo rounded out the brand award winners in the Luxury SUV/Crossover category.
Other brands with multiple model-level victories included Volvo with three awards, while Audi, Ram, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Hyundai, Kia and Nissan showed their strength in the certified pre-owned market with two awards each.
“The Vincentric Best CPO Value in America Awards use a rigorous statistical analysis to determine cost of ownership for competing vehicles,” Vincentric president David Wurster said in a news release.
“Our awards take the guess-work out of shopping for certified pre-owned vehicles by clearly showing consumers which models provide the best value for their money in a variety of segments,” Wurster continued.
To determine the 2020 Vincentric Best CPO Value in America Award winners, Vincentric explained that it conducted a statistical analysis to reveal which vehicles had lower than expected ownership costs given their market segment and price. Vincentric analyzed more than 15,000 vehicle configurations using eight cost factors, including:
—Depreciation
—Fees and taxes
—Financing
—Fuel
—Insurance
—Maintenance
—Opportunity cost
—Repairs
The company explained the costs were measured after incorporating the specific CPO warranty offered by the manufacturer while also applying mileage requirements necessary to be authorized as an OEM CPO vehicle.
Each CPO vehicle was evaluated in all 50 states plus Washington D.C., with the assumption that each would be driven 15,000 miles annually over five years.
Further information regarding the 2020 Vincentric Best CPO Value in America Awards and methodology is available at www.vincentric.com.
Auto Remarketing’s Best Auctions to Work For, presented by CARS Recon, is a free workplace study for the auto-auction industry that recognizes the best auto auctions to work for on an unranked basis.
It is designed and intended for individual physical auction locations and digital auctions, as well.
Digital auction honorees are designated as such. It is absolutely free for both physical and digital auctions to participate.
Winners are recognized both in the Nov. 1 edition of Auto Remarketing and at a Nov. 14 breakfast during the National Remarketing Conference segment of Used Car Week, which is being held Nov. 11-15 at Red Rock in Las Vegas.
Auto Remarketing, teaming with the Best Companies Group (BCG) in Pennsylvania, underwrites the study. The study is managed by BCG, and the data is analyzed 100% by the staff at BCG. Best Companies Group directly administers all surveys and manages and analyzes all data and information that is gathered.
The Best Companies Group assesses the data from the group of auctions choosing to participate and develops metrics and standards based on that data to determine which auctions are named to the list of Best Auto Auctions to Work For.
This is the fourth year of Best Auto Auctions to Work For program. We encourage all auto auctions, physical and online, to take advantage of this great workplace study opportunity and participate in 2020.
Stay tuned early next year when we open up registration for the 2020 project. Thank you to all who participated this year, and congratulations to those recognized in this year’s study.
Without further ado, here are the 2019 Best Auto Auctions to Work For, listed in alphabetical order:
ACV Auctions
Auctions in Motion
DAA East Tennessee
DAA of Huntsville
Dealers Auto Auction of the Southwest
EBlock
FastLane Auto Exchange
Greenville Auto Auction
IAA Austin
IAA Detroit
IAA Miami North
IAA North Hollywood
Louisiana’s 1st Choice Auto Auction
Manheim Central Florida
Manheim Darlington
Manheim Fredericksburg
Manheim Hawaii
Manheim Northstar Minnesota
Manheim Orlando
Manheim Philadelphia
Manheim Texas Hobby
Music City Auto Auction of Nashville
Orlando Longwood Auto Auction
OVE
RMS Automotive
TradeRev USA
For in-depth benchmark data sets, graphics as well as insights and best practices from managers at Best Auto Auctions to Work For locations, see the Nov. 1 issue of Auto Remarketing.
A select group of franchised dealers are in the running for one of the industry’s most prestigious honors.
TIME and Ally Financial on Tuesday announced the nomination of 49 exceptional dealers for the TIME Dealer of the Year Award, recognizing them for their business success and dedication to giving back.
Chosen from nearly 17,000 franchised dealers nationwide, the dealers nominated for this significant award have demonstrated strong business acumen and a steadfast commitment to their communities. The honorees will be recognized by Ally and TIME at the 103rd annual National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Show in Las Vegas on Feb. 15 during a formal ceremony where the national winner will be announced.
“The award applauds the incredible effort each of these dealers puts into their businesses and their communities,” said Doug Timmerman, president of Auto Finance at Ally. “They are influential business leaders and admired ambassadors for worthy causes. It’s an honor for Ally to recognize their generosity and impact in cities and towns across America.”
In its ninth year as the exclusive sponsor, Ally will recognize the dealer nominees and their many community efforts by contributing $1,000 to each nominee’s 501(c)3 charity of choice. The finalists for the award will receive an additional $5,000 for their favorite charities and the winner will receive an additional $10,000 to give to charity.
Nominated by executives from state and metro dealer associations throughout the country, each nominee represents their respective association in the national competition. The awards are sponsored by TIME in partnership with Ally and in cooperation with NADA. A panel of faculty members from the Tauber Institute for Global Operations at the University of Michigan will select one finalist from each of the four NADA regions and one national Dealer of the Year.
A list of the dealers in the running for this award is available below. To learn more about each of the 49 nominees, go to AllyDealerHeroes.com.
TIME Dealer of the Year Nominees
Edward Babcock, Junction Auto Family, Chardon, Ohio
Tommy Baker, Baker Motor Co., Charleston, S.C.
Winstead Paine Bone, Wilson County Motors, Lebanon, Tenn.
Steven Brimhall, The Minnesota Motor Co., Fergus Falls, Minn.
Steve Brown, Frank Leta Acura, St. Louis
Jim Buzzetta, Mercedes-Benz of Huntington, Huntington, N.Y.
Donald Cavenaugh, Cavenaugh Ford Lincoln, Jonesboro, Ark.
Colleen Chapleski, Dean Arbour Ford of Tawas, Tawas City, Mich.
Raymond Ciccolo, Boston Volvo Cars, Boston
Jim Coleman, Jim Coleman Toyota, Bethesda, Md.
David Cuene, Broadway Automotive Green Bay, Green Bay, Wisc.
Terry D’Arcy, D’Arcy Buick GMC Truck, Joliet, Ill.
David Daunhauer, Byerly Ford, Louisville, Ky.
Jacqueline De Luz, Big Island Toyota, Hilo, Hawaii
George Doetsch III, Apple Ford Lincoln, Columbia, Md,
John Ernst, Ernst Toyota, Columbus, Neb.
William Farrell, Berglund Luxury Roanoke, Roanoke, Va.
Fletcher Flower, Flower Motor Co., Montrose, Colo.
Paul Gaudet, AutoServ Dealerships, Tilton, N.H.
Stacey Gillman, Gillman Subaru, Houston
Bill Golling, Golling Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
Jeffrey Haraden, Mohawk Honda, Scotia, N.Y.
Eric Henricksen, Don Aadsen Ford, Ronan, Mont.
David Kelleher, David Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram, Glen Mills, Pa.
Steve Klein, Klein Honda, Everett, Wash.
Doug Knust, Harry K Ford Store, Winner, S.D.
Christian Kostelecky, Sax Motor Co., Dickinson, N.D.
Lawrence Kull, Burns Honda, Marlton, N.J.
Ken Marks, Tallahassee Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram, Tallahassee, Fla.
Walt Massey, Walt Massey Chevrolet Buick GMC, Lucedale, Miss.
Greg Maurer, Dale Willey Automotive, Lawrence, Kan.
Tom Miller, Tom O’Brien Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram, Greenwood, Ind.
Susan Moffitt, Porsche Shreveport, Shreveport, La.
Steven Olliges, Team Ford Lincoln, Las Vegas
Diana Pfeiffer, Alaska Sales and Service – Anchorage, Anchorage, Alaska
Mark Porter, Mark Porter Chevrolet Buick GMC, Pomeroy, Ohio
Dan Roesch, Larry Roesch Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram, Elmhurst, Ill.
Paul Rusnak, Mercedes Benz of Arcadia, Arcadia, Calif.
William Strickland, Bellamy-Strickland Chevrolet Buick GMC, McDonough, Ga.
Bradford Strong, Strong Volkswagen, Salt Lake City
Eric Stuteville, Stuteville Chevrolet of Durant, Durant, Okla.
Howard Tenenbaum, Keyes Toyota, Van Nuys, Calif.
Wally Thornhill, Thornhill GM Superstore, Chapmanville, W. Va.
Natalie Tindol, Tindol Ford Roush, Gastonia, N.C.
Brian Tyrrell, Tyrrell Chevrolet Co., Cheyenne, Wyo.
Santosh Viswanathan, Willis Ford, Smyrna, Del.
Ronnie Watkins, Ronnie Watkins Ford, Gadsden, Ala.
Richard Willis, Willis Lexus, Des Moines, Iowa
Greg Wills, Wills Toyota, Twin Falls, Idaho
AutoPacific says its Ideal Vehicle Awards, or IVAs, are based solely on owner input, measuring “the fusion between owner expectations and reality.”
“IVAs speak to a vehicle's layout and design,” AutoPacific president George Peterson said in a news release. "Giving owners a chance to tell us what they would change and how they would change it reveals which vehicles are best designed to meet their needs and expectations.”
According to the 2019 Ideal Vehicle Awards that AutoPacific announced on Thursday, Volvo and Ram performed particularly well in meeting those expectations. The Volvo XC60 was named the 2019 overall winner. Ram was named the most ideal brand overall and most ideal popular brand, and Volvo was named most ideal premium brand.
One key finding of the awards was that trucks (SUVs and pickups) outperform cars in most IVA attributes, including areas such as visibility, technology, interior quietness and safety features. AutoPacific noted, however, that “there is still room for improvement.”
“SUVs continue to grow in popularity by giving consumers car-like fuel economy and better overall design, including technology and visibility,” Peterson said. “We will most certainly see continued growth in SUV sales, coupled with a decline in car sales.”
U.S. brands received eight IVA vehicle awards, which was a decline from 14 last year. European brands earned three vehicle wins, down from eight in 2018. Asian brands earned 13 wins, which was an increase from five in 2018.
Winners were distributed among 11 manufacturers. Nissan, Honda, and FCA won four categories each, while Ford, Volvo, Subaru, Hyundai and Tesla scored two wins apiece. GM, BMW and Toyota scored the remaining wins.
“While no single brand or manufacturer is taking all the glory, several brands have exceptional designs,” Peterson said.
AutoPacific said Nissan showed strength in the mid-size car and large SUV segments. Honda won the economy/compact car segments, and Subaru won the mid-size crossover SUV segments.
AutoPacific said it bases its 2019 awards on responses from more than 50,000 owners of new vehicles from all major manufacturers.
The following are the overall, brand and segment winners:
2019 Overall Winner: Volvo XC60
2019 Most Ideal Brand Overall and Most Ideal Popular Brand: Ram
2019 Most Ideal Premium Brand: Volvo
Passenger cars:
— Luxury car: Lincoln Continental
— Luxury EV car: Tesla Model 3
— Aspirational luxury car: Genesis G70
— Large car: Chrysler 300
— Luxury mid-size car: Nissan Maxima
— Mid-size car: Nissan Altima
— Premium compact car: BMW 2-Series
— Compact car: Honda Insight
— Economy car: Honda Fit
— Sports car: Chevrolet Corvette
— Sporty car: Dodge Challenger
— Popular EV car: Honda Clarity
Trucks:
— Full-size pickup: Ram 1500
— Mid-size pickup: Honda Ridgeline
— Luxury SUV: Infiniti QX80
— Large SUV: Nissan Armada
— Mid-size SUV: Jeep Grand Cherokee
— Executive luxury crossover SUV: Lincoln Nautilus
— Aspirational luxury crossover SUV: Volvo XC60
— Premium compact crossover SUV: Volvo XC40
— Premium mid-size crossover SUV: Subaru Ascent
— Mid-size crossover SUV: Subaru Forester
— Compact crossover SUV: Hyundai Kona
— Minivan: Toyota Sienna
— Luxury EV Crossover SUV: Tesla Model X
