Porsche and MINI are once again the top automotive brands in the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study. Porsche is the highest ranking premium brand for the second year in a row - marking the fifth time since 2020 that the sports car maker has earned the top position in the annual study. It's MINI's second win in a row in among mass market brands.
Overall, it's a good report card for the industry of sorts, with all areas improving for the first time in nearly a decade. The J.D. Power APEAL Study, now in its 30th year, measures owners’ emotional attachment and level of excitement with their new vehicle. Owners are asked to consider 37 attributes, ranging from the sense of comfort they feel when climbing into the driver's seat to their exhilaration when they step on the accelerator.
Researchers say that today's new-vehicle owners are more passionate about their vehicle than ever. Overall satisfaction is 851 (on a 1,000-point scale), an increase of 4 index points from a year ago and the highest level since the study was last redesigned in 2020. J.D. Power reports that scores in all 10 categories in the study improve compared with last year— an achievement for the industry that has not occurred in almost a decade. The gains are led by a 13-point improvement in satisfaction with fuel economy, followed by infotainment and interior, which each increase by 6 points.
“For three decades, the APEAL Study has tracked which new vehicles excite and delight owners the most,” said Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at J.D. Power. “Manufacturers have made significant advancements that continue to redefine the vehicle ownership experience and have become more adept at translating innovation into meaningful customer engagement. However, the study finds that owners of new models have lower levels of satisfaction with vehicle setup and startup—as well as infotainment systems—compared with owners of carryover models. This suggests that increasing technology and menu complexity remain persistent challenges for the industry.”
Here are some key findings of the 2025 study:
- Premium brands outpace mass market brands in emotional satisfaction gains, led by Tesla: J.D. Power says while emotional satisfaction among owners of mass market brands improves 2 points, it rises 11 points among owners of premium vehicles, largely driven by Tesla. The brand has achieved a year-over-year improvement of 20 points or more across all categories in the study, with the exception of powertrain (+6 points), which has consistently remained its area of greatest strength.
- Complicated technology derails owner satisfaction with new-model launches: Owners of carryover models express more emotional affinity for their vehicle than do owners of new-model launches (852 vs. 846, respectively) for a second consecutive year. Similarly, new models—which make up 14% of the industry this year—suffered from lower quality performance in this year’s J.D. Power U.S. Initial Quality Study. Also, in this year’s APEAL Study, the largest satisfaction gaps for launch vehicles are in vehicle setup/startup (via the app) and infotainment—gaps that are especially pronounced in the premium segment, where carryover models score 48 points higher for setup/startup and 26 points higher for infotainment.
- Satisfaction more consistent among ICE and hybrid owners: Researchers say the study indicates that among new-vehicle owners, internal combustion engine (ICE) and hybrid vehicles deliver more consistent satisfaction, while plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs) exhibit greater year-over-year fluctuations. Notably, satisfaction among owners of BEVs (860, excluding Tesla) drops 17 points from a year ago when comparing across fuel types, while PHEVs (855) improve 14 points. J.D. Power says customers indicate that PHEVs and hybrids hit the sweet spot for pleasing them with regard to fuel economy, range and charging speed.
- Individual user profiles boost vehicle appeal: J.D. Power found that just over half (55%) of vehicle owners are creating individual user profiles in their vehicle—features that allow personalization of settings such as seat position and climate control. Premium vehicle owners are adopting this feature at twice the rate of mass market owners, and that when profiles are set up, owners across both segments cite increased emotional satisfaction.
Highest-Ranking Brands
Premium
- Porsche (890)
- Land Rover (886)
- BMW (881)
Mass Market
- MINI (876)
- Dodge (868)
- GMC (852)
Model-Level APEAL Awards
BMW AG receives the most model-level awards at five. Hyundai Motor Group is next with four segment awards), and Ford Motor Company and Volkswagen AG, tie for third, each with three segment awards.
The complete list of award recipients is:
- BMW AG: BMW X6, BMW X1, BMW 4 Series, BMW X4 and MINI Countryman
- Hyundai Motor Group: Hyundai Santa Fe, Hyundai Santa Cruz, Kia K4 and Kia K5
- Ford Motor Company: Ford Super Duty, Ford Mustang and Lincoln Nautilus
- Volkswagen AG: Volkswagen ID.Buzz, Porsche Taycan and Porsche 911
- General Motors Company: Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Hummer EV
- Nissan Motor Co., Ltd: Nissan Rogue and Nissan Murano
- Jaguar Land Rover Limited: Land Rover Range Rover
- Toyota Motor Corporation: Lexus ES
- Stellantis NV: Dodge Durango
BMW X6 is the highest-ranking individual model. Kia K5 receives a model-level award for a fifth consecutive year. BMW X4, MINI Countryman, Land Rover Range Rover and Porsche Taycan each receive model-level awards for a third consecutive year. Hyundai Sante Fe and Ford Super Duty each receive model-level awards for a second consecutive year.
About the Study
The 2025 U.S. APEAL Study is based on responses from 92,964 owners of new 2025 model-year vehicles who were surveyed after 90 days of ownership. The study was fielded from June 2024 through May 2025 based on vehicles registered from March 2024 through February 2025.
For more information about the U.S. APEAL Study, visit J.D. Power.
Photo: Porsche/MINI.