New-vehicle house owners immediately are extra captivated with their car than ever, in accordance with the J.D. Energy 2025 U.S. Automotive Efficiency, Execution and Format (APEAL) Examine,SM launched immediately. General satisfaction is 851 (on a 1,000-point scale), a rise of 4 index factors from a yr in the past and the best stage for the reason that examine was final redesigned in 2020.
“For 3 many years, the APEAL Examine has tracked which new automobiles excite and delight house owners probably the most,” stated Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at J.D. Energy. “Producers have made important developments that proceed to redefine the car possession expertise and have develop into more proficient at translating innovation into significant buyer engagement. Nevertheless, the examine finds that house owners of recent fashions have decrease ranges of satisfaction with car setup and startup—in addition to infotainment methods—in contrast with house owners of carryover fashions. This means that growing know-how and menu complexity stay persistent challenges for the business.”
Now in its thirtieth yr, the APEAL Examine enhances the annual J.D. Energy U.S. Preliminary High quality StudySM (IQS) and the J.D. Energy U.S. Tech Expertise Index (TXI) StudySM by measuring house owners’ emotional attachment and stage of pleasure with their new car. The APEAL Examine asks house owners to contemplate 37 attributes, starting from the sense of consolation they really feel when climbing into the motive force’s seat to their exhilaration once they step on the accelerator. Automobile house owners’ responses to queries about these attributes are aggregated to compute an total APEAL Index rating.
Following are some key findings of the 2025 examine:
Difficult know-how derails proprietor satisfaction with new-model launches: House owners of carryover fashions categorical extra emotional affinity for his or her car than do house owners of new-model launches (852 vs. 846, respectively) for a second consecutive yr. Equally, new fashions—which make up 14% of the business this yr—suffered from decrease high quality efficiency on this yr’s J.D. Energy U.S. Preliminary High quality Examine. Additionally, on this yr’s APEAL Examine, the biggest satisfaction gaps for launch automobiles are in car setup/startup (by way of the app) and infotainment—gaps which might be particularly pronounced within the premium section, the place carryover fashions rating 48 factors increased for setup/startup and 26 factors increased for infotainment.
Satisfaction extra constant amongst ICE and hybrid house owners: The examine signifies that amongst new-vehicle house owners, inside combustion engine (ICE) and hybrid automobiles ship extra constant satisfaction, whereas plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and battery electrical automobiles (BEVs) exhibit larger year-over-year fluctuations. Notably, satisfaction amongst house owners of BEVs (860, excluding Tesla) drops 17 factors from a yr in the past when evaluating throughout gas sorts, whereas PHEVs (855) enhance 14 factors.Prospects point out that PHEVs and hybrids hit the candy spot for pleasing them with regard to gas economic system, vary and charging pace.
Particular person consumer profiles increase car attraction: Simply over half (55%) of auto house owners are creating particular person consumer profiles of their car—options that permit personalization of settings similar to seat place and local weather management. The examine reveals that premium car house owners are adopting this function at twice the speed of mass market house owners, and that when profiles are arrange, house owners throughout each segments cite elevated emotional satisfaction.
Highest-Rating Manufacturers
Porsche ranks highest amongst premium manufacturers for a second consecutive yr, with a rating of 890. Land Rover (886) ranks second and BMW (881) ranks third.
MINI ranks highest amongst mass market manufacturers for a second consecutive yr, with a rating of 876. Dodge (868) ranks second and GMC (852) ranks third.
Mannequin-Degree APEAL Awards
The company receiving probably the most model-level awards (for fashions rating highest of their respective section) is BMW AG (5 section awards and highest-ranking mannequin), adopted by Hyundai Motor Group (4 section awards), and Ford Motor Firm and Volkswagen AG, every with three section awards.
The whole record of award recipients is:
BMW AG: BMW X6, BMW X1, BMW 4 Sequence, BMW X4 and Mini Countryman
Hyundai Motor Group: Hyundai Santa Fe, Hyundai Santa Cruz, Kia K4 and Kia K5
Ford Motor Firm: Ford Tremendous Responsibility, Ford Mustang and Lincoln Nautilus
Volkswagen AG: Volkswagen Id.buzz, Porsche Taycan and Porsche 911
Normal Motors Firm: Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Hummer EV
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd: Nissan Rogue and Nissan Murano
Jaguar Land Rover Restricted: Land Rover Vary Rover
Toyota Motor Company: Lexus ES
Stellantis NV: Dodge Durango
BMW X6 is the highest-ranking particular person mannequin. Kia K5 receives a model-level award for a fifth consecutive yr. BMW X4, MINI Countryman, Land Rover Vary Rover and Porsche Taycan every obtain model-level awards for a 3rd consecutive yr. Hyundai Sante Fe and Ford Tremendous Responsibility every obtain model-level awards for a second consecutive yr.
The 2025 U.S. APEAL Examine relies on responses from 92,964 house owners of recent 2025 model-year automobiles who have been surveyed after 90 days of possession. The examine was fielded from June 2024 via Might 2025 based mostly on automobiles registered from March 2024 via February 2025.
