Friends Let Friends Buy These New Cars

Porsche has the highest recommendations at 91%.

More than 25,000 consumers who purchased or leased new cars or light trucks last fall have been asked if they would recommend their vehicle to a friend. 

Porsche leads as the top brand, with the highest owner recommendation of 91%. The vehicle – car or truck – registering highest overall satisfaction in 2009 is the Infiniti G37, which was recommended by 95% of new owners. The truck with the highest overall satisfaction score is the Ford F-150 recommended by 89% of its owners. In a tie, the SUVs with the highest overall satisfaction score are the GMC Yukon XL and Honda CR-V recommended by 93% of their owners. 

At the manufacturer level, multiple top-ranked award winners include: Toyota with eight top rankings (Toyota 6, Lexus 2), Ford with six (Ford 5, Lincoln 1), Honda with three, General Motors with two (Chevy 1, GMC 1), and Chrysler with two (Jeep 1, Dodge 1). 

The latest research measures owner recommendations by ranking the new owners’ responses to the question “Would you recommend your new vehicle to a friend or relative? Scores are based on the responses, ranging from “Yes, definitely,” “Yes, with reservations,” or “No,” by AutoPacific, which has been doing buyers studies since 1986. 

 “Typically, car buyers are very pleased when they first drive their new car off the dealer lot. But just as a vehicle’s worth depreciates over time, some car owners’ level of confidence depreciates,” says George Peterson, president of AutoPacific.

“We have quantified their level of confidence to see which new car owners will recommend their model most and this is information which will help new car shoppers make informed, confident buying decisions. While many owners can be happy with their new cars, it takes another level of confidence to recommend it” said  Petersen.