Toyota's FJ Cruiser is the favorite SUV, according to IntelliChoice and AutoPacific's Motorist Choice Awards.

When it comes to the brands that best fit their lifestyle needs, U.S. drivers are pointing to Toyota, Nissan and General Motors, the three topping the charts in the new Motorist Choice Awards.

Compiled by data tracking service Intellichoice and automotive research firm AutoPacific, Inc., the awards are meant to reveal the vehicles that deliver the best combination of customer satisfaction and lower-than-expected operating costs.

“Buyers look for a vehicle based on their usage needs and emotional desires” said Daniel Hall, vice president of AutoPacific. “By paying attention to these buying patterns, and incorporating our satisfaction data and IntelliChoice’s cost of ownership insights, we can offer sound advice to consumers across all vehicle segments.”

There are 13 different categories, such as Active Lifestyle, Performance, Road Trip and Youthful, and separate awards for mainstream and luxury products. Toyota, Nissan and GM each nabbed five category wins – more than half of the overall list.  Other makers to score included Honda, Mazda and Range Rover.

(Click Here for details about le Quement getting the Lifetime Design Achievement award.)

Four vehicles were repeat winners: the Toyota FJ Cruiser, which was tops in the Active Lifestyle – Mainstream category; the Nissan Cube, which won in the Cosmopolitan – Mainstream category; the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, the winner in the Value – Luxury list; and the Hyundai Equus, tops in the Luxury Lifestyle – Mainstream category. Curiously, both the Cube and FJ Cruiser are going out of production despite their connection with owners.

(To see more about the pumped performance of the Mercedes AMG C63, Click Here.)

Several vehicles won in multiple categories, as the chart shows, including the Mini Coupe/Roadster, and the Chevrolet Suburban and Cadillac Escalade.

(Nissan charged up about EV rumors. For more, Click Here.)

The Motorist Choice Awards are based on a survey of 92,000 new vehicle buyers who purchased 2014 model-year products.