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AutoPacific names most Ideal Vehicles of 2006
What is an "ideal" vehicle? AutoPacific defines the ideal vehicle as the car or truck owners would change the least. The firm had owners rate their new 2006 model year cars and trucks and awarded vehicles in multiple categories in the marketing firm's first ever Ideal Vehicle Awards. The Mercury Montego, of all vehicles, was the top-rated vehicle overall and top-rated car in the Large Car/Luxury Car category. Ford swept the top three spots overall with the Crown Victoria and Five-Hundred following in second and third place. Hyundai, however, edged out Mercury as the Ideal Vehicle brand for 2006. The results for each category follow and in some cases are rather surprising. The Honda Ridgeline, for example, is rated as the most ideal Sport Utility Truck, and the Mercury Milan as the most ideal Mid-Size Car.
The idea of rating the idealness of a vehicle is a strange concept around which to wrap one's head, as our tendency is to draw a comparison with popularity. But a popularity contest this ain't, as the Ideal Vehicle Awards rather represent a new index of automotive satisfaction.
Top-rated 2006 Ideal Vehicle brand: Hyundai
Top-rated 2006 Ideal Product Segment: Large Car/Luxury Car
Top rated 2006 Ideal Vehicles by segment:
PASSENGER CARS
Premium Luxury Car: Lexus LS
Entry Luxury Car: BMW 3-Series
Large Car/Luxury Car: Mercury Montego
Premium Mid-Size Car: Hyundai Sonata
Mid-Size Car: Mercury Milan
Image Compact Car: Toyota Prius
Compact Car: Ford Focus
Sports Car: Porsche 911
Sporty Car: Acura RSX
SUT, SUV, and MINIVAN
Sport Utility Truck: Honda Ridgeline
Luxury Sport Utility: BMW X-5
Large Sport Utility: GMC Yukon
Premium Mid-Size Sport Utility: Nissan Murano
Mid-Size Sport Utility: Hyundai Santa Fe
Compact Sport Utility: Subaru Forester
Minivan: Honda Odyssey
[Source: AutoPacific]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Bill 9:39AM (6/15/2006)
This kinds of surveys are silly, but there is something mysteriously attractive to me about the 500/Montego.
I don't know why I like it, but the more I see it the more I like it. A few styling tweaks could make it truly gorgeous. I don't even care that it has a 3.0 engine, because it seems like the kind of car that is better enjoyed slow than fast.
The area where I live is very status and import oriented, but I'm starting to see these suddenly showing up, as well as the Fusion/Milan.
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Brad 9:40AM (6/15/2006)
Strange. I love my Mustang because of its extremely strong aftermarket and the fact that there is so much I can change. That, to me, makes it the ideal vehicle.
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Michael Karesh 9:47AM (6/15/2006)
Interesting concept, I like it.
Gotta wonder about the execution, though, given Autopacific's wacky findings about the total
costs of operating hybrids and other cars a few months back and some of these winners.
I was able to suspend doubt until I hit the Ford Focus. I like the Focus, I often recommend that people on a budget buy the Focus, but compact car in need of the fewest changes?
It needs to be a whole new car! THe Europeans got one a year or two ago.
I only recommend it because its fun to drive, roomy, and sells for peanuts, not because it's perfect
http://www.truedelta.com/pieces/comparison_tests.php
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Michael Karesh 9:52AM (6/15/2006)
One thing that needs to be recognized about Mercurys is that they sell disproportionally to Ford employees and their friends and family. I live near Detroit. Around here many people will buy a Mercury because "everyone" has a Ford. Similarly equipped a Mercury can actually cost less than a Ford. But few people realize this. Add in products that are only tarted up Fords, and Mercurys don't sell nearly as well elsewhere in the country.
Where am I going with this? Ford employees/friends/family are less likely to be critical of the car. I assume employees are excluded from the survey. But friends aren family probably are not.
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Michael Karesh 9:52AM (6/15/2006)
One thing that needs to be recognized about Mercurys is that they sell disproportionally to Ford employees and their friends and family. I live near Detroit. Around here many people will buy a Mercury because "everyone" has a Ford. Similarly equipped a Mercury can actually cost less than a Ford. But few people realize this. Add in products that are only tarted up Fords, and Mercurys don't sell nearly as well elsewhere in the country.
Where am I going with this? Ford employees/friends/family are less likely to be critical of the car. I assume employees are excluded from the survey. But friends aren family probably are not.
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CJ 9:55AM (6/15/2006)
#3 I agree about the Focus, I drove the European one the other month and it was a great car. The one we get in the states is so tired looking and lame. Oh well.
But is anyone else tired of these lists at all?
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Swat Lax 9:57AM (6/15/2006)
How the heck does the ancient Ford Focus make this list?
A rental Focus I had one time was fun to hoon around in, but I wouldn't want to live with that thing. This is one of the cars that most needs something changed about it.
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speed42 10:01AM (6/15/2006)
I think the survey just proves that when a car is made perfect for everybody, it's perfect for nobody. It's difficult to get a car with less personality than the Montego. I guess it's ideal in that no one will be offended by it.
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ron 10:10AM (6/15/2006)
I'm not surprized that the Merc made the list. Maybe it's because the dealers actually want to sell you the car! Four years ago I visted the local Ford dealer to look at a Taurus wagon. The dealer wasn't interested in talking to me about anything other than a truck or an Explorer. No Taurus wagons to look at, not even any literature to give me. Went down the road to the Merc dealer and he had a dozen or so Sable wagons to drive. Our Sable wagon is giving us great service, and as far as that Ford dealer is concerned, I don't even acknowledge his existance!!
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Michael Karesh 10:21AM (6/15/2006)
#2 (Brad) -- best comment ever!
Maybe this is a list of the least modable vehicles?
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Michael Karesh 10:21AM (6/15/2006)
#2 (Brad) -- best comment ever!
Maybe this is a list of the least modable vehicles?
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Peter 10:28AM (6/15/2006)
Wait ... the Sonata is a "premium" mid-size car while the Milan is a _non-premium_ mid-size car? The cheapest Sonata is about $500 less than the cheapest Milan, and I suspect that discounting is greater on the Sonata.
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psych101 10:33AM (6/15/2006)
Funny, they had "image compact car" as the Prius, but forgot "image SUV" - the Escalade
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psych101 10:34AM (6/15/2006)
And, OMG, did anyone else follow the link and take a gander at the visual layout of the list?!? Talk about bad design!
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Devilstower 10:41AM (6/15/2006)
Did anyone happen to notice that the Prius is a mid-size, not a compact?
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starlightmica 11:31AM (6/15/2006)
Great, now everyone and their grandmother is giving out auto awards. Just wait 'til you hear my grandmother's opinion - oh, wait, she never had a drivers' license.
Does anyone besides auto manufacturers' PR departments actually give a damn?
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Koba 12:00PM (6/15/2006)
Well, personally, the car that I think is closest to ideal is the new civic. I have a hard time reccomending anything but the 06 to most uninformed car buyers. Great economy, excellent safety, interesting styling, great features, extremely well put together car, and to top it all off, it has great reliability. Minimal depreciation more than offsets the high purchase price. I think Honda has elevated the economy car to a new level, I was seriously that blown away.
And as for SUT, I think the Ridgeline is a ginormous disappointment, all for one feature, having the spare in a trunk, under the bed. The T in SUT stands for Truck, and I would expect to use it as a truck, but I would always be too scared to do any hauling do to getting a flat, you know, one of those things that are common on construction job sites, where REAL trucks live. It's a great grocery getter, and I'd buy one just for that, but it's no truck, the Avalanche is the segment leader, it's an SUT that won't make you wish you owned a full fledged pickup everytime you had to use it.
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MuthaTrucker 12:41PM (6/15/2006)
Yea, like any true truck enthusiast will buy a Honda Ridgeline. These boys have pushed too many CoCoa puffs up their butt.
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MikeInNC 1:02PM (6/15/2006)
I don't think the Ridgeline is aimed at truck enthusiasts. I think it's aimed at people that want a useful vehicle for hauling occasional things (lawnmower, surniture purchase, mulch, boxes...etc) but, also want something that has four doors and has some decent refinement. I like the idea of the Ridgeline but I'm not crazy about it's appearance nor the price. Of course, it would be hard to make it look worse than the Avalanche but I do recognize the Avalanche as being very useful and suited to heavier duty jobs than the Honda. I'd probably opt for the new Ford Sport-Trac in this segment based on less offensive styling and a better price point.
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j-dawg 1:47PM (6/15/2006)
Why was the Crown Vic the second best fullsize and not the Grand Marquis? They're basically the same car, and the Grand Marquis sells better.
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