For the second year in a row, Tesla has taken the top spot in the annual J.D. Power APEAL study, which measures owners’ emotional attachment and level of excitement with their new vehicle.
When looking at the criteria used in the study, it is no surprise that Tesla ranked number one. The APEAL study, which stands for Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout, surveys owners on 37 different attributes, ranging from their feelings when sitting in the driver’s seat to the emotions when stepping on the accelerator.
Even though Tesla was not officially part of the study (according to J.D. Power the automaker doesn’t allow them to survey owners in 15 states), it came out on top with a score of 893 out of 1,000, only three points lower than last year.
In second place was Porsche with a score of 882. Until last year when Tesla topped the list for the first time, Porsche had won the award in 15 of the previous 16 years.
The study also shows what Tesla owners already know, and is part of the reason Tesla spends $0 on advertising. Placing high in the study means buyers are much more likely to recommend that brand to others, and also purchase another car of the same brand when the time comes.
The results are in contrast to other findings by J.D. Power. Last month they ranked Tesla third last in their 2021 Initial Quality Study (IQS) which measures the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100) in the first 90 days of ownership.
The 2021 U.S. APEAL Study is based on responses from 110,827 owners of new 2021 model-year vehicles who were surveyed after 90 days of ownership. The study was fielded from February through July 2021.
