After two consecutive years at the top of the rankings, Porsche has edged out Tesla in the J.D. Power 2022 APEAL study. Porsche scored a total of 888 points (out of 1,000), while Tesla was just behind with a score of 887.
The APEAL study, which stands for Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout, measures owners’ emotional attachment and level of excitement with their new vehicle. According to J.D. Power, they survey owners on “37 attributes, ranging from the sense of comfort they feel when climbing into the driver’s seat to the exhilaration they get when they step on the accelerator.”
With that in mind, Porsche ranked highest among premium brands. Tesla ranked second, however is not eligible for official awards or rankings because they do not allow the organization access to owner information in some states. They did however contribute to the overall industry calculation for the first time.
Just behind Tesla was Genesis (886), followed by Cadillac (885), Mercedes-Benz (876) and BMW (875). The segment average was 872. Another EV only automaker, Polestar, also didn’t officially rank but scored just below the segment average at 871.
J.D. Power said that this years rankings were mostly affected by high gas prices, with gas-powered vehicle owners reporting decreased satisfaction with fuel economy. This contributed to the overall APEAL score dropping for the first time since 2014, and the only the fifth time it has declined in 27 years.
“The most important factor leading to the industry decline this year is owners’ perception of their vehicle’s fuel economy. The study was fielded as fuel prices were experiencing a meteoric rise, and that pinch at the pump is conveyed in lower vehicle satisfaction. Battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) have not been negatively affected by the increase in fuel costs but do have issues related to battery range and charging time,” said David Amodeo, director of global automotive at J.D. Power.
Despite the high gas prices, the study found that electrified vehicles are not as appealing as gas-powered vehicles.
“The score for PHEVs is 835 and is 832 for hybrids. In comparison, the composite index score for gasoline-powered vehicles is 846. Battery-electric vehicles (excluding Tesla) also underperform gasoline vehicles in APEAL with an index score of 838.”
However, there is a bit of an asterisks with that finding as Tesla was excluded from that calculation “because the brand’s dominance in the category would skew the results of all other BEVs.”
J.D. Power surveyed 84,165 owners of new 2022 model-year vehicles after 90 days of ownership. The study was conducted from February 2022 through May 2022 and based on vehicles registered from November 2021 through February 2022.
The full results are below.
