The new cars people love the most in 2019

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If you’re in the market for a new car, we have a list you need to see.

You might be familiar with J.D. Power from its car reliability ratings, but each year the company also releases a list of the vehicles that make the people who bought them the happiest.

It’s called the APEAL Study — APEAL stands for Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout — and it’s a great starting point for car shoppers who are looking to make sure they don’t make a purchase they’ll end up regretting.

Study: New cars people love the most

The 2019 APEAL Study brings some good news: Overall, new car owners are more satisfied with their purchases this year than they were in the 2018 survey.

“Every automaker is producing vehicles that consumers like, but some of them are doing it at a higher level than others,” said Dave Sargent, Vice President of Global Automotive at J.D. Power. “Satisfaction with new technology is improving.”

While luxury brand Porsche is the highest-ranked manufacturer overall with a score of 891, some mass market brands also performed well. Ram (scoring 851), Dodge (848), MINI (835), Volkswagen (829) and Ford (828) lead the way in that category.

As far as individual models go, here are the top non-luxury vehicles in several popular categories:

J.D. Power: Top non-luxury vehicles

Category Model
Small car Toyota Yaris
Compact car Kia Forte
Midsize car Honda Accord (tie)
  Nissan Altima (tie)
  Toyota Camry (tie)
Large car Nissan Maxima
Small SUV MINI Countryman
Compact SUV GMC Terrain
Midsize SUV Chevy Blazer
Large SUV Ford Expedition
Minivan Honda Odyssey

For more top picks (including luxury models), see the full J.D. Power study here. And read Team Clark’s new car buying guide if you’re shopping for a new set of wheels!

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