Citing a number of reasons, VSAs named Kia the top brand
VSAs Crown Kia Most Satisfying Popular Brand
The annual Vehicle Satisfaction Awards, or VSAs, conducted by AutoPacific, measure a customer’s satisfaction with their vehicle through surveys. For several years, the popular brand category has been dominated by domestic brands. This year, however, Korean automaker, Kia, takes home the crown.
The surveys conducted takes responses from owners of a wide range of vehicles and tally them to determine which brand’s customers are most satisfied with their product. This year, over 65,000 responses were included from owners of 2015 and 2016 new vehicle purchases.
In recent years, Kia has made a surge ahead in their standings, consistently ranking higher than ever before. This year, Kia got the nod by a wide margin, 16 points ahead of the nearest competitor, GMC.
According to AutoPacific president, George Peterson, “VSAs look at the big picture, which includes owners’ experiences with their vehicle’s quality and safety, but also goes deeper into the heart of the ownership experience.” 50 different criteria are graded in their surveys, from comfort and style to fuel efficiency and performance.
Kia has made great strides in vehicle quality and dependability in recent years. Since the 90’s where Kia cars were thought of as disposable, low-end vehicles, the automaker has sought a top spot in the industry. The Sorento has been named AJAC’s best new SUV, the 2016 Optima has been named MOTORING TV’S Family Car of the Year, and many models have been designated IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus.
With an ever-increasing vehicle lineup that now includes hybrids and even the Soul EV, Kia has solidified their spot in the market as one of the most satisfying brands to drive.
In case you’re curious, here are all the Vehicle Satisfaction Awards as determined by AutoPacific.
2016 Vehicle Satisfaction Award Winners
- President’s Award (Highest VSA Score to Date): Cadillac Escalade
- Most Satisfying Vehicle Overall: Cadillac Escalade
- Highest Satisfaction Premium Brand: Tesla
- Highest Satisfaction Popular Brand: Kia
Passenger Cars:
- Luxury Car: Mercedes-Benz S-Class
- Aspirational Luxury Car: Volvo S60/V60
- Luxury Mid-Size Car: Nissan Maxima
- Large Car: Hyundai Azera
- Mid-Size Car: Kia Optima
- Premium Compact Car: Mercedes-Benz CLA
- Compact Car: Kia Soul
- Economy Car: Honda Fit
- Sports Car: Chevrolet Corvette
- Sporty Car: Chevrolet Camaro
Light Trucks:
- Light Duty Pickup: GMC Sierra 1500
- Heavy Duty Pickup: GMC Sierra HD
- Compact Pickup: Nissan Frontier
- Luxury SUV: Cadillac Escalade
- Large SUV: Chevrolet Suburban
- Mid-Size SUV: Toyota 4Runner
- Premium Luxury Crossover SUV: Mercedes-Benz GLE
- Luxury Crossover SUV: Lexus RX
- Large Crossover SUV: GMC Acadia
- Premium Mid-Size Crossover SUV: Nissan Murano
- Mid-Size Crossover SUV: Nissan Rogue
- Compact Crossover SUV: Hyundai Tucson
- Minivan: Kia Sedona
