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Yet
another accolade for MINI. |
Just
call it the little car that could.
The
MINI Cooper has taken home highest honors as the most appealing
compact car in J.D. Power and Associates 2002 APEAL study within
the car's first year of production.
The
study, in its seventh year, surveyed new-vehicle owners who evaluated
the car based on their delight with design, layout, content and
performance during the first 90 days of ownership. The MINI Cooper
came out highest in its segment with its fun design, exciting
performance and the product substance customers have come to expect
from a premium offering.
"We
are excited to have received this award," said Jack Pitney,
General Manager of MINI USA. "To receive this honor in less
than seven months since launch is a true testament of how much
fun and enjoyment owners are having behind the wheel of their
MINIs."
The
Cadillac Escalade EXT and Ford Thunderbird also capture top segment
rankings in the study, which measures owner delight with the design,
content, layout and performance of their new vehicles. In all,
the study finds that 26 of the 31 all-new launches and redesigns
meet or exceed the average performance of their respective segments.
"Radical
designs and concepts are paying off," said Brian Walters,
director of product research at J.D. Power and Associates. "Manufacturers
that are willing to take bold risks with revolutionary concepts
and bring them to fruition are creating new icons that are proving
to be very popular."
Ford
and Lincoln brands rank highest in five APEAL segments. American
Honda, General Motors and Toyota Motor Sales brands each receive
three top segment rankings.
"Ford's
achievement is crowned by the Thunderbird's impressive debut,"
said Walters. "Along with topping the competitive entry luxury
car segment in APEAL, the Thunderbird also ranked highest in its
segment in our Initial Quality Study earlier this year. This is
an exceptional achievement for a vehicle in its first year of
production."
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