The affordable, reliable Honda
has been a mainstay on American roads for decades now, but a recent study from J.D. Power
suggests that the relationship between Honda and new car buyers
has lost its spark. Read on with the car-ownership experts at Jerry as we discuss why Honda scored so low in the J.D. Power APEAL study, and what it means for the brand.
What does the APEAL study measure?
The Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) study surveys owners and measures their emotional attachment and level of excitement with their new vehicle.
Owners rank their vehicles based on 37 attributes, and those responses are then aggregated to compute an overall APEAL Index score measured on a 1,000-point scale.
Each brand’s rating is then ranked, and a list is compiled of brands in order of ranking for both premium and mass-market brands. For each segment, J.D. Power ranks the top three models within their respective categories.
How Honda scored
Out of 18 total mass-market brands, Honda came in last with an overall score of 824. The segment average score was 841, and the top scorer was Dodge with a score of 882.
Honda has built its reputation on making economical cars that will last for 200,000 miles or more. While it makes sense that Honda isn’t trying to appeal to the more emotional side of car ownership, nobody wants to be in last place. Still, this isn’t necessarily terrible news for Honda.
While purchasers of new Hondas may not feel an emotional attachment to or a sense of excitement from their purchase the way a new Dodge or Porsche owner might, Honda does well in other categories.
For example, The 2021 Honda Passport won Car and Driver’s Editor’s Choice
for best mid-size SUV of the year. Then again in June, both the 2022 Honda Civic sedan and the 2022 Honda Civic hatchback won the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) most prestigious safety prize
—the Top Safety Pick+ award. Honda also recently swept Kelley Blue Book’s 2022 Brand Image Awards
, taking the tile for ‘Best Overall Brand’ for its budget-friendly and safe lineup. How to save money on a new Honda
Honda’s lack of emotional appeal may be one of the key factors that keep this brand so affordable. For new car shoppers, knowing exactly what you’re going to get out of a vehicle can be reassuring. With a brand like Honda, you’ll never have to worry about overpaying for a trendy brand name, or being disappointed in a car because you bought into the hype.
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