The Most Loved Cars in America: 2016
Automotive enthusiasts love their cars, but which cars are more loved than others?
Strategic Vision has released its Customer Love Index (CLI) for 2016, which measures the amount of love that buyers feel toward their new vehicle. To calculate CLI, Strategic Vision looks at five measurements: Total Quality Impact, Total Value Index, Vehicle Emotional Delivery, Overall Feelings and Advocacy. It compiles data from over 120 different aspects of the ownership experience on a scale that ranges from 1 (I Hate It) to 7 (I Love It) with 4 (Satisfactory) at the middle of the scale.
SEE ALSO: America’s Most Loved Car is Once Again from Tesla
This year, Subaru and BMW went home with five Most Loved Vehicle Awards, tying for the most awarded to a single brand. Check out the most loved cars in their respective categories below.
Best Model – Tesla Model S
With a score of 652, the Tesla Model S ran away from the competition as the most loved car in America. It probably doesn’t come as a huge surprise considering Tesla owners are quite vocal about how great their cars are.
Micro Car – Smart Fortwo Coupe
In the Micro Car category, the Smart Fortwo Coupe takes home the win with a score of 388. To be fair, it doesn’t have a lot of competition.
Small Car – Honda Civic Coupe
The new Honda Civic coupe is capturing plenty of love from the media as well as its owners. With a score of 461, it’s the most loved small car in the U.S.
Small Multi-Function Car – Scion iM
The Scion brand may no longer exist and the iM might have felt like a final attempt at reviving the brand, but its owners are in love with their car. Strategic Vision classifies the Scion iM as a small multi-function car with its five-door hatchback design. The iM scored 438.
Small Alternative Powertrain Car – Ford C-Max Energi
Taking home the win in the Small Alternative Powertrain Car category is the Ford C-Max Energi with a score of 485.
Mid-Size Car – Subaru WRX
For generations, Subaru WRX owners have loved their cars, helping create one of the most passionate communities in the automotive industry. It’s almost no surprise that the sports sedan is the most loved mid-size car with a score of 463.
Mid-Size Multi-Function Car – Subaru Outback
It’s not just the WRX winning hearts over, as the Subaru Outback also took home the Mid-Size Multi-Function Car category with a score of 386.
Mid-Size Alternative Powertrain Car – Chevrolet Volt
There’s not a whole lot of competitors in the segment just yet, but Mid-Size Alternative Powertrain Car owners love their Chevrolet Volt. The plug-in hybrid scored 428.
Full-Size Car – Dodge Charger
This might be surprising to some, but the most loved Full-Size Car in the U.S. is the Dodge Charger, scoring 489 in this year’s index.
Near-Luxury Car – BMW 3 Series
There’s a reason the BMW 3 Series is one of the most successful luxury sedans of all time. Categorized as a Near-Luxury Car, the BMW 3 Series is most loved in its category with a score of 510.
Near-Luxury Alternative Powertrain Car – Lincoln MKZ Hybrid
The Near-Luxury Alternative Powertrain Car segment is likely one of the smallest and for now, the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid is the one to beat thanks to a score of 511.
Luxury Car – Mercedes-Benz S-Class Sedan
Mercedes-Benz’s flagship sedan garners plenty of awards throughout the year and this is just another one to add to its trophy case. With a score of 574, the S-Class sedan is the most loved Luxury Car in America.
Luxury Multi-Function Car – Volvo XC70
In the Luxury Multi-Function Car category, the Volvo XC70 is most loved with a score of 415.
Specialty Coupe – Dodge Challenger
The most loved Specialty Coupe in America is the Dodge Challenger, which might come as a surprise to some. But with a score of 567, it deserves the award.
Premium Coupe – Chevrolet Corvette
One of the least surprising cars on the list is the Chevrolet Corvette, taking home top honors in the Premium Coupe category with a score of 582.
Standard Convertible – Ford Mustang Convertible
When it comes to Standard Convertibles, no car is more loved than the droptop Ford Mustang. The convertible sports car scored 517 in this year’s index.
Premium Convertible / Roadster – Audi A5 Cabriolet
Rounding off this year’s most loved car winners is the Audi A5 Cabriolet, scoring 516 and taking home the Premium Convertible/Roadster category.
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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Why are foreign cars in a list of "Most Love Cars in America?" Are that many American betraying their nation? I bet if you did the same list for Japan, South Korea or Germany, no "American" cars are on their lists!!
its difficult to agree with this list... My point of view is that Mercedes has really gone ahead of all germans and swedish and whoever else makes cheese to become the top automobile manufacturer... surely the C class is better than this pig-nose 3 series...