Well all know that automotive awards are bullshit, and the newest list to make the rounds is the Vehicle Satisfaction Awards. Some of the winners are predictable while other are surprising, but it does raise an interesting question, what car gave you the most satisfaction?
Before we explore the more philosophical aspect of that thought exercise, let’s have a look at Auto Pacific’s list of most satisfying vehicles.
As I said above, you would expect a few of these winners to be on the list. A Ford F250 is a good truck and doing truck things, the Chrysler Pacifica is a pretty swanky ride for a minivan, and it’s hard to argue that a Porsche 911 wouldn’t be satisfying even if the options list is hilariously pricey.
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Now some of the other cars I find a little puzzling. The Nissan Versa? It’s not a bad car, but certainly not something that any of us would be satisfied to own. However, if you have been cruising around in a ten-year-old beater for a while, a Versa will definitely feel like a step up.
I’d be very curious to what the exact methodology is in determining vehicle satisfaction, and Auto Pacific doesn’t go into much detail on their press release except to say “Respondents rate 50 attributes for importance in the purchase decision and satisfaction after purchase.”
Here at Jalopnik we occupy a different space among car buyers, and while there are a decent number of us who buy new Camrys there is also a giant community of gearheads who purchase a whole range of interesting and perhaps even questionable vehicles, but get immense satisfaction of them and that will never be reflected in some industry white paper.
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We share a connection with our cars that goes beyond sales stats and spec sheets. Some of us draw our satisfaction by buying something that needs some love and puts his or her time and effort in to bring it back to life. While for others that satisfaction may come from simply owning something unique and different. Sometimes satisfaction can come from a regular car that has maintained its fun and loyalty over several years and many miles.
What has been the most satisfying car you have owned?
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