Among the many studies it puts out each year, J.D. Power’s U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study is specifically designed to measure owner satisfaction with new-vehicle design and performance. In that realm, Ford and Lincoln have both posted mixed results in recent years, and that was also the case with the recently-released 2025 version of the APEAL Study. However, there was some good news in that same study for The Blue Oval, as the Ford Mustang managed to top the sports car category this time around.
The Ford Mustang wound up as the top-ranked sports car in the 2025 J.D. Power U.S. APEAL Study, with the Mini Cooper falling behind it in second place. Those two models were alone in regard to which received awards in this specific category, which isn’t hugely surprising given the fact that sports cars, in general, just aren’t quite as common as they used to be.
As for brands, Ford wound up with a score of 838 out of 1,000 possible points, which is a seven-point improvement versus 2024, but also still slightly below the mass market average of 840. The automaker’s luxury arm – Lincoln – scored 870 points, compared to 874 last year, ranking it below the segment average of 881, but it still ranked fifth among all premium brands.
J.D. Power’s APEAL Study asks vehicle owners to consider 37 different attributes, including the sense of comfort they feel when hopping in those vehicles and the excitement they garner from the driving experience itself. Those responses are then aggregated to compute an overall APEAL Index score, and this time around, is based on responses from 92,964 owners of new 2025 model-year vehicles who were surveyed after 90 days of ownership. Interestingly, the 2025 APEAL Study’s overall satisfaction of 851 is the highest since the study was last redesigned in 2020, signaling that owners are more excited about their new rides than ever.
“Manufacturers have made significant advancements that continue to redefine the vehicle ownership experience and have become more adept at translating innovation into meaningful customer engagement,” said Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at J.D. Power. “However, the study finds that owners of new models have lower levels of satisfaction with vehicle setup and startup – as well as infotainment systems – compared with owners of carryover models. This suggests that increasing technology and menu complexity remain persistent challenges for the industry.”
The crossover continues to grow its sales total with each passing month.
Taking a page out of the Maverick's book.
All that Electric Spice looks pretty good, if we do say so ourselves.
It has remained with the original owner's family since new, too.
Three words: tech, advertising, and business.
The standard system isn't half bad.
