2012 Motorist Choice Award Winners Announced by IntelliChoice and AutoPacific

Two of the biggest factors you’ll likely consider when purchasing a new vehicles are consumer satisfaction and ownership costs. So why not combine the two measures and figure out the best buys?

That’s exactly what IntelliChoice and AutoPacific did when they teamed up for the 2012 Motorist Choice Awards. In 15 popular lifestyle segments, the two organizations came up with two winners each: popular and premium. As can be surmised, the popular winner was more mainstream while the premium winner was more aspirational. Categories included “Active Lifestyle,” “Cargo Hauler,” “Cosmopolitan,” “Eco Friendly,” and “Fun to Drive” among a much longer list, not limiting any one class to cars, trucks, or SUV/crossovers specifically. Each had a mix of the type of vehicles that won. And vehicles could win in multiple categories, too, which some did.

In pairing the consumer satisfaction data AutoPacific uses through its wide-sweeping 75,000-person survey. and IntelliChoice’s cost of ownership data, here’s what the two came up with for the 2012 Motorist Choice Award winners:

Do you agree with their winners? While something of a non-specific, oddball award during off-peak season, is it something you’d consider looking at when it comes time to purchase a new vehicle? Let us know in the comments section below.

Sources: IntelliChoice, AutoPacific