After revealing which car brands customers are the most loyal to last month, J.D. Power has released the results of its annual Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, which measures owners' emotional attachment and excitement for their cars across 37 attributes, from the level of comfort and luxury of the interior to the excitement generated when they put their foot on the accelerator.

These factors are then aggregated to create an overall appeal score out of 1,000. The study is based on data gathered between February and May from more than 87,000 car buyers and lessees of new 2020 model-year vehicles who were surveyed after 90 days of ownership.

Topping the 2020 Premium rankings was Porsche, with an overall score of 881. This is the second year in a row Porsche has ranked number one in JP Power's APPEAL study and was likely helped by the launch of the new 2020 Porsche 911 Carrera and 911 Turbo. "I am gratified at how excited our customers are with their new dream cars," said Klaus Zellmer, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America. "Porsche believes in continuous improvement and winning the top spot again just encourages us to find new ways to delight our drivers."

Lincoln ranked second with a score of 876, followed by Cadillac (874), BMW (869) and Land Rover (866). The lowest ranking manufacturers in the premium category were Acura and Audi, which both scored 845.

Unofficially, however, Tesla would have achieved the highest appeal score, beating Porsche. Tesla receives an APPEAL score of 896, but this isn't considered official because Tesla didn't allow JD Power to survey owners in the required 15 states. Instead, the score is based on data gathered from the remaining 35 states.

Dodge and Ram were ranked at number one and number two respectively in the Mass-Market category, with both brands scoring 871. For Dodge, this represents the first time a domestic brand has earned top spots in the APEAL Study and J.D. Power's Initial Quality Study in the same year. "These ratings are consistent with our continuing focus on improving the ownership experience for our customers," said Mark Champine, Head of Quality at FCA North America. "Our focus will not waver, nor will our efforts."

Ranking below Dodge and Ram in the mass-market category is GMC (857), followed by Ford (853) and Mini (846). Jeep was the lowest-ranking brand in the mass-market category with a score of 822, followed by Toyota (825). The gap between luxury and mass-market brands is narrower than ever, as the average APEAL score for luxury brands is 861 points, compared to 838 for mass-market brands. According to J.D. Power, this 23-point gap is the narrowest in the study's history.

Eight models highlighted in the APEAL segment awards also received awards in the 2020 Initial Quality Study, including the Audi A3, BMW X6, Cadillac CT6, Genesis G70, Hyundai Veloster, Jaguar E-Pace, Nissan Armada and Nissan Maxima.