A fine romance

Purchasing a new car involves a battle between the emotional and the practical. Do we purchase that eye-catching coupe or the more practical sedan?

The status symbol or the more conservative ride?

Do we yield to temptation and go for the flash or conserve some cash?

In recent years, as "greener," more fuel-efficient vehicle options have come to dealer lots, the war between the right brain and left brain has grown even more intense.

Drive a car that's smaller and greener? Or one that's bigger and not so easy on the planet?

If driver polls are any indication, big luxury cars remain winners in the hearts and minds of U.S. auto buyers.

The Motorist Choice Awards, an annual automotive popularity poll underwritten by research firms AutoPacific, Tustin, Calif., and Intellichoice, Campbell, Calif., sets out to determine which models motorists believe offer the best combination of emotional and economic value.

Commenting on the findings of the 2009 Motorist Choice Awards, AutoPacific president George Peterson notes that despite economic malaise, rising fuel costs and a new generation of smaller cars, buyers continue to find tremendous satisfaction in large, luxurious vehicles. "The highest scoring cars in this survey are [in the categories of] premium luxury cars, large cars, crossovers and SUVs, whether they're built in the U.S., Asia or Europe," he says. "The affinity for big vehicles makes the American market unique compared with the rest of the world."

Large vehicles appear prominently on the 2009 award list. Of the 196 cars, trucks, crossovers and SUVs surveyed, the large and luxurious Lexus LS commanded the top score based on its mix of overall owner satisfaction and value. The top 34 ranked cars, and 106 of the top 107, were all big cars, luxury cars, SUVs, crossovers or minivans. The only small car to break into the top 100 was the BMW 1-Series coupe/convertible, which landed in the 35th spot.

A combination of value and ego drives the voting for makes and models that top the list. "The vehicles chosen offer a balance of qualities appealing to the head and the heart, says James Bell, Intellichoice publisher. "They may not be best in class in either satisfaction or economy, but win when those are combined."

For instance, the Toyota Camry sedan topped this year's Premium Mid-Size Car segment. "It has good cost of ownership, but not class-leading cost of ownership," says Bell. "It pulls itself back up in terms of meeting owner expectations. The Chevrolet Tahoe is another example of a vehicle that's not a traditional cost-of-ownership champion, but whose owner satisfaction scores put it in line to win a Motorist Choice Award."

On the opposite side of the ledger, the fact that the fuel-frugal Toyota Prius hybrid-powered sedan took top honors in the "Image Compact Car" segment is a reflection not that it is tops in making owners happy, but that it is good in satisfaction and a top cost-of-ownership point getter.

This said, do the Motorist Choice Awards findings offer the greatest benefit for vehicle buyers or manufacturers?

In Bell's view, it's the increasingly savvy car buyer who's likely to profit most, because he or she is more aware than ever that gratification in a vehicle purchase must take into account both head and heart.

"It has more influence on the buyers," Bell says of the Motorist Choice findings. "But it puts pressure on the manufacturers to really put out great vehicles."

And the winners are....
Premium Luxury Car: Lexus LS
Aspirational Luxury Car: Audi A5
Large Car: Cadillac DTS, Lincoln Town Car (tie)
Mid-Size Luxury Car: Lexus ES
Premium Mid-Size Car: Toyota Camry
Mid-Size Car: Volkswagen Jetta
Image Compact Car: Toyota Prius
Compact Car: Toyota Matrix
Economy Car: Honda Fit
Sports Car: Chevrolet Corvette
Sporty Car: Dodge Challenger
Large Pickup: Chevrolet Avalanche
Compact Pickup: Nissan Frontier
Minivan: Honda Odyssey
Premium Luxury SUV: Cadillac Escalade
Large SUV: Chevrolet Avalanche
Large Crossover: Chevrolet Traverse
Luxury Crossover: Lexus RX
Premium Mid-Size Crossover: Toyota Venza
Premium Mid-Size SUV: Toyota 4Runner
Mid-Size SUV: Hyundai Tucson, Jeep Patriot (tie)
Mid-Size Crossover: Toyota FJ Cruiser
Compact Crossover: Honda CR-V
Source: AutoPacific, Tustin, Calif.