Porsche is one of the most iconic luxury car brands there is, and that’s at least in part because of the high-quality vehicles it makes. It’s the kind of automotive brand that people don’t just like, they love. So it’s no surprise that when J.D. Power recently conducted its APEAL study, it found that Porsche ranked highest as the best luxury SUV brand. What makes Porsche so great? Let’s take a look.

Porsche is the #1 luxury car brand, according to J.D. Power

Porsche ranks at the top of J.D. Power‘s APEAL study for premium automotive brands. It scored an overall 888, two points ahead of the second-place luxury car brand, Genesis. Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW round out the top five. That’s no surprise, considering how popular Porsche SUVs and cars are.

The J.D. Power Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout looks at how happy owners of new vehicles are after 90 days. “The study data provides insight on experiences with design, performance, safety, usability, comfort, perceived quality, and other factors.”

There are 10 factors that go into the APEAL ratings

J.D. Power assesses forty areas in ten key groups when determining the APEAL study rankings. These include: walking up to your vehicle, setting up and starting your vehicle, getting in and out of the vehicle, your vehicle’s interior, your vehicle’s powertrain, your vehicle’s driving feel, your vehicle keeping you safe, using the infotainment system, your vehicle’s driving comfort, and fuel usage.

Porsche and its SUVs and cars tends to be at the top of these lists. J.D. Power writes, “Porsche, a perennial top-performing premium brand in APEAL, ranks highest among all brands with a score of 888, a six-point improvement from 2021.”

People “identify strongly” with their Porsches

One of the reasons that Porsche tends to be at the top of the APEAL study lists is that people don’t just love driving their vehicles – they really feel as one with them. David Amodeo, director of global automotive at J.D. Power, said of Porsche and mass-market chart topper Dodge, “While these brands are very different, both Dodge and Porsche owners identify strongly with their vehicles. That certainly contributes to their stellar APEAL Study results.”

Just how does J.D. Power know that Porsche owners are identifying with their vehicles? That’s part of what the APEAL study is designed to do. It tries to quantify how people feel in their vehicles, asking them to think about “37 attributes, ranging from the sense of comfort they feel when climbing into the driver’s seat to the exhilaration they get when they step on the accelerator.”

If you’re looking for a new premium SUV or car, you just might want to check out Porsche. That’s especially true if you want to feel an emotional connection with what you drive, and not just get something that will take you from point A to point B. While it may be hard to assign a number to how people feel about their vehicle, J.D. Power has certainly come up with a thorough approach, and it’s worth considering if you want to love your SUV for years to come.