JD Power APEAL: Ram #2 mass-market brand

Ram performed extremely well in the J.D. Power APEAL study, which considers customer satisfaction with performance, execution, and layout. Among mass market brands, Mini was first, followed by Ram and then Kia and Hyundai.  GMC, the only other truck-only brand, scored just below Hyundai, in a statistical dead heat.

All GM mass-market brands scored above average; in the luxury group, Cadillac barely missed the segment average. At Stellantis, only Ram was above average in either group; Alfa Romeo scored below Cadillac in premium brands (Maserati is not listed), and Dodge scored just below the segment average in mass-market. Chrysler was not listed, but Jeep was third from bottom, besting Subaru and Mitsubishi. Ford was even with Toyota and both were just 3 points (out of 1000) above Jeep.

Most of the mass-market vehicles came in quite closely together, with the best (Mini) at 858 and second best (Ram) at 854; the worst, Mitsubishi, scored 821 while the second-worst were Jeep and Subaru at 828. The gap required for statistical significance (showing that the results are not due to chance) is not reported.

The gap between best and worst in Premium is slightly larger, and the average for Premium was 870 versus 838 for mass-market. Ram scored above Acura, Audi, and Polestar. The absolute best brand was estimated to be Rivian, with a score of 900; but it did not meet the award criteria because Rivian does not participate in the system.

The top three cars in 14 different segments were also rated, if they were above average. The Kia Carnival was the only minivan, an embarrassment for the Pacifica as it did not score high enough to be included. The highest light duty pickup was the Nissan Titan, but Ram 1500 was #2 and GMC Sierra was #3. The Ram 2500/3500 took third place in heavy duty pickups. The Jeep Wagoneer won Large SUV, beating the GM series; and the Alfa Romeo Tonale was the third highest Small Premium SUV. Otherwise, no Stellantis vehicles made the report.