AutoPacific: Grand Cherokee Dishes Out Most Satisfaction in Its Segment

Popular Jeep Named Top Premium Mid-Size SUV for Second-Straight Year

WATERVILLE, MAINE (06/01/2012)(readMedia)-- With vehicle quality at an all-time high across the entire auto industry, research firm AutoPacific believes it is customer satisfaction that differentiates a model in today's market. When it came to the Premium Mid-Size SUV category of AutoPacific and Autobytel Inc.'s recently released 2012 Vehicle Satisfaction Awards, it was the Jeep Grand Cherokee that left its owners the most satisfied for the second year in a row.

Teaming with vehicle-information provider Autobytel, AutoPacific surveyed more than 75,000 owners of 2012-model-year vehicles to determine their 2012 Vehicle Satisfaction Awards. Participants were asked to rate their satisfaction with their current vehicle across 48 attributes ranging from power and acceleration to exterior styling and cargo capacity. After all the survey results were tabulated, the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee had earned the highest overall score in its class to be named Top Rated Premium Mid-Size Sport Utility Vehicle.

"When all is said and done, it is ultimately the customer's opinion that matters the most, and AutoPacific says that these awards were based on the largest single-model-year customer survey out there," said Scott Pinnette, general sales manager of Central Maine Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, a Waterville, Maine Jeep dealer. "The Grand Cherokee has earned countless accolades from auto publications and other industry experts, but the Vehicle Satisfaction Awards mean a little more because they represent those that actually had to pay for their vehicles."

The Jeep Grand Cherokee's increasing popularity among buyers recently led the Chrysler Group to recently announce that the SUV's Jefferson North Assembly plant in Detroit will skip its usual two-week summer shutdown this year to keep up with demand. Additionally, the company has said it will expedite its plan to add 1,100 jobs for a new third shift at the plant, starting this November instead of next year.

Automakers will usually shut down their plants around the July 4 holiday to update equipment for the next model year; however, Chrysler says that the changes at Jefferson North can still be made while the factory is running. Employees at the facility are already working overtime to keep pace with this year's rapid sales, with two shifts running on two out of every three Saturdays.

Since its redesign for the 2011 model year, the Jeep Grand Cherokee has been offered with a standard 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine that outputs 290 horsepower and returns 23 mpg on the highway. That mix of power and fuel efficiency has proven popular, with the standard 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee featuring a best-in-class driving range of more than 500 miles and a towing capacity of up to 5,000 pounds.

"Many vehicles in the Grand Cherokee's class are SUVs in name only because they've been stripped of all their performance for the sake of fuel efficiency," added Pinnette. "Even the base Grand Cherokee has the power to haul your boat or heavy-duty trailer on weekends, and you won't be constantly paying for that capability at the gas pump during your weekly commuting."

About Central Maine Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram:

Part of the Central Maine Motors Auto Group, Central Maine Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram has surpassed the expectations of Maine motorists for years with its new and used vehicle sales, service and parts. Whether its customers are looking for a Chrysler sedan, a Jeep or Dodge crossover SUV, or a Ram pickup, their Maine auto dealership always has a broad inventory from which to choose, as well as the expert service to keep their customers' vehicles on the road where they belong. Visit their dealership at 300 Kennedy Memorial Drive in Waterville, contact their team by phone at 877-263-6733 or browse their inventory online at www.centralmainechryslerdodgejeep.com. They can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CentralMaineChrysler.