New car owners usually love their vehicles, but which car brands have the most appeal?

For the 20th year, J.D. Power issued the APEAL (automotive performance, execution and layout) study, which rates new car owners’ satisfaction and love of their vehicles based on 77 criteria.

Luxury car makers continue to dominate the field, but it is not necessarily the bells and whistles that satisfy owners; it is more about safety features, J.D. Power says.

“For example, the overall score among owners of vehicles with blind-spot monitoring and warnings systems is 38 points higher [on a 1,000 point scale] than among those without them,” says J.D. Power.

Some of the bells and whistles, such as voice recognition, on the other hand, can be challenging to operate, says Renee Stephens, vice president of U.S. automotive quality at J.D. Power. “Not only are models increasingly offering systems that improve safety and visibility, but owners are using them on a regular basis. This can go a long way toward generating positive feelings about their vehicle overall,” she said.

These are the 10 car brands that received the highest overall APEAL scores, in ascending order:

10. Lexus 

 

9. Infiniti

8. Cadillac

7. Lincoln

6. Land Rover

5. Audi 

4. Mercedes Benz

3. BMW 

2. Jaguar 

1. Porsche (This brand has taken the top spot for 11 consecutive years.)