JD Power conducts annual surveys of consumers who are just like you in order to find out what they like and don’t like about their new vehicles after 90 days of ownership. We’re talking tens of thousands of verified owners here, people known to actually own the make and model about which they speak.
From this consumer-supplied information, JD Power creates industry-benchmark automotive studies that help auto manufacturers and consumers to understand which vehicles do the best job of satisfying their owners. One of those studies is the Automotive Performance, Execution, and Layout (APEAL) Study. It measures owner satisfaction with exterior styling, interior design, comfort, utility, technology, and performance factors, among others.
Based on the data, JD Power assigns an APEAL index score to each vehicle that represents overall customer satisfaction. The higher the index score, the more satisfied the owners are with the make and model’s overall appeal.
Listed below in rank order by final index score according to the results of the JD Power 2020 APEAL Study, you’ll find the top-rated 2020 midsize pickups in overall appeal by customer satisfaction. The average index score for this segment is 799.
Unlike other pickup trucks, the 2020 Honda Ridgeline does not use traditional body-on-frame construction. Instead, it is based on the same platform as the Honda Passport and Pilot and uses the same 280-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 engine and 9-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard, with a torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system optional. The maximum tow rating is 5,000 pounds, the maximum payload rating is 1,590 pounds, and Honda equips the Ridgeline with numerous cargo bed innovations that make it perfect for work or play. The Ridgeline comes only with a crew-cab body style and a 64-inch bed.
The APEAL index score for the 2020 Honda Ridgeline is 842, and the Ridgeline receives an APEAL award in the Midsize Pickup segment.
Ford returned to the midsize pickup segment in 2019, resurrecting the Ranger nameplate on extended-cab long-bed and crew-cab short-bed trucks. Every 2020 Ford Ranger has a 270-horsepower turbocharged 2.3-liter 4-cylinder engine matched to a 10-speed automatic transmission, and rear-wheel or 4-wheel drive. The maximum tow rating is 7,500 pounds and the Ranger can tackle up to 1,860 pounds of payload.
The APEAL index score for the 2020 Ford Ranger is 817, in a tie with the GMC Canyon.
Available in extended-cab long-bed and crew-cab short- and long-bed configurations, GMC offers 2020 Canyon buyers a choice between a 200-horsepower 2.5-liter 4-cylinder, a 308-horsepower 3.6-liter V-6, and a 186-horsepower turbodiesel 2.8-liter 4-cylinder generating 369 lb.-ft. of torque. Maximum towing with the diesel amounts to 7,700 pounds, and the maximum payload rating is 1,609 pounds. Automatic transmissions are standard, and 4-wheel-drive is optional.
The APEAL index score for the 2020 GMC Canyon is 817, in a tie with the Ford Ranger.
Based on the Jeep Wrangler, but fortified for use as a pickup truck, the Jeep Gladiator is new for 2020. It comes only as a crew-cab with a short-bed, and only with 4-wheel drive. A 285-horsepower 3.6-liter V-6 engine is standard in this Jeep, paired with a 6-speed manual or 8-speed automatic transmission, and the Gladiator can tow up to 7,650 pounds and haul as much as 1,700 pounds of payload. Like the Wrangler, the Gladiator’s roof and doors come off. In 2021, a diesel engine option will be available for the Gladiator.
The APEAL index score for the 2020 Jeep Gladiator is 811.
Chevrolet sells the Colorado in extended-cab long-bed and crew-cab short- and long-bed configurations. Engine choices include a 200-horsepower 2.5-liter 4-cylinder, a 308-horsepower 3.6-liter V-6, and a 186-horsepower turbodiesel 2.8-liter 4-cylinder that supplies 369 lb.-ft. of torque. With the diesel, the Colorado tows up to 7,700 pounds. Without the diesel, maximum payload measures 1,568 pounds. Every Colorado has an automatic transmission and 4-wheel-drive is optional.
The APEAL index score for the 2020 Chevrolet Colorado is 802.
The popular 2020 Toyota Tacoma comes in extended-cab and crew-cab styles with a short or a long cargo bed. At the lower end of the lineup, a 159-horsepower 2.7-liter 4-cylinder engine is standard, and this Toyota also comes with a 278-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6. Manual and automatic transmissions are also available, along with an optional 4-wheel-drive system. A Tacoma can tow up to 6,800 pounds and haul up to 1,440 pounds of payload.
The APEAL index score for the 2020 Toyota Tacoma is 791.
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