If you want to know how satisfying a vehicle is, ask a person who owns one. On a significant scale, that is what JD Power does each year. Its researchers ask thousands of verified vehicle owners to describe in detail how well their vehicles perform for them during the first 90 days of ownership.
This information, provided by consumers, is then mined and analyzed to fuel three benchmark automotive industry studies. One of those studies is APEAL, the yearly Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout Study that gives a very good indication of how much owners like their vehicles.
To assemble the study, JD Power uses the information gathered about each vehicle model to create an index that ranks every vehicle for which there is a sufficient sample size. In the APEAL Index, a higher number is better. The higher the number, the more successful the vehicle is in terms of satisfying its owners.
In this article, we profile the five highest-rated 2020 upper midsize premium SUVs for customer satisfaction according to the consumers who own and drive them. The models are listed in rank order with the most satisfying vehicle listed first, and the others appearing in descending order. The segment average is 873.
The BMW X6 is a highly styled, coupe-inspired SUV that is closely related to the more conventional-looking BMW X5. For the 2020 model year, this BMW received a complete redesign that made its profile even sportier. Standard power comes from a 3.0-liter turbocharged 6-cylinder engine offering 335 horsepower, while the M50i has a 523-horsepower twin-turbocharged V-8 and the X6 M generates up to 617 horsepower. The X6 is available with rear- or all-wheel drive.
The APEAL index score for the 2020 BMW X6 is 915, and the X6 receives an APEAL award in the Upper Midsize Premium SUV Segment.
The 2020 Porsche Cayenne somehow manages to look like an SUV and a Porsche at the same time, a trick that it has been pulling off for more than a decade now. Interestingly, it also offers the driving performance of both an SUV and a Porsche with sharp on-road handling and laudable off-road chops. Multiple engine choices are on the menu, all turbocharged and ranging in output from 335 to 541 horsepower. The hybrid versions are even hotter, making as much as 670 horsepower.
The APEAL index score for the 2020 Porsche Cayenne is 890.
The 2020 BMW X5 is the more conventional-looking of the two mechanically identical BMW SUVs on this list. For 2020, the performance-tuned X5 M is new, making as much as 617 horsepower and bringing the roster to five versions. Every X5 includes all-wheel drive except the base sDrive40i version. Models without the new X5 M badge employ turbocharged 6-cylinder and V-8 engine ranging in output from 335 to 523 horsepower.
The APEAL index score for the 2020 BMW X5 is 883.
The 2020 Lincoln Aviator seats up to seven people, and while many three-row vehicles don't get up and go, the Aviator is an exception with its standard 400-horsepower, twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 and 10-speed automatic transmission. A plug-in hybrid version is also available, supplying 494 horsepower and nearly 18 miles of electric driving range before operating as a gas-electric hybrid. The Lincoln offers five standard drive modes with either rear-drive or all-wheel-drive. It's available in four trim levels — Standard, Reserve, Grand Touring, and Black Label.
The APEAL index score for the 2020 Lincoln Aviator is 877.
The 2020 Land Rover Range Rover Sport rides on a platform derived from the brand's flagship Range Rover but it is shorter in overall length by more than four inches. All-wheel-drive is standard, and the Range Rover Sport offers a dizzying array of engine choices ranging from a 355-horsepower turbocharged 3.0-liter 6-cylinder with mild-hybrid technology to a 575-horsepower supercharged 5.0-liter V-8. Turbodiesel and plug-in hybrid drivetrains are also available, and this Land Rover can seat as many as seven people.
The APEAL index score for the 2020 Land Rover Range Rover Sport is 869.
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