MITSUBISHI MOTORS: BEST ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE BRAND & BEST ALL-AROUND PERFORMANCE BRAND
Mitsubishi once again bests all other brands in Automotive Science Group’s (ASG) 2018 Automotive Performance Index™ (API) Study. ASG’s findings affirm the brand’s core strengths and priorities that continue to resonate with consumers. According to ASG, Mitsubishi’s 2018 lineup is grounded in practical design thinking, but with innovative features that leverage the latest technological trends to deliver fuel efficient vehicles at a disruptive price point, earning Mitsubishi the privileged distinction as ASG’s 2018 BEST ALL-AROUND PERFORMANCE BRAND™.
Mitsubishi earned the industry leading all-around performance rating, outperforming all 33 brands assessed in the study, with a steady performance that beats the average 2018 brand by 16 percentage points, thereby providing the best all-around value and performance across all 2018 offerings. ASG’s 2018 study assessed a sizable market comprised of 1,664 model year 2018 cars and SUVs available in North America.
ASG’s economic performance analysis across all 2018 offerings further revealed the Mitsubishi brand offerings to provide the best value, considering purchase and operating costs across the first 6.5 years of vehicle ownership (87,594 miles, the average time and vehicles miles traveled for a new car buyer). Mitsubishi was honorably named ASG’s 2018 BEST ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE BRAND™.
TESLA: BEST ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE BRAND
In ASG's data driven life-cycle assessment, ASG found the Model 3 to hold the smallest life-cycle carbon footprint of any vehicle in North America, at 161 grams CO2-e per mile driven lifetime. The Model 3 earned claim to ASG's BEST ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE award.
The study also found the Model X to hold the smallest carbon footprint of any SUV in North America, earning the Model X ASG's BEST ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE SUV award.
And finally, with Tesla’s all-electric lineup - Model S, Model X and Model 3 - ASG found the Tesla Motors brand to offer the best performing vehicles across its 2018 offerings - as compared to all 33 brands with sales in North America - earning Tesla Motors ASG’s BEST ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE BRAND award.
MINI: BEST SOCIAL PERFORMANCE BRAND
MINI earned recognition in ASG’s 2018 Automotive Performance Index (API) study, earning the coveted BEST SOCIAL PERFORMANCE BRAND of 2018 award.
This marks the first year that MINI has been recognized with this distinguished honor for adopting and implementing progressive corporate social responsibility initiatives that make a difference across their supply chain. ASG’s Study assessed labor policies and practices, as well as environmental commitments of all 33 automotive brands with sales in North America, to measure corporate commitments to socially responsible business conduct, and MINI's car lineup outperformed all other brands in 2018.
Our 2018 Study found the MINI brand to embody the highest level of protection for environmental justice along its production and distribution chain.
RELATIVE RATING METHOD
The Automotive Performance Index (API) applies statistical methods to demonstrate each vehicle rating in relative comparison. For example, the vehicle that performs highest in environment performance in a given class obtains a rating score of 100. Each vehicle in its class is then compared relative to the top-performing vehicle with a rating score reflecting the statistical difference in performance outcomes. A score of 91 translates to a 9% environmental performance deficit as compared to the top-performing vehicle.
Due to the API’s relative vehicle rating method, vehicle class divisions were identified as a critical input - these class divisions are detailed here.
While the Automotive Performance Index is indeed an exhaustive list of vehicles to trim level detail, with each vehicle assessment reporting over 200 unique data outputs (the culmination of thousands of data inputs), ASG has taken additional measures to ease the burden of sorting through all data points and all vehicle assessments. We have developed key performance categories and sorted all vehicles in each class according to Environmental Performance, Social Performance, Economic Performance and All-Around Performance. The vehicle in each class with the best score in each unique category is named the performance award winner (i.e. Best Environmental Performance Award winner). The vehicle in each class that scores highest combined scores in Environmental Performance, Social Performance and Economic Performance is named the ASG Best All-Around Performance Award winner.
One step further, we also name the Best 5 All-Around Performance Award winners in each class to provide consumers with a concise product comparison guide.
