BMW has always had reasons to gloat, it is undoubtedly, one of the leading carmakers when it comes to producing great, and we mean, great, cars.

In fact the latest consumer satisfaction survey has once again revealed that BMW is a winner. And a big one.

The company's X5 sports activity vehicle -- built at BMW Manufacturing Co.'s Greer plant -- the BMW 3 series and the BMW 6 series all topped their categories in the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 APEAL survey.

The BMW 5 series and 7 series were runners up in their categories.

The BMW X5 topped the midsize premium multi-activity vehicle segment. That segment includes SUVs and trucks.

A second-generation SUV, the redesigned X5 was launched last November. The first X5 sold successfully through its last days of production and the new X5, says BMW officials, is also now very popular. The plant produced 3,583 X5s during the week of June 18. The X5 will be joined at the plant by the X6 sports activity coupe, on which production will begin next year, and the X3, which is expected to move production to the Greer location around 2010.
"The APEAL study is important because it's a vote of total confidence in the car," said Bobby Hitt, public relations manager of BMW Manufacturing. "It is very positive for us, for our customer."

BMW routinely does well in the APEAL competition, Hitt added. And its especially a pleasure for BMW employees when that vehicle is validated by customers through sales and awards, he said.

Honda led the pack when it came to vehicles topping the list of customer satisfaction, with four cars – the most of any car brand. Honda's four segment leaders were the Fit (in a tie), CR-V, Ridgeline and Odyssey. Honda was followed by rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz with three each at the top of their categories.

J.D. Power conducts the Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout Study annually. The company surveys consumers who have purchased a new model-year vehicle after 90 days of ownership to measure satisfaction in 100 different attributes, including ride and handling, engine and transmission and comfort and convenience. This year it surveyed about 92,000 new-car owners.

About BMW
BMW, or Bavarian Motor Works, is an independent German company and manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles. BMW is the parent company of the MINI and Rolls-Royce car brands, as well as maker of top of the line auto parts like BMW 1600 parts. It is also one of the leading German engineering car manufacturers in the world.