Automotive research and consulting firm AutoPacific Inc. announced the winners of its 2013 Ideal Vehicle Awards (IVAs). Some of the top winners included Porsche for top premium brand, Chrysler's Ram brand won for the Popular Brand category and the top-scoring vehicle, overall, went to the Mercedes-Benz ML-Class Luxury Crossover SUV.

"AutoPacific's Ideal Vehicle Awards are very significant because they identify which automotive manufacturers listen best to their buyers when updating and developing their latest vehicles," said George Peterson, president of AutoPacific. "In addition to identifying segment winners, the IVAs also establish numerical Ideal Vehicle Ratings for virtually every passenger car and light truck in the United States market.”

Established in 2006, the IVAs recognize the cars that best meet their owner's expectations and desires about their automotive purchases. More than 52,000 vehicle owners across all major manufacturers were surveyed.

According to AutoPacific, the survey reflects the views of owners who have driven their 2013 vehicles for 90 days or more. The Ideal Vehicle Awards recognize vehicles where owners want the least amount of change across 15 key vehicle attributes including: exterior styling, exterior size, passenger roominess, cargo space, driver's seat comfort, driver's seat visibility, handling and safety features.

Highlights from the 2013 IVAs:

• Ford Motor Co. vehicles score the most segment wins with four categories. With its 2013 win, the Ford Flex Large Crossover SUV has won the IVA award in each of its four years of existence. The Ford F-150 has won the Light Duty Pickup IVA for the past six years. 

• General Motors vehicles win four categories.

• Toyota Motor Sales vehicles have two wins for Lexus and one for Toyota. 

• Chrysler Group vehicles gain victory for two categories with the Jeep Grand Cherokee winning for three years in a row.

• Porsche has won the IVA for Sports Cars in seven of the past eight years.