J.D. Power ranks most gratifying car brands

People tend to love their new cars, and the results of a recent survey reveal which ones their owners find the most gratifying.

J.D. Power's 2015 APEAL study, which stands for Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout, has ranked Porsche as the leading brand for new purchase satisfaction.

This is Porsche's 11th title in a row, with the top five rounded out by Jaguar, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi.

That said, non-premium brands, led by MINI, have been improving, with the press release noting that the gap with luxury makers "is the smallest it's been in the past 10 years."

J.D. Power attributes this trend to the increasing integration of new technologies in more affordable cars.

Enhanced safety features such as blind-spot monitoring, backup warning, and parking assist have been directly linked to higher vehicle scores, particularly since drivers report using them regularly.

For the study, more than 84,000 people who recently acquired a new car were asked to assess the vehicle across 77 different qualities such as performance and layout.