DEARBORN, MI — Ford Motor Company placed 10 vehicles among the top three in their respec-tive segments in the J.D. Power and Associates 2005 Automotive Performance, Execution, and Layout (APEAL) Study, which measures owners’ delight with the design, content, layout, and per-formance of their vehicles. The Ford Mustang ranked highest in the Sporty Car segment. The Land Rover Range Rover edged out the competition in the Premium Luxury SUV category. Porsche leads the industry overall in the APEAL study, followed closely by Land Rover, which showed a 39-point gain over 2004. Jaguar ranked fifth. Ford, bolstered by sales of the Mustang and Five Hundred, gained five points over last year. Mazda and Lincoln showed declines from 2004, and Volvo’s performance remained the same. The 2005 APEAL study is based on responses from more than 115,000 new-vehicle owners who were surveyed during the first 90 days of ownership. Eight categories of vehicle performance and design are measured to assess buyer satisfaction, including engine/transmission; ride, handling, and brak-ing; comfort/convenience; seats; cockpit/instrument panel; heating, ventilation and cooling; sound system; and styling/exterior.