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Cadillac bested Lexus and Acura for first place in customer experience by the New York-based Luxury Institute. Only those earning more than $150,000 per year can take the Luxury Institutes survey, which gages brand tastes of the wealthiest Americans. Among the reasons Cadillac came out on top was the overall dealership experience, looks, and performance. Audi, BMW, Infiniti, Jaguar, Lincoln, Mercedes, and Volvo were also eligible for the award. If you've never heard of the Luxury Institute, you're not alone. We didn't want to take their survey anyway.

Thanks for the tip, CTGentleman!

View the press release after the jump

[Source: Luxury Institute]

Luxury Institute Survey: Wealthy Consumers Rate Cadillac, Lexus and Acura the Luxury Auto Brands That Deliver the Best Customer Experience in 2007

Here is what wealthy owners had to say about why they recommend Cadillac:

-- "Vehicle's looks, comfort, service, performance, and reliability, as well as great 

people at the dealers." 

-- "Beautiful car, excellent value and friendly service." 

-- "My dealer experience was excellent. Cadillac is the best of everything." 

"It is significant to see American icon Cadillac rise solidly to achieve the number one rating with highly discerning wealthy owners in our impartial surveys," said Milton Pedraza, CEO of the Luxury Institute. Brands rated, in alphabetical order, included: Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Infiniti, Jaguar, Lexus, Lincoln, Mercedes, and Volvo.

The proprietary Luxury Customer Experience Index (LCEI) survey is the only measure of the customer experience of leading brands to wealthy Americans. A national sample of wealthy American consumers, with a minimum household income of $150,000, was surveyed online. Survey results are weighted to match demographic and net worth profiles of the same audience according to the latest Survey of Consumer Finances from The Federal Reserve.

About the Luxury Institute

The Luxury Institute is the uniquely independent and impartial ratings and research institution that is the trusted and respected voice of the high net-worth consumer. The Institute provides a portfolio of proprietary publications and research that guides and educates high net-worth individuals and the companies that cater to them on leading edge trends, high net-worth consumer rankings and ratings of luxury brands, and best practices. Publications include the monthly Wealth Report, the Luxury Brand Status Index surveys, the Luxury Best Practices surveys, the Luxury Consumer Experience Index surveys and the Luxury Website Effectiveness Index surveys.