It's not uncommon to hear drivers refer to their cars by a name or treat the vehicles with extra special care. In fact, many of these motorists may go as far as to say that they love their cars. After all, they spend a big chunk of time with the machines and often have to invest a lot of money in them as well, so it's natural to have some kind of affinity for these vehicles. 

Recently, a company called Strategic Vision set out to determine which vehicles in the U.S. were the most loved by owners. It conducted a survey to see which automobiles drivers had a strong affinity toward, allowing motorists to decide what they look for in a car and if their current vehicles were up to snuff. 

The winners were divided up by category, but a few of the automobiles stood out from the rest. For example, the Ram 1500 and Ram 2500 were named the most-loved full-size and heavy-duty trucks, respectively, and vehicles like the Hyundai Sonata, Nissan Sentra and Ford Explorer also ranked highly. However, one automobile did outscore all of the others to stake its claim at the top of the list: the Tesla Model S. 

"In our full-year automotive study, the winners both surprise and delight some pundits in the industry," said Christopher Chaney, the executive vice president of Strategic Vision. "Love creates vehicles that have a strong position in their markets and is ultimately expressed in being loyal." 

If you're searching for a vehicle that you could love, head to New Jersey State Auto Auction. The lot is home to hundreds of Carfax-certified cars, trucks and vans, providing many options to drivers with different styles and budgets.