Lexus, Honda top J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey, Ford plummets

Despite being caught in the undertow of Toyota's recall and safety issues last year, Lexis tops J.D. Power and Associates' Initial Quality Study (IQS) as the best brand in the survey being released today. Even better, Lexus' flagship LS sedan had the fewest problems of any vehicle in the first 90 days of ownership.

Meanwhile Ford, which was fifth last year and the only mass-market brand in the top five, fell to 23rd this year. It had 116 problems per 100 vehicles,up from 93 last year and worse than the industry average of 107 owner-reported problems. Its Lincoln brand dropped from No. 8 to 17 this year, with 111 problems.

Power attributed Ford results partly to two specific issues about which owners have complained: complicated communications and other controls and a dual-clutch automatic that some owners found balky and unpredictable. (Drive On friend Greg Gardner of the Detroit Free Press explained the complaints and predicted the IQS rating fall in a detailed story here.)

Power also said new technologies were an increasing problem for all makers. While the overall industry average improved to 107 from 109 problems last year, the IQS scores for models all-new or with major redesigns was 10% worse: an average of 122 problems, up from 111 last year. Carryover or lightly freshened models, by contrast, improved to 103 from 108.

"Exciting models with the latest features are crucial for winning over today's demanding consumers," said David Sargent, vice president of global vehicle research at J.D. Power and Associates. "However, automakers must not lose their focus on the importance of these models also achieving exceptional quality levels. Expected reliability continues to be the single-most-important reason why new-vehicle buyers choose one model over another."

Honda, Acura, Mercedes-Benz and Mazda rounded out the top five nameplates in the IQS survey, which is one of the most closely watched measures of quality in the car industry.

With Ford's fall, you have to go to ninth place before the first U.S. brand shows up -- Cadillac.

Only it and GMC were above the industry average of 107.

Land Rover showed the biggest improvement.

The worst brands for quality? That would be Dodge, followed by Mitsubishi and Suzuki. Still the gap between best and last isn't all that great. Lexus had 73 and Dodge had 137 per 100 vehicles -- and the study doesn't take into account whether the problem was as simple as a rattle in a glove compartment or as bad as a cracked engine block.

Overall, cars had fewer problems, but the number of issues increased slightly in new models.
"Automakers must not lose their focus on the importance of these models also achieving exceptional quality levels. Expected reliability continues to be the single-most-important reason why new-vehicle buyers choose one model over another," said David Sargent, vice president of global vehicle research at J.D. Power.

Only seven all-new or redesigned models rank among the top three of their respective award segments, compared with 17 models in 2010, and only one launch model receives a segment award this year vs. five launch models in 2010. Just one-fourth of redesigned models perform better than the outgoing previous-generation model did in 2010, and eight all-new models perform above their respective award segment average.

Honda picked up seven segment awards for the Accord, Accord Crosstour, Civic (in a tie), Element, Fit, Insight (in a tie) and Ridgeline.

Lexus receives four segment awards for the ES, GS, GX and LS models. For a second consecutive year, the Lexus LS has the fewest quality problems in the industry with just 54.

Source;
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2011/06/lexus-toyota-gm-ford-jd-power-initial-quality-survey/1

Survey: Honda perceived to be tops in customer, quality commitment

Among seven major auto brands, consumers consider Honda to be the most committed to customers and to product quality. Ford ranked second, followed by Nissan, Chevrolet, and Toyota, based on a new survey by the Consumer Reports National Research Center. Hyundai and Chrysler trailed the others by a significant margin.

To see how consumers' perception of a brand's commitment to customers and quality has changed in the wake of Toyota's high-profile safety and image challenges, the Consumer Reports National Research Center conducted a telephone survey using a nationally representative sample. More than 1,700 interviews were completed among adults whose household owns at least one vehicle.

Honda truly stands out by this measure, being perceived as having much greater customer and quality commitment than its chief rivals. Key to this accomplishment is that Honda has a reputation for building good vehicles that perform well, are fuel efficient, and have strong reliability histories.

Ford continues its march, with strong showings in several recent Consumer Reports surveys, good overall reliability, and, unlike its domestic peers, continued goodwill among consumers for having taken no federal assistance.

Toyota had a relatively decent showing here, though trailing its chief competitors.

Although Hyundai's newer models have generally performed well in our tests, the brand's challenge still seems to be communicating this to consumers. Less than 50 percent of respondents felt that Hyundai was committed to its customers or quality.

The recent financial troubles, dealer closings, and lack of new product may have been factors in the last-place finish for Chrysler. Currently, to the average consumer, Chrysler has not been showing much commitment of any kind.

The bottom line

As we have written before, perception can differ from reality. When shopping for your next new or used car, do your homework by checking ratings and road tests. You may find that the brands you are considering have changed more rapidly than your perceptions.

Source;

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2010/05/consumer-reports-survey-honda-perceived-to-be-tops-in-customer-quality-commitment-.html

Honda Automobiles- One of The Best On The Market

Believe it or not, but Honda makes some of the best automobiles in the world. Consumers reward that by making Honda autos the most purchased automobiles in many classes. These automobiles have some of the best engineering in the world, along with some of the best manufacturing standards. That’s even compared to more expensive automobiles in the same class. Honda can be described with the phrases well built and great reliability.

The Civic is one of Honda’s excellent vehicles. This model comes in highly popular sedan, coupe and even hybrid versions. The Civic ranges in price from around $15K to the mid 20’s. The Civic is also tops in gas mileage. 36 MPG highway for the coupe and sedan is only surpassed by the hybrids 46 MPG. The hybrid ends up being more expensive over time because the battery must be replaced after a few years.

This car also has one of the best resale values around. People who buy them new are often pleasantly surprised when it comes time to sell or trade in for a new model. When the maintenance schedule is followed someone could sell the old Civic every few years and buy a new one for only a few thousand more. For people who like driving new automobiles all the time, that’s a great deal.

Many people like to hold onto their car. The same features that make resale value so high also make this car a good candidate for long term service. Following the maintenance schedule is important. The Civic can run for 20 or more years if it’s well cared for. That’s a long time. It gets to be your friend, not only your car. And there are a lot of other things to do with money other than buying or repairing vehicles.

Another nice Honda car is the Element. This small sized SUV is a real bargain. Adventurous people find this car a perfect fit. It has rubber throughout the interior. This isn’t just done to save costs. Easy cleaning was the goal. Feel free to let the kids get in when they’re muddy, you can wash it down with a hose. Yes, a hose, inside the car. That can’t be done if the dash is fancy wood.

The popularity of Honda automobiles is well placed. It comes from quality. Think about a Honda for your next car.

Source;
http://www.icar.nl/honda-automobiles-one-of-the-best-on-the-market-1162