Latest Jd Power Survey Listing From Us

[McLean]

Saw this on a US newsfeed I get. I've highlighted the UK models we know & love:

Owners say Toyota tops in reliability

Land Rover, Saab bring up rear in J.D. Power survey

By Sarah Karush

The Associated Press

Published on: 08/09/06

Detroit — Japan's Toyota Motor Corp. won top honors in eight categories of a closely watched vehicle dependability study, more than any other company, while mainstream brands closed in on luxury nameplates, J.D. Power and Associates said Wednesday.

Lexus, Toyota's luxury brand, was the top-ranked nameplate for the 12th consecutive year. It was followed by Ford Motor Co.'s Mercury and General Motors Corp.'s Buick and Cadillac.

Last-place Land Rover, which is owned by Ford, lagged far behind the second-to-last brand, Saab, which is owned by GM. Land Rover owners reported 438 problems per 100 vehicles, while Saab owners reported 326.

For the study, Westlake Village, Calif.-based J.D. Power questions owners of three-year-old vehicles about problems they are experiencing. This year's survey questioned 47,620 original owners of 2003 model-year cars and trucks.

On average, vehicle owners reported 227 problems per 100 vehicles this year, 10 fewer than last year. The study gives all problems equal weight; the most common ones reported were wind noise and loud brakes.

"The voice of the customer is actually getting heard by the manufacturers," said Neal Oddes, director of product research and analysis for J.D. Power. "They are understanding what's getting replaced, what's going wrong, and then they're taking that information and designing better products."

Oddes said the gap between luxury and nonluxury brands was narrowing. This year, owners reported an average 213 problems per 100 vehicles for premium brands, 15 fewer than for mainstream brands. Last year, the gap was 20, while in 2003, it was 31.

The improvement in dependability is good news both for consumers shopping for used vehicles and — since the vehicles retain more of their value — for owners planning to trade in their cars and trucks, Oddes said.

Toyota had winners this year in eight of 19 vehicle categories, while Honda and GM each took four segments. Ford had two winners, and Mazda Motor Corp. had one.

J.D. Power's initial quality study, which measures problems in the first 90 days of ownership, typically gets more attention. But Oddes said the dependability study is important for automakers because how owners feel about their vehicles three years on can have a big impact on their decision to buy another vehicle of that brand or look elsewhere.

Oddes said automakers made their biggest improvements in two areas — riding, handling and braking and engine and transmission.

"That's significant because those two categories ... have the greatest impact when it comes to customer satisfaction and repurchase intent," he said.

TOP PERFORMERS

The list includes the top performers and runners-up in each category. An MAV, or multi-activity vehicle, refers to sport utility vehicles and crossovers.

Sub-compact car

—Winner: Toyota Echo

—Runners-up: Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio

Compact car

—Winner: Honda Civic

—Runners-up: Toyota Corolla, Toyota Prius

Compact Sporty Car

—Winner: Mazda Miata

—Runners-up: Toyota MR2 Spyder, Toyota Celica

Midsize Sporty Car

—Winner: Chevrolet Monte Carlo

—Runners-up: Toyota Solara, Ford Mustang

Midsize Car

—Winner: Buick Century

—Runners-up: Buick Regal, Mercury Sable

Large Car

—Winner: Mercury Grand Marquis

—Runners-up: Ford Crown Victoria, Buick Park Avenue

Compact Premium Sporty Car:

—Winner: Honda S2000

—Runners-up: BMW Z4, Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class

Entry Premium Car

—Winner: Acura CL

—Runners-up: Infiniti I35, Lexus IS 300 (tie)

Midsize Premium Car

—Winner: Lexus GS 300/GS 430

—Runners-up: Acura RL, Lexus ES 300

Large Premium Car:

—Winner: Lexus LS 430

—Runners-up: Cadillac DeVille, Lincoln Town Car

Premium Sporty Car

—Winner: Lexus SC 430

—Runners-up: Chevrolet Corvette, Ford Thunderbird

Compact MAV

—Winner: Toyota RAV4

—Runners-up: Subaru Forester, Honda CR-V

Midsize MAV

—Winner: Toyota Highlander

—Runners-up: Honda Pilot, Buick Rendezvous

Large MAV

—Winner: GMC Yukon

—Runners-up: Chevrolet Suburban, Toyota Sequoia

Large Pickup

—Winner: Toyota Tundra

—Runners-up: Ford F-150, Ford F-250/F-350

Midsize Pickup

—Winner: Ford Ranger

—Runners-up: Subaru Baja, Toyota Tacoma

Van

—Winner: Honda Odyssey

—Runners-up: Oldsmobile Silhouette; Chevrolet Express, Pontiac Montana (tie)

Midsize Premium MAV

—Winner: Lexus GX 470

—Runners-up: Lexus RX 300, Infiniti FX-Series

Large Premium MAV

—Winner: Cadillac Escalade EXT

—Runners-up: Lexus LX 470, Cadillac Escalade

[lee_iceman]

Looks like Japanese cars did very well indeed, people would be foolish not to buy them.