Talks About Cars
Thursday, June 7, 2007
2007 Initial Quality Study Results
J.D. Power and Associates, one of the leading firms that provide marketing information for customers has just released their 2007 Initial Quality Study (IQS). The IQS measures the quality of vehicles after 90 days of ownership, and determining the problems encountered per 100 vehicles from different automakers. IQS defined this as the PP100 ranking.
Check out the results of J.D. Power and Associates' 2007 IQS below.
2007 Nameplate IQS Ranking (the number denotes the problems found per 100 vehicles)
Porsche - 91
Lexus - 94
Lincoln - 100
Honda - 108
Mercedes-Benz - 111
Jaguar - 112
Toyota - 112
Mercury - 113
Infiniti - 117
Ford - 120
Scion - 123
Hyundai - 125
Kia - 125
Industry Average - 125
Buick - 127
Chevrolet - 129
Volvo - 129
Acura - 130
GMC - 131
Nissan - 132
Saturn - 132
BMW - 133
Pontiac - 133
Saab - 133
Subaru - 133
Cadillac - 135
Audi - 136
Chrysler - 151
Suzuki - 153
Mitsubishi - 155
Dodge - 156
Volkswagen - 160
Jeep - 161
HUMMER - 162
Mazda - 163
Land Rover - 170
In addition, IQS also determine the vehicle models with the highest quality and value in various vehicle segments. Here are the Top Three Models per Segment according to IQS
Sub-Compact Car
Highest Ranked: Kia Rio-Rio5 Honda Fit
Hyundai Accent (Total)
Compact Car
Highest Ranked: Honda Civic (Total)
Toyota Corolla
Hyundai Elantra Sedan
Compact Sporty Car
Highest Ranked: Mazda MX-5 Miata
Scion tC
Subaru Impreza (Total)
Compact Premium Sporty Car
Highest Ranked: Porsche Boxster
Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class
Entry Premium Car
Highest Ranked: Lincoln MKZ
Acura TSX
Cadillac CTS
Midsize Premium Car
Highest Ranked: Mercedes-Benz E-Class (Total)
Lexus GS 350-GS 430-GS 450H (Total)
Infiniti M-Series (tie)
Volvo S80 (tie)
Large Premium Car
Highest Ranked: Audi A8 (tie), Mercedes Benz S-Class (tie)
Lexus LS 460
Premium Sporty Car
Highest Ranked: Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
Porsche 911 (Total)
Lexus SC 430
Midsize Sporty Car
Highest Ranked: Ford Mustang
Toyota Solara (Total)
Chevrolet Monte Carlo
Midsize Car
Highest Ranked: Mercury Milan
Honda Accord (Total)
Ford Fusion (tie)
Mitsubishi Galant (tie)
Large Car
Highest Ranked: Pontiac Grand Prix
Toyota Avalon
Ford Five Hundred (tie)
Mercury Montego (tie)
Truck - Multi-Activity Vehicle (MAV) Segments
Compact MAV
Highest Ranked: Honda CR-V
Nissan Xterra
Hyundai Tucson
Midsize MAV
Highest Ranked: Toyota 4Runner
Toyota Highlander (Total)
Mercury Mountaineer
Large MAV
Highest Ranked: Toyota Sequoia
Chevrolet Suburban
GMC Yukon (Total)
Midsize Premium MAV
Highest Ranked: Lexus RX 350-RX 400h (Total)
Lincoln MKX
Lexus GX 470
Large Premium MAV
Highest Ranked: Lincoln Mark LT
Lincoln Navigator
HUMMER H2
Large Pickup
Highest Ranked: Chevrolet Silverado Classic HD
Ford F-150 LD
GMC Sierra LD
Midsize Pickup
Highest Ranked: Toyota Tacoma
Honda Ridgeline
Dodge Dakota
Van
Highest Ranked: Chevrolet Express (Total)
Kia Sedona
Ford E-Series
2007 Car Total Quality Index (TQI) Awardees
To those who are not familiar with the Total Quality Index, it has 19 product segments; the scores were attained based on the responses from more than 27,000 buyers who bought models in September, October and November last year. Each one of them were asked to rate the entire characteristics of the ownership experience, from buying and owning to driving.
Back to the awardees, three out of 19 segments were led by automobiles from Hyundai. Azera (top at the Large Car segment) is considered to be one of vehicles from Hyundai Motors that ranked top for quality in its vehicle segment, according to Strategic Vision. Then the Entourage in a tie for the Minivan segment and the Santa Fe led the Small SUV segment.
Buyers rated the following vehicles tops in their segments:
Small car Segment: Honda Civic (TQI score 882)
Small Multi-Function Segment: Volkswagen Rabbit (TQI score 880)
Medium Car Segment:
Saturn Aura (TQI score 892)
Nissan Maxima (TQI score 891)
Large car Segment: Hyundai Azera (TQI score 901)
Small Specialty Segment Under $25,000: Mini Cooper (TQI score 911)
Near Luxury car Segment: BMW 3-Series Sedan (TQI score 919)
Luxury Car Segment: Mercedes-Benz S-Class Sedan (TQI score 938)
Convertibles Under $30,000: Mini Cooper Convertible (TQI score 905)
Convertibles Over $30,000: Chevrolet Corvette Convertible (TQI score 930)
Minivan Segment:
Kia Sedona (TQI score 866)
Hyundai Entourage (TQI score 866)
Nissan Quest (TQI score 865)
Small SUV Segment: Hyundai Santa Fe (TQI score 885)
Medium SUV Segment: Kia Sorento (TQI score 889)
Medium Crossover Segment: Dodge Magnum (TQI score 882)
Large SUV Segment: Ford expedition EL (TQI score 918)
Near Luxury SUV Segment: Lexus RX 350 (TQI score 905)
Luxury SUV Segment: Mercedes-Benz ML (TQI score 915)
Standard Pick-Up Segment: Honda Ridgeline (TQI score 879)
Full-Size Pick-up Segment:
Nissan Titan (TQI score 876)
Ford F-150 (TQI score 875)
Heavy Duty Pick-up Segment: Ford F-250/350 (TQI score 876)
Ford had the top spot among local carmakers, leading three out of 19 segments. F-150 tied with Nissan Titan to the Full-size pick-up, Nissan for this year garnered almost three leading vehicles. F-250/F-350 Super Duty ranked first on the Heavy-Duty Pick-ups, while the Expedition ranked first at the Large SUV.
Saturn Aura tied with Maxima for the Medium car while Quest is with the Kia Sedona and Hyundai Entourage in the minivan. Well what a surprised guys Lexus RX 350, the only vehicle from Toyota Company was able to be on top unlike last year that almost 4 from the company got the highest score.