While JD Power is busy counting problems with vehicles, a company called Strategic Vision says it surveys owners on the totality of their experience in the first year or two of ownership -- both the good and the bad. Hence, the 2009 "Total Quality" Awards.
"The Total Quality Index was calculated from 20,101 buyers who bought 2008 & 2009 models in September to December of 2008," says the company in a press release.
Strategic Vision says that Mini, ranked last by JD Power for Initial Quality in 2009, was the top-rated brand in its survey. Alas, there's no mention of the brand whose owners are least enthusiastic.
The company has also announced winners in 17 vehicle categories listed after the jump.
It's bittersweet to see the GMC Envoy here; you'll recall that the Moraine, Ohio, plant that used to build it closed in December 2008. And the dead-men-walking Pontiac G8 and GMC Yukon XL are here, too.
Small Car: Ford Focus sedan
Small Multi-Function: Volkswagen Rabbit
Mid-Size Car: Volkswagen Jetta Sedan
Large Car: Nissan Maxima, Pontiac G8
Near-Luxury Car: Volkswagen CC, Audi A4 sedan
Luxury Car Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Specialty Coupe: Volkswagen New Beetle
Premium Coupe: Chevrolet Corvette Coupe
Minivan: Honda Odyssey
Entry Utility: Volkswagen Tiguan
Mid-Size Crossover Utility: Toyota Venza
Mid-Size Traditional Utility: GMC Envoy, Toyota 4Runner
Large Utility: GMC Yukon XL
Near-Luxury Utility: Infiniti FX, Infiniti EX35, BMW X3
Luxury Utility: Land Rover Range Rover
Standard Pickup: Honda Ridgeline
Full-Size Pickup: Dodge Ram 1500
billt9 says:
07:40 PM, 06/29/09
http://www.strategicvision.com/auto_tqa_winners.php
I like Strategic Vision's list better.
They ask the question: How do you like your car overall? Do you like your car enough that you can overlook its faults?
Whereas JD Power's that one specific survey asks: What are your car's problems? (They don't ask if you love your car more than it irritates you.)
Consumer Reports is also good, as they measure fun, performance, and reliability. CR only recommends cars when they score high on the driving test, and high on reliability.
However, it is interesting to see JD Power's specific one dimension survey. Just for knowledge. If nobody else is doing it.
sandcountry360 says:
07:45 PM, 06/29/09
Wait, they're killing the Yukon XL? That's dumb. Not as dumb as killing the Envoy, but still dumb.
dwhamman says:
07:49 PM, 06/29/09
What does "Standard" pickup mean? I always thought of the Ram, Silverado, F-150, etc as "standard" pickups. I can't really see how the Ridgeline qualifies as standard in any category. I'm not saying it's a bad truck, but it's a bit of an oddball.
billt9 says:
08:05 PM, 06/29/09
It looks like the TQI score metric is the same across categories, so you can compare vehicles across categories. So it wouldn't matter which category they lump the car in.
So that means the Mercedes-Benz S-Class pwns all!
dougtheeng says:
06:27 AM, 06/30/09
Its no wonder MINI ranked highest. As a past-MINI owner (yes I just traded mine in), I can definitely say that MINI does a great job 'pumping up' its customers. Also, there are so many MINI enthusiast clubs and dealer sponsored events that its very easy to love your MINI. Its turned from a car into a special experience.
wjtinatl says:
07:18 AM, 06/30/09
This format makes more sense than the JD Power "things gone wrong" survey as it takes the intangible of is this an enjoyable car into account. Corolla's would top the list of problem-free, except that they are so dull, you end up hating them anyway! My '03 Focus SVT has kept me smiling since day one (and has been trouble free as well) as has my '02 Excursion. Our '04 Navigator however, while problem free is as dull as dishwater and if it disappeared tomorrow I would not miss it a bit. It is a bit surprising to see the current Focus on the list as it's hardly an interesting car, but I guess it does have some neat features fro it's price point.
compliance says:
09:17 AM, 06/30/09
People sure do love their VWs before they go wrong...
estreka says:
10:13 AM, 06/30/09
The best surveys, I think, are the ownership ones that extend beyond the warranty.
How well do you really know your car within the first year?
fuhteng says:
10:37 AM, 06/30/09
How are there so many VWs on this list? It is the red-headed step-child of German car makers, and yet those poor fools love their rolling electrical faults. WTF?
clarkma5 says:
12:26 PM, 06/30/09
VW reliability is often in the vicinity of average, sometimes better, sometimes worse. But average in 2009 is pretty darned good, especially when you're talking about a new car with a full warranty. Their reliability and service may often leave much to be desired, but you buy a VW and you're still getting a car that has an above-average interior with driving dynamics more dynamic than many competitor vehicles for a price that's usually pretty fair. Their appeal is not voodoo, concerns about VW reliability are simultaneously way overblown as well as stuck 10 years in the past.
billt9 says:
07:22 PM, 06/30/09
The Jetta and Rabbit are Recommended by Consumer Reports. No reliability problems there.
The Passat and the New Beetle have no electrical problems since model year 2008+.
Guess the VW world changed since model year 2008.
Forget what you heard before then.
caroftheweek says:
08:39 PM, 06/30/09
The thing that concerns me about VWs ratings on CR, is that they steadily get worse as the car gets older. GTI is a perfect example: Current year shows almost all red dots. Above average, yay! But as you look left you'll see more and more black.
Rather than believe that the newer cars are engineered to break less, I feel they merely take a few years/miles before they start falling apart. CR's reliability ratings for each year are, after all, cumulative over all the years of collected data.
blueguydotcom says:
10:00 PM, 06/30/09
I was enthusiastic about my mini cooper and my 330i ZHP. My current car (335i), not so much. It's got so little character. I just added a short-shifter so at least that's fun now. Next step...get a real exhaust so the car doesn't sound like a toyota.