JD Powers quality study - Autos

[Cheese]

In its ratings of individual vehicles, GM and Toyota Motor Corp., the world's two largest automakers, had the top vehicles in 15 of 18 categories in the closely watched survey of 2005 models.

Toyota's Lexus SC430 was the highest-ranking vehicle for the second year in a row. Owners of the luxury sedan reported 54 problems per 100 vehicles, less than half the industry average of 118 problems per 100 vehicles. Suzuki Motor Corp. had the highest rate of problems per vehicle at 151 per 100 vehicles.

The Findings

Stats

[Bill Bumface]

Amazing how head and shoulders above everyone else lexus is. Also amazing to see the effects of making shinguardty cars for many years has on a company like GM even when they've turned things around a bit. They will have the stigma of producing low quality cars for quite some time.

[StoneCole]

A Quality study by CP Power & Associates shows that the 1985 BMW 528e is still, to this day, the world's top automobile.

[Table 5]

hmm, I wonder why Suzuki would lag behind so much? I guess I always just equated Japanese with Quality.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally posted by Table 5@May 18 2005, 02:55 PM
hmm, I wonder why Suzuki would lag behind so much? I guess I always just equated Japanese with Quality.

See Mazda/Subaru while you are at it.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Originally posted by hulkrogan+May 18 2005, 03:04 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (hulkrogan @ May 18 2005, 03:04 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Table 5@May 18 2005, 02:55 PM
hmm, I wonder why Suzuki would lag behind so much? I guess I always just equated Japanese with Quality.

See Mazda/Subaru while you are at it. [/b][/quote]
I guess I can't make fun of Hyundai's any more.

Nawwww.... I still will.

(I remember the Hyundai Pony and Stellar all too well, the latter being the worst piece of crap to roll on Canadian roads)

[Reaper]

Originally posted by hulkrogan+May 18 2005, 03:04 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (hulkrogan @ May 18 2005, 03:04 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Table 5@May 18 2005, 02:55 PM
hmm, I wonder why Suzuki would lag behind so much? I guess I always just equated Japanese with Quality.

See Mazda/Subaru while you are at it. [/b][/quote]
I wouldn't rule out Subaru or Mazda too quickly based on one year of low initial quality rankings.

I think you'd have to look at the last 5 years to make a qualified opinion on them.

Except for Mazda. They suck because they are associated with Ford. :P

[Bill Bumface]

Originally posted by Reaper+May 18 2005, 04:33 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Reaper @ May 18 2005, 04:33 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>

See Mazda/Subaru while you are at it.

I wouldn't rule out Subaru or Mazda too quickly based on one year of low initial quality rankings.

I think you'd have to look at the last 5 years to make a qualified opinion on them.

Except for Mazda. They suck because they are associated with Ford. :P [/b][/quote]
If you average subaru out for the last 5 years, they are still below average. Mazda has been near the bottom for a ways back as well.

Its not like any of this would discourage me from driving an STI

[Claeren]

The non-ford-mazdas are supposed to be better....


GM has done well for years, due in part to the fact they have started getting more and more of their cars from Toyota, lol....


Claeren.

[Sylvanfan]

Interesting stats for sure. Of course initial quality is a bit misleading in a way because it is all new cars, and doesn't take into effect as much how the car performs over like say a 5 year period of time which is likely how long most people own cars for before trading them off. Of course a lot of new vehichles are on lease now. I suspect that because of the rise in prices and the fact that leases are more prevelent now than they were like say 10 years ago that this is a big reason why quality has shot up. I think auto makers always knew how to make better cars, but since most people owned them and would spend money to fix them it was a potential after sale revenue that contributed to keeping quality low. Now that so many vehichles are being leased and coming back to the dealerships in like 3 years I suspect the automakers decided to increase quality so that they would have better cars to re-sell, and the dealers wouldn't have to spend as much fixing them after only three years. Thats my little conspiracy rant for the day.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally posted by hulkrogan+May 18 2005, 03:04 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (hulkrogan @ May 18 2005, 03:04 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Table 5@May 18 2005, 02:55 PM
hmm, I wonder why Suzuki would lag behind so much? I guess I always just equated Japanese with Quality.

See Mazda/Subaru while you are at it. [/b][/quote]
You mean Mitsubishi.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally posted by Hack&Lube+May 18 2005, 10:41 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Hack&Lube @ May 18 2005, 10:41 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>

See Mazda/Subaru while you are at it.

You mean Mitsubishi. [/b][/quote]
Ooo that too!

The rest of Japan just seems to ride Toyota/Honda's coat tails.

[Table 5]

Subaru? With my experience, Subaru has been just as, or even more, rock solid than Toyota. We have had both for years, and have had no problems with either at all. Both have amazing build quality.

If there were problems reported, Im sure they were small minute things.

[Cheese]

Originally posted by Table 5@May 19 2005, 11:39 AM
Subaru? With my experience, Subaru has been just as, or even more, rock solid than Toyota. We have had both for years, and have had no problems with either at all. Both have amazing build quality.

If there were problems reported, Im sure they were small minute things.

I too have had experience with Subaru's. I will never buy another one as that piece of junk nickle and dimed me to death....
I think every now and then every Manufacturer gets one right...even Ford and Chrysler.

[Sylvanfan]

Originally posted by Cheese@May 19 2005, 03:58 PM

I think every now and then every Manufacturer gets one right...even Chrysler.

I think Chrysler has seen a huge improvement since Daimler Benz took over. It would still take a lot of convincing to get me to look at one. But they're going in the right direction now.