Survey:
BMW Brand Scores Highest in
'Total Quality' with New Car Buyers
Among
the Japanese makers, Honda was the only multi-segment winner with
three. Infiniti G35's top honors in the near-luxury car category
were the first for the brand. Subaru led one segment, and Toyota
had a tie with its redesigned 4Runner.
Korean
manufacturers Hyundai and Kia continue to improve, especially
their newer products. Both won sport utility segments (Kia in
a tie with the redesigned Toyota 4Runner), and all Hyundai vehicles,
except Accent, were above segment average. The XG 350 outscored
mid-size rivals Volkswagen Passat and Toyota Camry.
Despite
gains by the domestics, Volkswagen remained the top-scoring full-line
corporation, followed by Honda, Nissan and Toyota. At 932, the
Porsche Boxster was the highest rated model.
Size
and price increases caused realignments in some segments. Perennial
winners Volkswagen Golf (six in a row) and Chrysler PT Cruiser
(three in a row) are now pitted head to head, resulting a three-way
tie with Pontiac Grand Am.
TQI
measures satisfaction as consumers define it: the whole experience
of buying, owning and driving a new vehicle. “Our goal was
to measure quality as new vehicle owners define it,” says
Dr. Darrel Edwards, Strategic Vision president, “and that
meant the index had to be as complex as people, specifically new
vehicle buyers, are.
“At
the heart are measures of the values and feelings that drive decision-making,”
says Edwards. “These are the key to what buyers really want.
Recognizing this hierarchy of emotions brings consumer needs clearly
into focus.”
Strategic
Vision surveyed more than 31,000 October – November buyers
of 2003 models at least 90 days after their purchase. TQI is then
calculated from the responses in a very complex correlation of
expectations, emotions, and attributes.
This
is the ninth year Strategic Vision has calculated the Total Quality
Index™, beginning in 1995. It also releases a Problem Impact
Measure™, Total Value Index™ and Total Delight Index™
that further examined buyers’ responses to their new vehicles.
Source:
Strategic
Vision)
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