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J.D. Power Ranks Most Reliable Vehicles
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Who makes the most reliable cars on the road? And whose products are likely to leave you stranded on the side of the road? The results are in from J.D. Power’s latest Vehicle Dependability Study, and Paul Eisenstein, Publisher of TheCarConnection.com, has the story.
Responses (82 total)
By Thor | Posted: Aug 26th 2007, 10:39:35 PM
Brian: Open Mind? Tell that to my colleagues that absolutely refuse to buy any IMPORT, even though the import is made in the USA, with US workers and largely contains US-made parts, such as the over 2 MILLION Accord-Camry-Corolla-Civic_Altima-Sentras sold in the US annually!
Import shoppers may not bother to visit the sleazy Big 3 dealers, but not because they are bigoted or prejudiced as the above, but because they have already paid the price, bought a piece of junk big 3 product in the 80s and even 90s, paid an arm and a leg to keep it running, saw its resale value plummet, and last far less miles than the imports etc.
There was a secretary under Reagan, Donovan by name, that was falsely accused of corruption, and later was vindicated. But the damage was done, and he said, "Now where do I go to recover my good name?" The poor fellow knew that there was nowhere to go to do that!
The Big 3, unlike Donovan who was innocent, got their reputation by the awful quality of their products in the 70s and 80s and maybe 90s, And are still trying to catch up. However, if they (ever) surpass the imports in every aspect, the consumer will NOT immediately go pay them a visit. The big 3 deservedly lost their good name, and they sure will not get it back any time soon.
By Thor | Posted: Aug 26th 2007, 10:32:14 PM
Mark: I generally agree with you that the Accord, and even more than the Accord, the Camry, has not had a model with good exterior styling since probably the early 90s.
However, as you can see the facts, the Accord sells 400,000 a Year andf the Camry even more!
Obviously, exterior styling in this catrgory (midsize and large family cars) does not play a large role. Interior materials quality and ergonomics and fuel effiicency and SAFETY above all is far more important.
And while the Malibu finally got its exterior styling right, I bet this alone will not be enough, and at best it will steal sales from the Fusion, the Sebring, and maybe other GM models.
BTW, you should have mentioned the IMPALA as a chevy success. While the smaller CObalt and Malibu have struggled, the Impala has excellent sales growth and larger in absolute terms, because it is an alternsative to the OLD accord and camry (larger etc), but the new Accord will compete with it too!
I have NO vested interest in either Honda or Toyota nor do I own their shares. I am an utterly impartial observer, and all the enthusiast mags as well as consumer mags agree with me.
You need to face the facts and start wondeering why the so-called Big 3 have been losing home games 30 years in a row to Honda and Toyota, and if you include the luxury brands, why did Caddilac and Lincoln that used to OWN that segment are not poor also-rans and LEXUS, MERCEDES and BMWs are not only superior in Quality, but also in the QUANTITIES they sell, DWARFING Caddy and ESP Lincoln.
And if it were not for these rap- and pimpmpbiles, the Escalade and the Navigator, Caddy and Lincoln would have died like OLDSMOBILE did!
But while the big 3 try (?) to catch up on Reliability, Honda is touting its FUEL EFFICIENCY in its ads (BY FAR the most fuelk efficient of all car cos, despite TOyota's hybrids), and is currently working to be the next "Volvo", ie will ensure that even its smallest cars have 5 star crash ratings and have 6 airbags and other safety systems that even luxury cars did not have 20 years ago!
So, face reality. Read the REAL stats, not the owner-reported JD Power "fuzzy" and "fluffy" ratings. Don't be that naive as to believe that a Buick is as good as a Lexus. Geez! Go drive one and find out for yoruself!
By Brian | Posted: Aug 24th 2007, 08:35:28 PM
It's very enlightning watching people suddenly start trashing JD Powers. They dare to say that a domestic car maker made a good car that owners liked...there was no such problem when they rated Japanese cars as being satisfying. 30 years ago people said Jap cars and bikes were made from pot metal and would never be as good as European or American cars. Now people are so trusting of Toyota that when a Chevy Cobalt is rebadge as a Toyota it's road test raing rose 20 points. Instead of bashing the domestics and anyone who doesn't say their trash, take a few minutes and check one out. Hopefully with an open mind.
By cardog | Posted: Aug 23rd 2007, 09:32:39 PM
Black and white TV's are longer lasting and more reliable than plasma sets, but wouldn't you rather watch a plasma TV? Just because a car is reliable doesn't mean it's worth driving. Reliability doesn't necessarily equal satisfaction. When I was in college, I bought a used, cheap (CHEAP!) Jeep Wrangler that was loud, crude, bouncy, uncomfortable, impossible to heat in the winter, and chicks hated riding in it. But it NEVER broke down. I wanted it to break down, get hit by a plow in the parking lot, catch fire, get stolen, roll into the drainage pond, have a cracked engine block, any kind of catastrophic fateful end just so I could justify getting another car to my parents. But no, it was a reliable but miserable car to own. There are other considerations when buying a car, such as gas mileage, smoothness, power, steering feel, handling, ride, comfort, price, trade in value, safety, insurance cost, and aesthetics.
By mark | Posted: Aug 23rd 2007, 03:46:11 PM
Please stop shilling for Honda, the back end of the 2008 Accord looks like a 2007 Azera. Just another generic Honda! 500K units sold (get real)
The 2008 Chevy Malibu will be the real suprise to new car buyers in this segment. Looks like GM will have a winner!
By Thor | Posted: Aug 23rd 2007, 01:12:36 PM
I read lots of reviews about the new Accord and saw its specs and styling, and I am AMAZED at the HUGE HOME RUN Honda has achieved here.
There was no "New Accord" (or even any Accord) blog here, so I post it here for lack of a better home.
Unless the greedy Honda Dealers charge $5k above the puny $18k List price (and I'm pretty sure HONDA will NOT tolerate such excessive markup), it will sell at a rate of a HALF MILLION A YEAR, eclipsing its arch-rival CAMRY, and even more the pitiful domestic entries in the LARGE and midsize segment.
The Accord has grown so long, wide and tall, and still weighing a trim 3,200 lbs (or at most 3,500 with the V6), that is now in the LARGE EPA CLass. Assorted Buicks and Ford Tauruses, your end is near! Only those prejudiced buyers that have sworn to never buy a so-called IMPORT (and never mind that HOndas are made in the US with US workers AND largely US PARTS!) will not be persuaded by its tremendous value.
AND All that Car that looks exactly like a midsize BMW 5-series on the side, and is even BIGGER than the $50k 5-er inside, can still do 34 MPG!!! ANd based on my own past Hondas, they routinely EXCEED their EPA highway nos.
WHat else can I say?
WOW!!!!!!!
My hat's off to you, Honda!
By Nago Desi | Posted: Aug 22nd 2007, 08:42:49 PM
Yea.. JD Powers is total BS.. They said last year Dodge Durango was Better than a Acura MDX.. Get REAL! After that story.. JD Powers should call themselves JD BullShit .. that's more like it..
By Edward | Posted: Aug 21st 2007, 06:13:46 PM
Many people are biased and will never buy a so-called "import" (even though Hondas and TOyotas are largely made in the US and of US parts and with US workers, while a lot of so-called "big 3" cars are made in such low-wage havens as Mexico, and that includes the new Ford Fusion and many others.
THese people do not have high expectations. They compare their 90s and more recent junkmobiles with their terrible interiors and cheap hard plastics and crude engineering and poor handling and performance,and the god-awful gauges staring you in the eye all the time you drive, and are still satisfied, because these poor vehicles are simply much better than the PREVIOUS domestics these people have owned.
I know. I had bought a fuel-efficient Pontiac 2000 back in 83, and kept it for 11 years and only 65,000 or so miles, before it had to be sold for parts! ANd bought a used Accord 5-speed 1990 model after that, which already had 69k+Miles. I STILL drive that Accord, now with over 136k hard-driven, stop-go, cold-start miles, and if it were not for the salt-induced Midwest rust, I'd not need another vehicle EVER.
I don't like almost any Lexus for its conservatve design and unenthusiastic performance and handling, but to claim they are as bad as any Buick is ludicrous.
By Rosa | Posted: Aug 16th 2007, 04:47:40 PM
Even if they are just going off of three or four years of use I am still sold on Buick. I drive a 1992 Buick and she is still going strong. Both the engine and interior are holding up VERY well.
By Thor | Posted: Aug 15th 2007, 06:55:55 PM
I cannot believe the industry takes these JD power surveys seriously. They are laughable. There is a HUGE difference between a Lexus and a Buick, and very few similarities (mostly in their geriatric styling, poor handling and performance)
Does anybody in his or her right mind really believe that, just because a Buick owner is happy with the vehicle, that means it has lexus-level (or Honda-level for tha tmatter) reliability?
Does anybody believe that the interior materials and ergonomics of an obese, large Buick are anywhere close to the materials and the ergonomics of the Accord or the Camry?
Power "satisfaction" and "owner reported" ratings are EXTREMELY Subjective. Owners of Hyundais that have driven chevys, fords and dodges before that, will praise their vehicles for their COMPARATIVELY trouble-free operation, but that does no tmean there is a huge gap between the Hyindai and the Honda or Toyota. In fact, there is a big gap between these two and the NISSANs, who are almost as poor quality as the domestics, and almost as cheaply priced (and with good reason!)
As for the other Power ratings, the Durability-dependability, are they KIDDING????? They only examine cars after only THREE YEARS!!!!! Is that durability????? Don;t make me laugh! MY Accord is 17 years,going on 18, (5-speed coupe 1990), and my BMW 740iL is 10 years (or 9, it's a 98) and is closing in 120,000 miles, and looks as good as new outside, inside, and performance-wise. People buying a new Lucerne not only get a vastly inferior vehicle, they pay THREE TIMES what I did for my "Magnificent Seven"!
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