When buying their first luxury car, people often don’t know which brand to choose from. They think that paying a premium guarantees dependability, but they are wrong. Sometimes it just leads to frustration. Unless you chose wisely and bought a Lexus.
According to the 2008 J.D Power and Associates Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) released early this month, Lexus topped other brands not only as the most dependable overall, but its models also dominate the list of the most dependable luxury cars.
The VDS is a study based on responses from more than 52,000 original owners that measures the problems experienced by original owners. This year, they measured the 2005 model-year vehicles in nine categories: ride, handling and braking; sound system; features and controls; seats; engine; transmission; heating, ventilation and cooling; and vehicle interior and exterior. It was conducted for four months starting January.
The luxury car market was separated into seven segments. Some segments, such as sporty cars, have as few as six vehicles, while others have more than 20.
In the study, the Lexus brand recorded the lowest number of reported problems at 120 per 100 vehicles, and is the second most desired brand among luxury buyers (Porsche ranked as No. 1). The only category where the Lexus did not rank first was in the compact premium sporty car category because this was the only segment that Lexus does not have a model (the Honda S2000 took the first spot instead).
“They listen to the voice of the customer, and they take it to heart.” says Neil Oddes, director of product research and analysis for J.D. Power and Associates. That’s the secret behind the wide variety of dependable cars they consistently produce. Lexus makes improvements in the design and manufacturing processes based on feedback consumers give in studies like the VDS.
The only other luxury brands that ranked better than the industry average of 206 problems per 100 vehicles were Acura, BMW, Lincoln, Jaguar, Porsche and Infiniti. As for the Cadillac, it fared well in the study in general, ranking 3rd at the reported 151 problems per 100 vehicles.
“Lexus sets the benchmark for the industry,” says Oddes. “It is renowned for quality because they are driving the voice of the customer.”
Source: Forbes.com
