Nissan North America Inc. and General Motors are the big winners in a new survey of consumer perceptions of vehicle quality.
Nissan took first place in overall quality among automakers in the 2005 Total Quality Study by Strategic Vision Inc., a marketing research and consulting firm in Tustin, Calif. The study was released on Monday, May 16.
GM vehicles finished first in six market segments, the most of any car company. Daniel Gorrell, Strategic Vision's automotive partner in charge, says GM needs to apply to its largest-volume vehicles the quality it shows in lower-selling and specialty models.
Nissan, Gorrell says, is overcoming initial quality problems at its assembly plant in Canton, Miss. It also is proving that an Asian automaker can build trucks that U.S. customers want to buy, he adds.
Strategic Vision surveyed more than 40,000 consumers who bought new 2005-model vehicles in October and November 2004.
The study measures customers' emotional responses to buying, owning and driving their vehicles, as well as performance problems, Gorrell says.
Among GM vehicles, survey respondents gave best-in-segment quality ratings to the Pontiac G6 and Chevrolet Corvette cars, Buick Rainier, Hummer H2, Cadillac Escalade and GMC Sierra 2500/3500 trucks.
Nissan North America's segment winners include the Nissan Maxima car and the Murano, Armada, Titan and the Infiniti FX35 trucks.
Gorrell says Nissan has improved both the residual values and interior craftsmanship of its vehicles.
Jed Connelly, Nissan North America's senior vice president of sales and marketing, says the survey results reflect improvements that have been building for the past three or four years.
We've been connecting with our customers emotionally, Connelly says. We've always been known for good quality and always been on the performance end. Then you throw in breakthrough styling.
Mark LaNeve, GM's vice president of North American vehicle sales, service and marketing, says the automaker is stressing quality and safety in its advertising campaigns.
Despite lukewarm media reviews, the Pontiac G6 scored well among survey respondents for styling, power and dealership purchase experience, Gorrell says.
The people who bought it are really happy with it, he says.
But Gorrell notes that many of GM's best-selling vehicles did not do as well in the quality survey.
He cites the Chevrolet Impala and Silverado and GMC Sierra, which accounted for nearly a fourth of GM's U.S. sales in the first quarter of 2005.
That's one of the reasons they're having problems, Gorrell says.
Nissan offers a model for GM in using quality as an element of brand-building, Gorrell says.
They understand their brand, and they are focusing, he says of Nissan. Mark LaNeve has said that's what GM needs to do: to make sure there is no overlap in the brands and brand messages."
And the winners are...
These are the segment winners in Strategic Vision's 2005 Total Quality Study. The listing of more than 1 model indicates a tie.
Small car: Ford Focus, Hyundai Accent, Mazda3
Medium car: Pontiac G6
Large car: Ford Five Hundred, Nissan Maxima
Small specialty, under $25,000: Ford Mustang
Small specialty, over $25,000: Chevrolet Corvette
Near-luxury: BMW 3 series
Luxury car: BMW 5 series, Lexus LS 430
Minivan: Honda Odyssey
Small SUV: Hyundai Tucson
Medium SUV: Buick Rainier
Medium crossover: Nissan Murano
Large SUV: Nissan Armada
Near-luxury SUV: Infiniti FX35
Luxury SUV: Land Rover Range Rover, Hummer H2, Cadillac Escalade
Compact pickup: Toyota Tacoma
Full-sized pickup: Nissan Titan
Heavy-duty pickup: GMC Sierra 2500/3500
Source of data: Strategic Vision Inc.
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