J.D. Power Ranks 2012 Vehicles on Initial Quality
The new 2012 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study came out this week, and the results show manufacturers are making the highest-quality vehicles ever.
The average number of problems reported per 100 vehicle fell from 107 last year to 102 this year. Half of the problems reported weren't even related to defects, but rather frustrations related to high-tech features such as voice-recognition devices.
The 2012 Porsche 911 had the fewest problems: 44 per 100 vehicles reported, while Lexus had the fewest problems overall as a brand (77 per 100 vehicles).
Among the disappointments was Volkswagen, coming in No. 29 out of 34 brands and 124 reported problems per 100 vehicles. Take a look at the rankings below and make sure you consider this when shopping for a vehicle.
| 2012 J.D. Power and Associates nameplate IQS ranking | |
| Lexus | 73 |
| Jaguar | 75 |
| Porsche | 75 |
| Cadillac | 80 |
| Honda | 83 |
| Acura | 84 |
| Infiniti | 84 |
| Toyota | 88 |
| Mercedes-Benz | 96 |
| BMW | 97 |
| Mazda | 97 |
| GMC | 99 |
| Nissan | 99 |
| Ram | 99 |
| Chevrolet | 100 |
| Industry Average | 102 |
| Audi | 105 |
| Buick | 106 |
| Hyundai | 107 |
| Kia | 107 |
| Lincoln | 107 |
| Volvo | 108 |
| Subaru | 109 |
| Jeep | 110 |
| Suzuki | 115 |
| Chrysler | 116 |
| Scion | 117 |
| Ford | 118 |
| Land Rover | 119 |
| Dodge | 124 |
| Mitsubishi | 124 |
| Volkswagen | 124 |
| MINI | 139 |
| Fiat | 151 |
| smart | 151 |
My Recommendation for Car Shoppers
TrueCar, Edmunds, and 1-800 Car Show are the quickest way to see the lowest car prices in your area. These sites show you no-haggle prices from dealers closest to you - and the deals are usually really good. This should be the first step you take when negotiating your car price. Follow this up with my checklist to make sure you squeeze out every last bit of savings.California Residents - Important:
There is a new online car buying service called Roadster, available only to California residents, which I highly recommend you try - especially if you hate the stress of haggling with a car salesman. They provide an expert concierge who negotiates the price of the car and delivers it to your home with zero hassle - you never have to interact with a dealership. Here is my in-depth review of Roadster and why I recommend it.- Gregg Fidan
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About: Gregg Fidan
Gregg Fidan + is the founder of RealCarTips. After being ripped off on his first car purchase, he devoted several years to figuring out the best ways to avoid scams and negotiate the best car deals. He has written hundreds of articles on the subject of car buying and taught thousands of car shoppers how to get the best deals.
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