Cars That Meet Buyer's Expectations
August 30, 2012
This week, Strategic Vision released their annual "Total Quality Awards" which ranks the quality of new vehicles based on the owner's total ownership experience.
What sets this study apart from others is that they measure things such as "owner reported delight", "future purchase intent", and "emotional attachment to vehicle". The study aims to gauge how well a car matches the buyer's explicit expectations.
Toyota led the study with the fewest reported problems per vehicle, but Volkswagen had the best overall quality. Here are the results:
| Segment | Winner(s) | TQI Score |
|---|---|---|
| Small Car | Fiat 500 Hatchback | 869 |
| Small Multi-Function | Volkswagen Golf | 874 |
| Mid-Size Car | Chevrolet Volt | 913 |
| Mid-Size Multi-Function | Honda Accord Crosstour | 879 |
| Large Car | Dodge Charger | 911 |
| Near-Luxury Car | Audi A4 Sedan | 917 |
| Luxury Car | Audi A8 Sedan | 942 |
| Specialty Coupe | Mini Cooper Coupe | 926 |
| Convertible | Volkswagen Eos | 902 |
| Premium Convertible/Roadster | BMW Z4 Roadster | 938 |
| Minivan | Honda Odyssey | 872 |
| Entry Utility | Volkswagen Tiguan | 877 |
| Mid-Size Crossover Utility | Ford Flex | 888 |
| Mid-Size Traditional Utility | Jeep Grand Cherokee | 888 |
| Large Utility | Nissan Armada | 900 |
| Near-Luxury Utility | Land Rover Evoque 5-Door | 928 |
| Luxury Utility | BMW X6 | 936 |
| Standard Pickup | Honda Ridgeline | 863 |
| Full-Size Pickup | Ford F-150 | 902 |
| Heavy-Duty Pickup | Ford F-250/350 | 874 |
| Premium Coupe | BMW 1-Series Coupe | 922 |
| Chevrolet Corvette Coupe | 921 |
My Recommendation for Car Shoppers
TrueCar No-Haggle, CarsDirect, and NADAGuides 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.- Gregg Fidan
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About The Author
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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