Newer is not necessarily better, at least in Germany.
Two years after a massive taxpayer subsidized scrappage program boosted the German new car market, customer vehicle satisfaction with their purchases declined from previous levels. Industry wide satisfaction in vehicle quality and reliability, vehicle appeal, and service declined as well, according to the latest study from J.D. Power and Associates.
In a vehicle satisfaction study released today, overall satisfaction among vehicle owners in Germany has declined to an average of 807 (1,000-point scale) in 2011, compared with 813 in 2010. Only the ownership costs factor has improved from 2010, with a modest increase of three points.
A nine-point decline in the vehicle quality and reliability factor is primarily due to a notable increase in reported problems according to Power. In 2011, the rate of reported problems has increased by 12 problems per 100 vehicles from 2010, mostly in the areas of vehicle exterior and heating, ventilation and air conditioning.
“The decline in vehicle quality and reliability, coupled with the decline in vehicle appeal, is an important reminder to manufacturers that the product is a critical driver of ownership satisfaction and will remain a key differentiator among brands in the increasingly competitive automotive market in Germany,” said Brian Walters, senior director of European automotive operations at J.D. Power and Associates.
Mazda, going back to the Wankel or rotary engine generally does well in Germany.
The study is based on more than 17,000 owner evaluations of their vehicles and dealers across 67 attributes grouped in four measurements of satisfaction. In order of importance, they are: vehicle appeal (32%), which includes performance, design, comfort and features; vehicle quality and reliability (26%); ownership costs (22%), including fuel consumption, insurance and costs of service/repair; and dealer service satisfaction (20%).
The study finds that vehicle owners who say they are “delighted” with the dealer service experience are nearly two-and-one-half times as likely to return to the servicing dealership for paid service work, compared with less-satisfied customers.
Overall, Chinese owned Volvo did best in the study. Mercedes-Benz models received three awards for the C-Class (compact executive car); E-Class (executive luxury car); and M-Class (SUV). Mazda received two awards, for the Mazda2 (small car) and Mazda3 (lower medium car). The Mazda3 achieves the highest score of any model in the 2011 study. Also receiving segment-level awards are the Fiat 500 (city car); Ford S-MAX (MPV); and Honda Accord (upper medium car).
Volvo ranks highest in vehicle owner satisfaction among manufacturers with a score of 841 and performs particularly well in the vehicle appeal measure. Following Volvo in the rankings is Mercedes-Benz (839), which also performs particularly well in the vehicle appeal measure. Rounding out the five highest-ranked brands are Mazda (831), Mini (827) and Honda (824). Mazda performs particularly well in the quality and reliability measure.
Under performing by significant margins were Nissan, Hyundai, Kia, Opel and Peugeot, among others. Ranking dead last was Chevrolet, the brand that GM wants to become a global sales leader.
