Automakers need love, not just quality, Strategic Vision study shows

Strategic Vision, a company that studies how and why consumers make decisions, released its yearly Total Quality Index on July 12, and the results might be surprising.

The study found that love--how much or what part of a car that people like--is more important than the number of problems a car has when choosing a vehicle.

For example Ford, which was a quality leader in the study, received a number of complaints about its Sync system. But the driver/owner experience trumps the small stuff, giving a greater perception of quality, according to the study.

The Volkswagen Jetta and the Hyundai Sonata, two more vehicles that ranked highly, had a higher incidence of problems (30 percent) than the segment average of 20 percent. But the impact of those problems, which mostly fell in the “not serious” category, was small because of quick fixes at the dealership, good overall vehicle performance and other general happiness about the car.

“When customers explicitly state ‘I love [this] about my vehicle,' it results in increased sales,” said Alexander Edwards, president of Strategic Vision. “We explicitly measure the emotional impact of each vehicle attribute and ask the customer what they love about their vehicle. Jetta and Sonata owners report more love than most all of their competitors. That is why it is no surprise to us that the Jetta and Sonata have had their best sales ever with their 2011 models.”

Volkswagen was rated as the best full-line corporation in Strategic Vision's study. VW had three models--the Golf, the Jetta and the Tiguan--that were total quality leaders, with attributes such as design and exterior styling that impressed owners.

Ford had the second best total quality score, just one notch ahead of Honda and Nissan. Ford got a boost from segment leaders the Mustang, the Flex and the F-150, along with other high-ranking models. The company as a whole had more problems than the industry average, but again, it fostered enough love to eek out the second best rating.

Chrysler showed signs of a comeback, according to Strategic Vision. The Dodge Challenger and the Jeep Grand Cherokee proved very popular in their segments, and the Chrysler Town & Country minivan ranks second behind the Honda Odyssey.

The full list of segment winners:

Small car

Honda Civic sedan hybrid

Small multifunction

Volkswagen Golf

Medium car

Hyundai Sonata/Volkswagen Jetta

Medium multifunction

Honda Accord Crosstour

Large car

Nissan Maxima

Convertible

Ford Mustang

Near-luxury car

Mercedes-Benz C-class

Luxury car

Jaguar XJ

Small specialty coupe

Dodge Challenger/Ford Mustang

Premium coupe

BMW 1-series

Minivan

Honda Odyssey

Entry utility

Volkswagen Tiguan

Medium crossover

Ford Flex

Medium SUV

Jeep Grand Cherokee

Large SUV

Toyota Sequoia

Near-luxury SUV

Land Rover LR4

Luxury SUV

BMW X6

Standard pickup

Honda Ridgeline

Full-size pickup

Ford F-150

Heavy-duty pickup

Ford F-250/F-350

By Jake Lingeman