TOYOTA AND LEXUS GARNERS TOP AWARDS IN 2014 JD POWER CONSUMER STUDIES

Lexus maintains the leadership position in the luxury segment ratings.

Toyota secures high rank in quality and customer satisfaction.

Lexus was ranked best in Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) among all nameplates for a third consecutive year in the recent J.D. Power U.S Automotive ratings of 2014 whereas Toyota models received high ranks for quality and customer satisfaction. The gap between Lexus and all other brands is substantial, with Lexus averaging 68 problems per (PP) 100 vehicles in comparison with other brands. Lexus has a strong emphasis on innovation, design and a refreshed model line-up that enhances the brand’s appeal to younger and more adventurous buyers. Lexus and Toyota received seven awards in this category for the Lexus ES; Lexus GS; Lexus LS (tie); Lexus RX; Scion xB; Toyota Camry; and Toyota Sienna.

“Until this year, we have seen a continual improvement in vehicle dependability,” said David Sargent, vice president of global automotive at J.D. Power. “However, some of the changes that automakers implemented for the 2011 model year have led to a noticeable increase in problems reported”. Over the past 5 years period Toyota and Lexus vehicles have been able to successfully improve their brand dependability ratings, as the number of problems for Toyota per 100 vehicles reduced from 128 in 2010 to 114 in 2014, while that of Lexus went down considerably from 115 to 68.>

In the automotive Performance, Execution, and Layout (APEAL) Study which examines how satisfying a new vehicle is to own and drive, Toyota Highlander received award for the top midsized SUV. The consistent appreciation and growth of Toyota in the the first half of this year is backed by the success Toyota’s new design direction in terms of passionately developing products to connect with consumers. >

Dependability Leads to Loyalty; Poor Dependability Creates Avoidance “By combining our customer research with trade-in data, we see a very strong correlation between dependability and real-world brand loyalty,” said Sargent. “Also, we see that brands with lower dependability are likely to be shut out of a significant piece of the market, as many consumers will not even consider purchasing one of their vehicles because of concerns about its likely reliability.”>

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The APEAL and VDS is used extensively by manufacturers and suppliers worldwide to help them design and build better vehicles, which typically translates into higher resale values and customer loyalty. It also helps consumers make more-informed choices for both new and used vehicle purchases. >

Lexus received the third highest ranking in initial quality among all nameplates. Initial quality is determined by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles, with a lower score reflecting higher quality through examining problems experienced by vehicle owners during the first 90 days of ownership. Lexus ES, GS and LS and Toyota Avalon, Camry and Corolla were the top ranked models in this category. While Lexus has been making significant advancements in the competitive luxury car market, Toyota is always committed to create exciting and fun driving experience and this has resulted in a quantum jump in customer satisfaction while giving them the peace of mind of Toyota ownership. >