March 21, 2011
Porsche, Lexus and Jaguar were voted the most dependable vehicles and increase the likelihood that satisfied customers will buy another branded vehicle, per a Vehicle Dependency study from J.D. Power and Associates.
The brands were voted by consumers who bought vehicles from September 2007 to February 2008. Luxury vehicles held three of the top five positions.
“Dependability is the fundamental driver of brand loyalty,” said Dave Sargent, vice president of global vehicle research and in charge of the study at J.D. Power and Associates, Westlake Village, CA. “Our survey proves that there is clear correlation between vehicle dependability and how likely are you to purchase again.
“When you look at our past and see if people have actually bought a new vehicle with the same brand, they really did,” he said.
Lexus nexus
Lexus was named the most dependable luxury vehicle and the No. 2 nameplate overall, followed by Jaguar as overall No. 3 and Porsche as No. 4 overall.
Lexus was named No. 1 in customer satisfaction in another J.D. study, while Jaguar has also won various awards from the company.
“For luxury consumers, the importance is around the minimization of disruption to their lives – they don’t want to take a car to a dealership to be fixed,” Mr. Sargent said. “They are spending a lot of money on a vehicle and then having it not work makes it frustrating for them.”
Dependability is the primary reason luxury consumers will buy a car because they expect it in return for the premium that they pay for them.
Also, dependability has a strong impact on the residual value of the vehicle and it does affect the cost of owning the vehicle, Mr. Sargent said.
This is probably why so many luxury automakers were at the top of the list.
“Throughout its history, Jaguar has appealed to customers with powerful and emotional designs,” said Stuart Schorr, vice president of communications and public affairs at Jaguar Land Rover North America LLC, Mahwah, NJ.
"For today's customers, they still want standout cars, but they also want full confidence in the long-term dependability of the cars they buy,” he said.
Power drive
J.D. Power’s Mr. Sargent said that luxury automakers have a reputation to uphold and in doing so, they invest more time and money into making sure that their vehicles are more dependable.
Luxury vehicles tend to have an easier life than non-luxury ones. Built with aesthetics and power in mind, luxury vehicles typically are not used to haul equipment or drive long distances, Mr. Sargent said.
But the most important thing that links luxury brands with dependability is customer service.
Not only do luxury consumers expect it, but luxury-branded dealerships tend to maintain the vehicles better.
Customers who have a choice whether to come back to a dealership after their warranty is up are more likely to have luxury vehicles.
“Customer service and dependablity are closely linked,” Mr. Sargent said. “Better dealers will maintain the vehicles better because they are more dependable.
“If a car becomes unreliable, consumers will tend to move away from the dealership and go to an independent dealership," he said. “But people with more reliable vehicles are the most likely to return to the branded dealerships even if they have the choice not to."
Final Take
Rachel Lamb, editorial assistant at Luxury Daily, New York
Rachel Lamb is an editorial assistant at Luxury Daily. Reach her at rachel@napean.com.
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