CAR, TRUCK QUALITY GREATLY IMPROVED : SURVEY SAYS DEFECTS FEW IN '97 MODELS.Byline: Brian S. Akre Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. Automakers dramatically improved the quality of their new cars and trucks in the 1997 model year, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the latest initial quality survey of buyers by Agoura Hills-based J.D. Power and Associates. Once again, Japanese models dominated the list of the highest ranking cars and light trucks. But the market research firm said Wednesday that there were major gains industrywide. The firm surveyed 43,752 owners of 1997 vehicles after three months of ownership, asking them to detail defects and other problems with their new car or truck in 89 areas. The average number of problems per 100 vehicles dropped to a record low of 86, down 22 percent from 110 for the 1996 model year - the largest drop since J.D. Power began the survey a decade ago. Among cars, the average number of problems per 100 vehicles fell to 81 from 100; for trucks, it plummeted to 92 from 123. It was the first time that all three averages fell below 100, or less than one problem per vehicle. ``While there have been incremental improvements in vehicle quality over the past 10 years, the Years, The the seven decades of Eleanor Pargiter’s life. [Br. Lit.: Benét, 1109] See : Time 1997 results reveal that the automobile industry automobile industry, the business of producing and selling self-powered vehicles, including passenger cars, trucks, farm equipment, and other commercial vehicles. is providing far superior quality than ever before,'' said Stephen C. Goodall, president of J.D. Power. The biggest gains were among some of the highest-volume cars. Typically, the top scores are posted by high-price luxury cars that are produced in relatively low numbers. ``What we are now seeing is the ability of manufacturers to take what they have learned in producing high-quality, low-volume vehicles and apply these concepts to the production of high-volume vehicles,'' said Chance Parker, the firm's product research director. J.D. Power also said the quality gap between cars and light trucks largely vanished in 1997 because of big gains in the new crop of pickups and midsize sport utility vehicles This page lists sports utility vehicles currently in production (as of April 2007), as well as past models. The list includes crossover SUVs, Mini SUVs, Compact SUVs and other similar vehicles. . Ford's redesigned F-series pickups, for example, scored 64 problems per 100 units, compared with 114 for the 1996 model. But significantly poorer scores still exist within other segments of the truck market, such as minivans, and small and large sport utilities, Parker said. The firm releases only the top three ranking vehicles in each of 11 car and truck categories. Among the 33 top-ranking vehicles, 24 have Japanese nameplates and nine are Big Three products. Some of the Japanese models, such as the Honda Civic The Honda Civic is a compact car manufactured by Honda. It was introduced in July 1972 as a two-door coupe, followed by a three-door hatchback version that September. With the transverse engine placement of its 1169 cc engine and front-wheel drive, like the British Mini, the and Accord and the Nissan pickup, are made in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . No European vehicles made the list. Toyota had the most top-ranked vehicles with 11, followed by Honda with seven, General Motors with six, Nissan with five, Ford with three and Chrysler with one. In recent years, the Big Three have noted their improving scores while disputing the significance of their lower overall ranking compared with the Japanese. They say the differences have become statistically insignificant. ``This study continues to confirm that quality is no longer a major discriminator dis·crim·i·na·tor n. 1. One that discriminates. 2. Electronics A device that converts a property of an input signal, such as frequency or phase, into an amplitude variation, depending on how the signal differs from a and that key satisfaction factors . . . are now such things as styling, features, safety, price, and the dealer showroom and service experience,'' said Ron Haas, GM vice president of quality. TOP CAR RANKINGS Top three models by category in J.D. Power and Associates' survey of 43,752 owners of 1997 cars and light trucks in the first three months of ownership, with number of problems per 100 vehicles. CARS Compact Cars 1. Saturn SL (65) 1. (tie) Toyota Tercel The Tercel was Toyota's entry-level vehicle in North America during the 1980s and 1990s. The Tercel was slotted between the Corolla and the Starlet, and was meant to offer basic affordable transportation while introducing young buyers to the Toyota brand. (65) 2. Honda Civic (69) Entry Midsize Car 1. Nissan Altima
The Altima (pronounced ALL-timah) is a mid-size car (formerly compact) currently being manufactured by the Japanese automaker Nissan, and is arguably a continuation of the (77) 2. Buick Skylark The Buick Skylark is a passenger car produced by the Buick division of General Motors. The model was made in six production runs. In each run, the car design varied dramatically due to changing technology and tastes, as well as new standards implemented over the years. (80) 2. (tie) Chrysler Cirrus The Chrysler Cirrus was a mid-size 4-door sedan sold in the United States from 1995 to 2000; In Mexico, the current Sebring sedan is still sold as the Cirrus. It and its siblings, the Dodge Stratus and the Plymouth Breeze, were known as the "Cloud Cars". (80) Premium Midsize Car 1. Honda Accord (51) 2. Toyota Camry (53) 3. Chevrolet Lumina (55) Sporty Car 1. Acura Integra (60) 2. Honda Prelude (71) 3. Nissan 200SX (87) Entry Luxury Car 1. Infiniti I30 (46) 2. Acura TL (52) 3. Lexus ES300 (61) Premium Luxury Car 1. Lexus LS400 (36) 2. Lexus SC300/400 (50) 3. Acura RL (55) LIGHT TRUCKS Compact Pickup 1. Toyota Tacoma (63) 2. Ford Ranger (76) 3. Nissan pickup (79) Full-size Pickup 1. Ford F-series (64) 2. Chevrolet C/K (88) 3. Toyota T100 (90) Minivan 1. Honda Odyssey (52) 2. Ford Windstar (68) 3. Toyota Previa (72) Midsize Sport Utility Vehicle 1. Infiniti QX4 (48) 2. Toyota 4-Runner (64) 3. Chevrolet Blazer (74) Full-size Sport Utility Vehicle 1. Lexus LX450 (75) 2. Toyota Landcruiser (78) 3. Chevrolet Suburban (97) CAPTION(S): Box Box: TOP CAR RANKINGS (See text) |
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