DEALING SATISFACTION : SATURN, LEXUS TOP CAR-BUYING POLL.Byline: Brian S The name Brian (sometimes spelled Bryan) comes from an Irish backround. It is of Celtic origin and its meaning may be "hill" or "strong, noble, and high"[1]. . 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. Saturn Saturn, in astronomy Saturn, in astronomy, 6th planet from the sun. Astronomical and Physical Characteristics of Saturn Saturn's orbit lies between those of Jupiter and Uranus; its mean distance from the sun is c.886 million mi (1. and Lexus Lexus is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corporation. Lexus brand name vehicles are sold in North America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Oceania, Africa, and Latin America; in the United States, Lexus is the highest-selling make of luxury cars. owners had the best car-buying experiences at dealerships last year, but consumers are getting harder to please in the showroom, a leading industry marketing firm said Thursday. J.D. Power and Associates, based in Agoura Hills, said consumers' buying satisfaction declined slightly for the first time in the 10 years it has done its survey of new car and light truck owners. The average score for automakers fell to 119 from 122 in 1995, ``the first measurable indication of consumer frustration with the traditional approach to new vehicle sales,'' the firm said. One reason for that is that buyers have access to more information on new cars and prices today through the media, including the Internet Internet Publicly accessible computer network connecting many smaller networks from around the world. It grew out of a U.S. Defense Department program called ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network), established in 1969 with connections between computers at the , said Jon Osborn, senior project director at J.D. Power. ``An informed shopper may have as much, if not more, knowledge going into a dealership than some salespeople sales·peo·ple pl.n. Persons who are employed to sell merchandise in a store or in a designated territory. ,'' he said. ``The expectations that these individuals have regarding what they want and what they are willing to pay are greater than ever.'' Consumers also are more aware of alternatives to the traditional dealership, such as no-haggle pricing, the ``superstore'' format and interactive computer shopping, the firm said. The increased research consumers are doing before they enter a dealership may also be contributing to a five-year trend of buyers shopping at fewer dealers and looking at fewer brands before making a decision, J.D. Power said. The firm, which sells information to the industry, issues several annual surveys that are closely watched by automakers. Other surveys measure buyer satisfaction after three months and one year of ownership. The survey released Thursday measures the customer's satisfaction with the salesperson, delivery of the new vehicle and the condition of the car or truck upon delivery. J.D. Power surveyed 52,066 buyers of new cars, mini-vans, pickups and 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. bought in November and December. The results released this year combined scores for cars and light trucks. The firm previously issued separate rankings for car and truck brands.Saturn, the small-car subsidiary of General Motors Corp., and Toyota's luxury brand Lexus tied at the top of the survey with a score of 154. Saturn also was ranked No. 1 last year, but with a higher score of 160. Lexus came up from third place last year, when it scored 149. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: (Color) Saturn cars, which come in two-door, four-do or and wagon wagon: see carriage. wagon Four-wheeled vehicle designed to be drawn by draft animals. Wagons have been used from the 1st century BC; early examples used spoked wheels with metal rims, pivoted front axles, and linchpins to secure the wheels. , tied for first in customer sales satisfaction. |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion