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Strategic Vision announces 2009 Total Value Awards
The 2009 Total Value Awards have been announced, and what do you know, it's more good news for Ford. First, a primer: the "the Total Value Index™" (TVI) took into account more than 48,000 buyers of 2009 models from September, 2008 to March, 2009. Assumptions made by owners of the car – expected reliability, fuel economy, price, etc – are then weighed against "the variables that make up the ownership experience," and voila, you have the TVI. In last year's awards, Toyota took the top spot in seven of 23 categories, and three more if you count Lexus. The next best efforts were Honda and Chevrolet, each with three. Ford had none.
This year, Toyota and Lexus didn't win a single category. The Yaris hatch was bumped by the Ford Focus Coupe, the Prius was bumped by the Volkswagen Jetta and Passat sedans. The Toyota Solara convertible was ousted by the Ford Mustang convertible, and the Toyota Sequoia was beat by the Ford Expedition.
In all, Ford put four of its lineup in the winner's circle, with the F-250 and -350 bumping the GMC Sierra. VW had five in the top slots, making both Ford and VW the two best makers in the survey, with Honda again pulling up third with three. It's another bit of welcome press for Ford and VW. Now if Ford could just get those pesky labor contracts settled...
[Source: Strategic Vision]
PRESS RELEASE
San Diego - Strategic Vision announces its 2009 Total Value Index™ (TVI) to help customers and automotive manufacturers understand what parts of the value equation are key motivators in the consumers' new car shopping process. Results show a revolution in buyer perceptions as, for the first time ever, Toyota Motor Sales does not have a vehicle leader in any segment. "Toyota has evolved to be defined by customers as a paradigm of reliable and durable vehicles," reports Darrel Edwards, Ph.D. Strategic Vision's Founder and Chairman. "Toyota meets an essential part of the purchase contract. Toyota provides buyers the Security needed to make the purchase. However, with so many manufacturers, inspired by Toyota, improving in perceived quality, customers have a wider range of options to choose from in our current economic climate. This allows them to find both value and love in their new vehicle."
Fueled in part by a recovering economy, this revolution has an impact across all vehicle segments, including luxury buyers. For example, the Hyundai Genesis is the Near Luxury Car Segment leader. The Genesis has brought luxury buyers to Hyundai as Genesis buyers have household incomes very close to BMW 3-Series and Mercedes C-Class buyers. We see many Lexus, Infiniti, Cadillac and BMW owners trading in their vehicles for the Genesis. Hyundai competes by meeting a customer's security needs with perceived quality and successful programs such as "Hyundai Assurance" combining price, warranty and value a customer can love.
"Durability alone and simply satisfying customers is not enough for buyers who demand both immediate and long term Value," says Alexander Edwards, President Strategic Vision. "Customers no longer feel constrained to consider only the 'usual suspects.' Because of increased quality, competitive prices and manufacturers fighting for their lives to provide Loveworthy℠ vehicles, this is truly an exciting time for car buyers, today and in the near future," says Edwards. "Manufacturers are listening and reacting quickly to stay competitive."
Ford Motor Company, the most improved brand and corporation, led many segments with Focus Coupe, Mustang Convertible, Flex, Expedition and F-250. Volkswagen of America delivered the following leaders: CC Sedan, rating the highest TVI score of any model, Tiguan, Jetta and Audi Q7. American Honda continues its' strength with Value leaders like Odyssey and Ridgeline, and provided revolutionary leadership with an affordable hybrid, the Insight (Small Car Segment winner). "Insight opens the door, leading to a larger number of hybrid "wanna be's" (a good thing by the way) who will 'do the math,'" says Christopher Chaney, Strategic Vision's Vice President. "People will not buy hybrids in larger numbers until they have all their demands/needs met and 'the math' (MPG + 'Eco' + 'I Love This Car' + 'Right Price'= Purchase) makes sense," says Chaney. "Not an easy task, but look at MINI Cooper as having a correct solution to the equation. They have the ratings and sales to back it up," continues Chaney.
General Motors also provides some Value through innovation. Similar to perennial winner Honda Ridgeline, Chevrolet Avalanche is an example of the importance of "True Innovation" influencing Total Value. True Innovation is rich, makes an impact, is intuitive, motivational, in-depth and specific. "Truly Innovated" products are what will motivate fence sitters and initial consideration shoppers to become buyers. The Chevrolet Corvette Coupe continues to lead among Premium Coupe class and although some question Saab's future, the Saab 9-3 Convertible was the leader of Convertibles over $30k which is symbolic of buyers enjoying a sense of Value with unique character as an aspect of luxury.
Buyers rated the following vehicles top in Total Value (TVI) in their segments:
| Segment | Winner(s) | TVI Score |
| Small Car | Honda Insight | 795 |
| Small Multi-Function | Ford Focus Coupe | 801 |
| Mid-Size Car | Volkswagen Jetta Sedan Volkswagen Passat Sedan |
808 807 |
| Mid-Size Multi-Function | Volkswagen Jetta Wagon | 769 |
| Full-size (Larger) Car | Volkswagen CC Sedan | 846 |
| Near-Luxury Car | Hyundai Genesis | 838 |
| Luxury Multi-Function | Mercedes-Benz R-Class Wagon | 792 |
| Luxury Car | Mercedes-Benz S-Class | 828 |
| Specialty Coupe | MINI Cooper Hatchback | 827 |
| Premium Coupe | Chevrolet Corvette Coupe | 840 |
| Mid Specialty | Honda Accord Coupe | 802 |
| Convertible | Ford Mustang Convertible | 799 |
| Premium Convertible | Saab 9-3 Convertible | 807 |
| Minivan | Honda Odyssey | 745 |
| Small (Entry) Utility | Volkswagen Tiguan | 801 |
| Mid-Size Crossover Utility | Ford Flex | 784 |
| Mid-Size Traditional Utility | Chrysler Aspen | 766 |
| Large Utility | Ford Expedition | 803 |
| Near-Luxury Utility | BMW X3 | 806 |
| Luxury Utility | Audi Q7 | 792 |
| Standard Pickup | Honda Ridgeline | 748 |
| Full-Size Pickup | Chevrolet Avalanche | 787 |
| Heavy Duty Pickup | Ford F-250/350 | 709 |
The Total Value Index™ was calculated from 48,228 buyers who bought 2009 models during September 2008 to March 2009. Strategic Vision has presented Total Value Awards™ annually since 1995. The calculation of Total Value begins with clear statements that owners make about value (e.g. expected reliability, expected fuel economy, price paid, expected resale value, innovation, etc.). Total Value then incorporates the importance of the variables that make up the ownership experience, and it is here that Strategic Vision finds "True Value" - the worth of the attribute weighed against the costs.
Strategic Vision is a research-based consultancy with thirty-five years of experience in understanding the consumers' and constituents' decision-making systems for a variety of clients, including most automotive manufacturers, American Airlines and Procter & Gamble. Its unique expertise is in identifying consumers' comprehensive motivational hierarchies, including the product attributes, personal benefits, value/emotions and images that drive perceptions and behaviors. J. Susan Johnson, CEO of Strategic Vision, coined the phrase "True Innovators" and we measure this construct in the detailed Total Value Index report. The ValueCentered® psychology and research methods were defined by Dr. Darrel Edwards in 1968, and enhanced by co-founders J. Susan Johnson (1972) and Sharon Shedroff (1975).
For further information, contact Alexander Edwards or Christopher Chaney at (858) 576-7141 or visit www.strategicvision.com.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
James 5:04PM (11/23/2009)
Toyota's taking a beating right now (next to the accelerator recall/fiasco)..
Reply
Luis 8:36AM (11/24/2009)
I wouldn't be caught dead in a Focus coupe. That thing is nasty-looking. At least the Yaris hatch has some cute, but still...
Regardless, they aren't really competitors, since the Focus is a compact and the Yaris a sub-compact, but I guess with incentives the Focus is discounted closer to the price of the Yaris, so of course you get more car for the same money. Same could be said for the Expedition/Sequoia. Still wouldn't be caught dead in either. (insert caught dead/accelerator joke here)
Joe K. 5:06PM (11/23/2009)
Honda Insight - Awful to drive
Mercedes-Benz R-Class Wagon - Utterly Pointless
Chrysler Aspen - Rehash of a 6 year old SUV
All three proof these awards mean nothing.
Moving on...
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Matt 5:44PM (11/23/2009)
X2...
Bob-omb 8:15PM (11/23/2009)
This ridiculous article fits in with autoblog's agenda of "lol toyota lol" so that's the only reason this got posted. Why not mention that the Chrysler Aspen won? Because that 6-year-old chrome behemoth is a total joke, proving what a stupid study this was? Ah, right.
Jared 5:08PM (11/23/2009)
They give an award to the Chrysler Aspen? Oh yea, this is an organization that I want to pay attention to. Or not.
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John H. 5:56PM (11/23/2009)
Yeah, this is just bizarre.
No thanks!
The Other Bob 5:09PM (11/23/2009)
Considering that Strategic Vison's political polling has been shown to be complete fiction, I am not sure that automakers should be bragging about any of these awards.
http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/09/strategic-vision-polls-exhibit-unusual.html
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Paul Murray 4:02PM (12/21/2009)
That's a different company you're referring to.
As Mark Blumenthal at National Journal noted in a 12/21/09 column about the political firm: "Strategic Vision LLC -- not to be confused with the highly respected research company Strategic Vision Inc. -- has released results from over 170 purported pre-election polls since 2004."
These results are from the "highly respected research company," not the political firm that has not yet offered a shred of evidence to back up its poll numbers.
Yaroukh 5:12PM (11/23/2009)
> Now if Ford could just get those pesky labor contracts settled...
2009-11-14: "Ford says UAW issues resolved at Kansas City Assembly Plant"
http://www.freep.com/article/20091114/BUSINESS0102/91114010/Ford-says-UAW-issues-resolved-at-Kansas-City-Assembly-Plant
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leftlaneabuse 5:31PM (11/23/2009)
Toyota, oooooh what a feeling..
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Rev Junkie 5:33PM (11/23/2009)
Any company that tells you that getting the current, lame-duck (and ugly duckling...err, hideous duckling) Focus is a good deal should never be trusted. They're pretty much saying, "Yes, they're terrible, but they're cheap, so buy them!" as far as the Focus and Ass-pen are concerned. And how is the Ass-pen a good deal, anyway? Is it heavily discounted because people have figured out it's a marked up Durango with ridges on the hood, more chrome, and a fake wood dash with an analog clock?
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nardvark 9:33PM (11/23/2009)
So the Focus is reliable, safe, fuel efficient, spacious (for a compact), inexpensive, and has tech features that buyers want. It's also cheap to insure because it can take a low-speed hit without exploding, and has an effective anti-theft mechanism built in.
It may be based on an old architecture, but for people who don't know that (ie 99% of the population), the only thing against it is the styling. And that's subjective. I don't like it, but I know people who do.
This award is supposed to provide an indication of value, not how new the vehicle platform is. So...what was your point?
Rev Junkie 10:58AM (11/24/2009)
My point is that the next Focus is coming soon, and so is the Fiesta. If you want a small car, that is where the smart money is, not a fugly-ass car with a cheap interior that people only buy because it's cheap, (somewhat) good on gas, and has Sync.
Brian 5:41PM (11/23/2009)
An award to the Aspen AND the fugly, long in the tooth, obsolete Focus? This organization is a joke.
I wonder how much $$$ Ford paid to buy them off.
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Matt 5:50PM (11/23/2009)
Probably as much as they paid for the MT COTY award.
And you talk about the Focus being obsolete? What about the Fusion...it's using a platform that Mazda introduced in 2002. The Fusion is just like the Focus....a terrible, ugly, rehashed car that's roots are between 7-10 years old.
And the same for the Taurus, Flex, Lincoln's rebadged Taurus and Flex, and the so-called "new" Explorer...Volvo introduced the (failed many times over) D3 platform (AKA P2) in 1998...12 model years ago.
Yaroukh 6:11PM (11/23/2009)
Cry more, jesters!
Poopy 6:17PM (11/23/2009)
Yet the Fusion was a Top Safety pick and has better fuel economy than the Accord or Camary. I don't exactly see the Mazda 6 trumping the Fusion in ANY category, let alone units sold.
The Fusion Hybrid trumps the Camary Hybrid in fuel economy, features, handling, and acceleration.
Seriously Matt, shut up! You have to be one of the biggest loosers I've ever seen on the internet.
Despite anything you have just said, Ford is having no trouble selling the Focus, Fusion, or Taurus. Grow up...
Brian 6:28PM (11/23/2009)
The Prius STILL outdoes the Fusion in fuel-economy, even though both are "mid-size" and it has all the functionality of a hatchback, and carries a lower base price. So suck on that one, Blue Oval Mafia.
merlot066 8:49PM (11/23/2009)
"The Prius STILL outdoes the Fusion in fuel-economy, even though both are "mid-size" and it has all the functionality of a hatchback, and carries a lower base price. So suck on that one, Blue Oval Mafia."
So much failure in one sentence. I'll dumb this down for you like I have to with Matt. The Fusion IS NOT in the same class as the Prius. Maybe you feel bad that the Camry hybrid sucks so much, but get over it. The Fusion is bigger in EVERY SINGLE CATEGORY except the .2 inches less front leg room. The Fusion is 15 inches longer, 4 inches wider, and about 300 pounds heavier. The Fuison Hybrid also does things like... pulls a 0-60 in under 10 seconds and succeeds in not looking like a foot.