Autoblog

Domestics win majority of annual Total Quality awards

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 15 May 2013 09:13:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

Strategic Vision has released its annual Total Quality awards, and some of the winners may come as a surprise. To quote Alexander Edwards, President of Strategic Vision, "For the first time in over a decade our comprehensive and complete study of Quality resulted in more domestic winners than imports."

That's not to say import brands performed poorly. Volkswagen was voted the best overall corporation in Total Quality for the eighth-straight year, and Audi tied with Lexus for the best individual brand. Breaking things down on a model-by-model basis, here are some notable victories:

Dodge Dart, Best Small Car
Ford Fusion / Chevrolet Volt, Best Midsize Car
Volkswagen CC, Best Large Car
Hyundai Genesis / Audi A4, Best Near-Luxury Car
Lexus LS, Best Luxury Car
Chevrolet Corvette, Best Premium Coupe
Chrysler Town & Country, Best Minivan
Volkswagen Tiguan / Toyota FJ Cruiser, Best Entry Utility
Chevrolet Traverse, Best Midsize Crossover Utility
Dodge Durango, Best Midsize Traditional Utility
Chevrolet Avalanche, Best Full-size Pickup
Ford F-250 / F-350, Best Heavy Duty Pickup

Scroll down below for the full list of winners, both import and domestic, in each and every category.

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Domestics win majority of annual Total Quality awards originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 May 2013 09:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volkswagen Group, BMW Z4 top Total Value Awards by Strategic Vision

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Volkswagen

It was just nine months ago that Strategic Vision announced its 2011 Total Value Awards, but you don't have to wait until next year for the 2012 awards. The Volkswagen Group keeps its lead as the number one brand, with seven products taking top category spots: Golf, Jetta Wagon, CC, Eos and Audi A3 Wagon, Q5 and Q7. Strategic Vision says "true innovation" - "rich and impactful, intuitive, motivational, in-depth and is able to trigger description by the user in great specificity" - is the open secret of the brands with the strongest showings. Results are culled from 77,153 owners covering more than 350 new cars bought between September of 2011 and 2012 ranked in the Total Value Index (TVI).

Other notable winners are Hyundai-Kia following VW in the brand category and having the Hyundai Elantra and Kia Sorento among category winners, the BMW Z4 taking the premium roadster category and the highest overall score of any vehicle, the Chevrolet Volt continuing to gather silverware in the Special Category, nabbing the second-highest score of all and representative of "nearly perfect innovation," and Chrysler and Dodge being most improved.

Check out the press release below for your day's dose of jargon and all the winners.

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Volkswagen Group, BMW Z4 top Total Value Awards by Strategic Vision originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Dec 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volkswagen again named tops in Total Quality survey by Strategic Vision

George Kennedy — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 16:21:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Chrysler, Ford, Toyota, Volkswagen

Global marketing and communications firm Strategic Vision has announced the results of its annual Total Quality Index. In the 2012 edition of the study, Volkswagen Group of America achieved the highest rating in Total Quality. This marks the German automaker's second year of achieving the accolade. According to the press release from Strategic Vision, the runner up spot was actually a tie between Chrysler Group and Ford Motor Company.

Strategic Vision factored in vehicles like the Audi A4 and A8, as well as notable VW vehicles like the Golf, Eos, and Tiguan in its study. The study also pointed to the quality of vehicles like the Flex, F-150, as well as the Fiat 500 for such a tight finish between Ford and Chrysler.

Toyota came out with the fewest reported problems of any brand. According to the study, only 17% of Toyota owners reported having problems.

Strategic vision says this was its closest finish in "Total Quality" that it has ever reported. According to the release, "Customers are increasingly defining 'quality' holistically and using Total Quality in their decisions." In assessing the Total Quality Awards, Strategic Vision calculated the results from surveys sent out to 45,390 individuals who purchased new 2012 model year vehicles from September to December of 2011. Scroll down below for the press release.

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Volkswagen again named tops in Total Quality survey by Strategic Vision originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 16:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volkswagen tops Strategic Vision Total Value Index

Michael Harley — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 09:15:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Etc.

Strategic Vision has announced its 2011 Total Value Index (TVI) awards, and Volkswagen of America has earned its position at the top of the podium. Hyundai Motor America placed second, with Ford Motor Corporation taking third place overall. According to Strategic Vision, its Total Value award is calculated based on explicit owner statements on hundreds of (weighted) attributes with regards to immediate and expected (long-term) economic factors such as warranty, technical innovation, standard equipment, fuel economy, and so on. The company says that the current economic crisis, rising fuel costs and affordability concerns make its TVI very relevant to today's consumers.

"An important 'time marker' in this year's study is that for the first time in over ten years, American manufacturers lead the number of Total Value winners, with eleven segment leaders. This is an important milestone toward the 'domestic comeback,'" says Chris Chaney, the company's vice president and head of automotive research. He also notes that consumers find perceived value in alternative fueled vehicles, pointing out that the Chevrolet Volt, Honda Civic Hybrid, Nissan Leaf and Lincoln MKZ Hybrid all led their respective segments.

The Total Value Awards have been presented by Strategic Vision annually since 1995. The 2011 TVI was calculated from 68,088 buyers (of the 325,000 total who responded during 2011) who purchased models during September 2010 to June 2011. The Volkswagen CC (an updated 2013 model of which is shown above) earned the Total Value award in its Large Car segment.

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Volkswagen tops Strategic Vision Total Value Index originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Mar 2012 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Strategic Vision disses J.D. Power, crowns VW and Ford quality leaders

John Neff — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 15:32:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Ford, Volkswagen

Quality studies can be funny things in the auto business. It's not unusual to have one completely contradict another, which can result in an automaker that was panned as a loser in one study claiming to be a leader based on another. That's exactly what Volkswagen and Ford get to do thanks to Strategic Vision's 2011 Total Quality Index.

Back in June, J.D. Power released its annual Initial Quality report, which ranks vehicles and their brands based on how many problems are reported per 100 vehicles. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Volkswagen ranked near the bottom as per usual, but Ford was also smacked down from 5th to 23rd place thanks to owner complaints about the automaker's complex SYNC/MyFordTouch technologies and Powershift dual-clutch gearbox issues.

Well J.D. Power, Strategic Vision thinks your definition of "quality" is terrible, and they believe that their Total Quality Index, which they say measures not just individual problems, but also the "total positive experience created for the owner/driver," is the way to go.

On those grounds, Volkswagen was rated the best full-line automaker in Strategic Vision's 2011 Total Quality study, which surveys 37,069 buyers who bought 2011 models late last year. Owners rated Design and Exterior Styling as the most impressive things about their VWs.

Ford, meanwhile, which suffered so harshly at the hands of J.D. Power's problem-counting study, comes up roses here, tying for second place with Honda and Nissan. Strategic Vision does say that Ford owners reported more problems than the industry average, but its designs and brand strength helped it overcome those issues to create an overall positive experience for owners.

Follow the jump for Strategic Vision's full report, which also shows the best-ranked vehicles in each segment - including surprisingly positive results for Chrysler, Jaguar and Land Rover.

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Strategic Vision disses J.D. Power, crowns VW and Ford quality leaders originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Strategic Vision announces 2009 Total Value Awards

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Ford, Toyota, Volkswagen

Toyota bumped, VW and Ford lead

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[TM]" (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]

Continue reading Strategic Vision announces 2009 Total Value Awards

Strategic Vision announces 2009 Total Value Awards originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford ties Toyota in Strategic Vision 2008 Total Quality Awards

John Neff — Thu, 29 May 2008 11:32:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Ford, Toyota

Strategic Vision has announced the results of its annual Total Quality Awards and is touting the performance of Ford this year versus perennial powerhouse Toyota. Both brands have three vehicles each that lead their segments, which include the Edge, Mustang Convertible and F-250/350 for Ford and Toyota's Yaris, 4Runner and Sequoia. The Volvo C30 also led the Small Specialty under $25,000 segment and the Mercury Sable the Large Car category, while the Scion xB was tops in the Small Multi-Function segment and the Lexus RX350 tied with the Land Rover LR2 in the Near Luxury SUV segment. Though all of those brands are technically owned by either Ford Motor Company or Toyota North America, none were counted by Strategic Vision in the battle of the Blue Oval versus the Japanese Juggernaut, though the automakers still would've tied if they were (if Land Rover were not counted as owned by Ford). Meanwhile, the Medium Car segment was lead by the Volkswagen Jetta, though the new Chevy Malibu jumped to second place (how are the Jetta and Malibu in the same segment?), and Honda had only one car make the list, with the Odyssey being named the best Minivan. Follow the jump to view the leaders of all 19 segments.

While most surveys like this count objective stats like the number of problems encountered during initial ownership, Strategic Vision introduces additional criteria by which to judge vehicle quality like the buying experience, what it's like to own a particular car, its performance and driving and even exterior and interior styling. There's a lot of subjectivity in those additional criteria, which tends to skew the results as a whole regardless of the 20,655 buyer-strong sample pool that was surveyed on the 2008 vehicles it bought during September, October and November of last year. Also, as we were reminded by this post, keep in mind that most automakers are actually clients of Strategic Vision, Ford and Toyota included, so there's also money passing hands between these companies. The appearance of conflicts of interest notwithstanding, new car buyers love lists and automakers work hard to land on them, so you decide for yourself how much weight to give to Strategic Vision's 2008 Total Quality Awards.

[Source: Strategic Vision]

Continue reading Ford ties Toyota in Strategic Vision 2008 Total Quality Awards

Ford ties Toyota in Strategic Vision 2008 Total Quality Awards originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 May 2008 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyundai tops in Strategic Vision Total Quality Awards, Toyota a no show

John Neff — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 14:02:00 EST

Filed under: Hyundai, Toyota

Strategic Vision has released its results for the 2007 Total Quality Awards, and the final tally is a bit surprising. For the first time ever, Hyundai has risen to share the position of having the most models leading a segment, along with Nissan. Both brands had three models with the top Total Quality Index (TQI) score in their segments, including the Hyundai Azera, Entourage, Santa Fe and Nissan Maxima, Quest, and Titan. The other surprise is that Toyota, long a leader in perceived quality, led no segments, though its vehicles still improved their TQI scores.

We like the Strategic Vision Total Quality Awards because they attempt to measure more than just the number of problems per vehicle. Vehicles that are more likely to make emotional connections with their owners tend to earn better TQI scores, for instance. That's why, according to the report, the VW Rabbit beat out other strong contenders in the small car class like the Honda Fit, Nissan Versa and Toyota Yaris.

You can check out all the segment leaders after the jump, and view all the rankings by clicking here.

[Source: Strategic Vision]

Continue reading Hyundai tops in Strategic Vision Total Quality Awards, Toyota a no show

Hyundai tops in Strategic Vision Total Quality Awards, Toyota a no show originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Jun 2007 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Strategic Vision survey favors Honda and GM

Frank Filipponio — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 18:33:00 EST

Filed under: GM, Honda, Toyota

Strategic Vision just released its list of top automotive brands and models and it looks like Toyota slipped a bit while Honda held strong and GM moved up. Strategic Vision is a marketing research company that consults with automakers on vehicle values. Through surveys, they questioned more than 64,000 new vehicle owners about their experiences and whether they believe they got their money's worth. The study is unique in that it also incorporates emotional responses to vehicles.

Honda stayed on top in the overall rankings as the best full-line automaker, which is no surprise. General Motors, however, won four categories and was the only domestic automaker with a segment-topping vehicle. Toyota, had seven winners in 2005, but managed only three categories this year. "One thing about Honda that is just really clear: They have the strongest brand equity of any brand out there," said Alexander Edwards, president of Strategic Vision's automotive research group. Honda's "perceived reliability and durability," helps boost the brand's value, Edwards added. The full list of segment winners can be found after the jump.

[Source: Detroit News]

Continue reading Strategic Vision survey favors Honda and GM

Strategic Vision survey favors Honda and GM originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 Oct 2006 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Podcast #33

John Neff — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 15:37:00 EST

Filed under: Podcasts

Sebastian Blanco, Editor of AutoblogGreen, joins me on the Autoblog Podcast this week as we talk about the results of the Strategic Vision Total Quality Awards and what they mean (if anything). We also spend time talking about diesel's day in the sun this past week as Audi made history by finishing the 24 Hours of Le Mans ahead of the pack with its oil-burning R10 racer. Sebastian helps us go through how the various automakers are preparing for more stringent diesel emissions standards in the coming year and we don't stop before asking what's all the fuss over ethanol.

Get the podcast
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Hosts
John Neff and Sebastian Blanco

Producer
John Neff

Length
23:05

Autoblog Podcast #33 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Jun 2006 15:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Strategic Vision Top Quality Award winners for 2006 announced

John Neff — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 10:29:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Trends, BMW, Dodge, Ford, GM, Honda

Another day, another trophy case full of quality awards to hand out, and this time the presenter is Strategic Vision, which had 29,000 vehicle owners rate their rides in various areas that encompass a product's positive characteristics, reliability, the dealership experience and the owner's emotional response. You can read the down and dirty of the rating process here.

The domestics have a lot to be happy about here considering GM secured a win in five segments, giving it more TQAs than any other manufacturer. Ford only had one segment win, but it was the Fusion in the hotly contested Medium Car category, which counts for something. The Dodge Charger and Magnum both brought an award home for Chrysler, as well. The highest rated vehicle in any segment was the BMW 7-Series and, whaddya know, the Honda Ridgeline can add another notch to its bedpost for winning the Full-Size Pickup segment.

Check out a list of all the TQA winners here.

Strategic Vision Top Quality Award winners for 2006 announced originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Jun 2006 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Automotive awards -- what do they really mean?

Joel Arellano — Tue, 30 May 2006 13:03:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., Marketing/Advertising

Greg Melville of Money Magazine cautions car-buyers to reconsider when they hear and read about vehicle awards. In a new article, he addresses the strengths and weakness of the following award givers point-by-point:

J.D. Power & Associates
Melville finds the organization's consumer interviews for their quality surveys to be top notch. However, he maintains the company's 90-day results are irrelevant, and feels the three year results are more informative to consumers.

Strategic Vision
Surveys on buyers' emotional reactions to vehicles, writes Melville, are best left to the buyer since they'll know if they like the car. Or not. Also, choosing a vehicle based on which award it did not win (Vision has 23 categories!) does not inform buyers about specific details like reliability.

R.L. Polk & Co.
Melville believes people's long-term buying habits do not reveal anything meaningful about a car's quality or desirability (e.g., the Saturn Ion and the Mercury Grand Marquis have high loyalty ratings).

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Despite the different--and changing--methodology of both organizations, car buyers should seriously consider their safety ratings.

More details at the link. Curiously, Melville does not discuss what is arguably the buyer's best-known survey and data collection organization, Consumer Reports.

What do you think of Melville's evaluation?

[Source: Money via CNN.com]

Related: J.D. Power revamp should swing quality ratings
Consumer Reports Auto: Two dissenting views
TrueDelta questions quality of JD Power methodology

Automotive awards -- what do they really mean? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 May 2006 13:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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