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Porsche is tops in satisfaction survey

By TOM KRISHER, Associated Press
Published June 29, 2006

DETROIT - Porsche AG and other high-end auto brands performed best in the annual J.D. Power and Associates study of satisfaction after 90 days of ownership, but domestic companies showed improvement.

Porsche topped J.D. Power's 11th annual survey, which measures performance, layout appeal and customer satisfaction with cars three months after they were driven off the dealers' lots.

Ford Motor Co.'s Lincoln brand was ranked 11th, highest among the domestic nameplates, and two Ford cars were the best in their classes.

Luxury automakers such as BMW AG's BMW brand, DaimlerChrysler AG's Mercedes-Benz, Toyota Motor Co.'s Lexus, Nissan Motor Co.'s Infiniti and Audi AG, Volkswagen AG's luxury arm, all finished at the top of the survey, according to results released Wednesday.

The results are important to automakers because cars with better exteriors, interiors and driving appeal draw customers and sell faster for more money, said Joe Ivers, J.D. Power's executive director of quality and customer satisfaction research.

Newly launched vehicles also performed better, with consumers less-satisfied with older models or those that have been freshened from previous years, J.D. Power said.

The survey puts pressure on manufacturers, especially domestic companies, to launch their new models without problems, Ivers said.

"Sometimes the domestics tend to age prematurely compared to the other brands," Ivers said.

In the large pickup category, the Nissan Titan took first, while Honda Motor Co.'s Ridgeline was tops in mid-sized pickups.

In large cars, Hyundai Motor Co.'s Azera bested the Chrysler 300 and the Dodge Charger, which have finished strong in past years, Ivers said.

The Suzuki Motor Corp.'s Aerio won for subcompacts, while the BMW-owned MINI Cooper was the top compact car.

The Lexus IS 250/IS 350 won the entry premium car class, while the Infiniti M-Series took first in the midsized premium car category.

Ford's Mustang topped the mid-size sporty car category, while the Ford Fusion won the mid-sized car class.

"The Fusion I find noteworthy because the domestics for years have shown a lack of innovation in product development of cars," Ivers said.

Porsche led in all areas that matter most in the study, including exterior styling, driving dynamics, and engine and transmission. The brand was helped by its quality, which ranked No. 1 in J.D. Power's initial quality survey.

Volkswagen scored highest of brands considered to be nonluxury, finishing 14th overall with strong performances by its new Jetta and Passat models, Ivers said.

J.D. Power of Westlake Village, Calif., based its APEAL study on responses from more than 63,000 people who bought or leased 2006 models.

[Last modified June 29, 2006, 05:41:35]