San Diego, California – Ford and Toyota have tied with three vehicles each for leading in the most segments on Strategic Vision’s Total Quality Index. The report, issued by the San Diego-based research firm, is based on the ratings by new vehicle owners in 19 product segments. Toyota also had two wins for associated brands, Lexus and Scion (a brand not sold in Canada), while Ford added wins on behalf of Mercury (not sold in Canada) and Volvo.
The report asks buyers to rate all aspects of the ownership experience, from buying and owning to performance and driving, and is more than just counting problems. “Innovation and thoughtfulness in functionality and design, keeping in mind how the customers will interact and use the vehicle, is essential,” said Dr. Darrel Edwards, founder and CEO of Strategic Vision. “Vehicles like the Volvo C30 and Toyota Sequoia are both terrific examples of providing customers with this ‘functional luxury’ in a very stylish design, suggesting quality both on the inside and out.”
The top-rated vehicles in each segment, with their score out of 1,000 points, were (all prices U.S.):
- Small car: Toyota Yaris (860)
- Small multi-function: Scion xB (876)
- Medium car: Volkswagen Jetta (911)
- Large car: Mercury Sable (877)
- Near-luxury car: Chrysler 300C (927)
- Luxury car: Mercedes-Benz S-Class (950)
- Small specialty under $25,000: Volvo C30 (908)
- Convertible under $30,000: Ford Mustang (896)
- Convertible over $30,000: Chevrolet Corvette (940), Mercedes-Benz SL-Class (939)
- Minivan: Honda Odyssey (864)
- Small SUV: Hyundai Santa Fe (866)
- Medium Crossover: Ford Edge (877)
- Medium SUV: Toyota 4Runner (891)
- Large SUV: Toyota Sequoia (897)
- Near-luxury SUV: Lexus RX350 (913), Land Rover LR2 (912)
- Luxury SUV: BMW X5 (907)
- Standard pickup: Honda Ridgeline (878)
- Large pickup: Chevrolet Avalanche 1500/Silverado 1500 (880 each)
- Heavy-duty pickup: Ford F250/F350 (863)
