Will buyer recommendations match long-term vehicle performance?
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2008 Toyota Avalon Limited
Mainstream media has an insatiable appetite for surveys, studies, polls and lists. Not a day goes by without a barrage of this fast food for the modern mind. But let’s face it — we’ve become survey, poll and Top 10 junkies and we can’t get enough of them.
They are particularly prevalent in the automotive world. The past decades have seen the birth and proliferation of surveys and studies on all aspects of the automotive experience, from judging initial quality and reliability to the ranking of the top family-friendly features and must-have safety equipment.
For the past 13 years, AutoPacific has been measuring how satisfied buyers are with their new vehicle a few weeks or months after their purchase. Its best-known public work is the Vehicle Satisfaction Awards, the results of which were recently announced for 2009 model-year vehicles.
The VSAs are based on an eight-page questionnaire that covers 48 separate vehicle attributes. This year, the form was completed and returned by more than 25,000 consumers who had acquired a new 2009 model between September and December 2008.
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2010 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport
AutoPacific then generates a separate list from that survey, based on a single question of whether or not you, the buyer, would recommend the car you are so satisfied with to family or friends. From those responses, AutoPacific compiled — surprise, surprise — a list of the top 10 most recommended cars specifically for MSN. The order is based on the percentage of respondents, highest to lowest, that would recommend their vehicles.
Top 10: Perception Versus Reality
Since these recommendations are based on a single question, we were interested in how they compare with the findings of the VSA study that examines the “ownership experience” in much greater detail. After all, both studies are based on the answers of the same 25,000 respondents.
Furthermore, we cross-referenced the results with other surveys and studies aimed at consumers, including the most recently published editions of J.D. Power and Associates’ respected Vehicle Dependability and Initial Quality studies, to see if vehicles on the Most Recommended and VSA rosters also perform well in terms of quality and reliability.
Finally, we compared the most-recommended list with the most recent reliability, satisfaction and overall ratings published by Consumer Reports for 2009 model-year vehicles, as well as to MSN’s own comprehensive automobile reviews.
We were looking for validation that perception and reality are not mutually exclusive when recommending a given model. Here’s what we found.
Infiniti G37
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2009 Infiniti G37
Percentage of owners polled by AutoPacific who recommend:
95 percent
What the studies say: It is a CR "Top Pick" for upscale sedans. In fact, the Infiniti G37 is "one of the highest-rated sedans” the magazine has ever tested, scoring 95 out of 100 possible points. And CR’s accolades are mirrored by top-tier scores in J.D. Power’s dependability and initial quality studies.
MSN evaluation: According to MSN Autos, the G37 is a fine alternative to luxury sedans from BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Its strengths include good looks, willing power, a premium interior with useful space and available all-wheel drive. Add in prices lower than those of the more established brands, and the G37 should be on everyone’s shopping list.
Does perception meet reality? Yes
Read: Car and Driver Review of the 2009 Infiniti G37
Hyundai Genesis Sedan
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2009 Hyundai Genesis
Percentage of owners who recommend: 94 percent
What the studies say: The South Korean carmaker’s first luxury sedan was chosen as both the North American and Canadian Car of the Year. The Genesis was also recognized as one of the top all-new 2009 models in terms of initial quality and is CR’s highest-scoring upscale sedan.
MSN evaluation: Hyundai moves successfully up-market with the Genesis sedan, the company’s best car yet. It aspires to take on the likes of the BMW 5-Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedans, but is priced closer to the Chrysler 300 and Pontiac G8. It has a good performance, lots of amenities, willing power and a smooth ride.
Does perception meet reality? Yes
Read: Review: 2009 Hyundai Genesis
BMW 1-Series
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2009 BMW 1-Series
Percentage of owners who recommend: 94 percent
What the studies say: In only its second year, the BMW 1-Series is too new to figure in J.D. Power’s latest dependability study or get the coveted “Recommended” mention from CR. On the other hand, it tested highest of all models in the magazine’s “sporty cars” category, with an exceptional score of 97 out of 100. Proven mechanical components should make the reliability ratings a cinch in the next round.
MSN evaluation: Available as a coupe or convertible, the 1-Series has all the exceptional goodness of the class-defining 3-Series in a smaller and more affordable package, albeit with tighter rear seating and less striking exterior styling. Top-range 135i versions are hot rods, powered by BMW’s 300-horsepower twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six, but the 128i coupe is a remarkably sweet car — and a well-kept secret in the market — with the standard manual gearbox.
Does perception meet reality? Yes
View Slideshow: Top 10 Convertibles for 2009
Watch Video: Test Drive: 2009 BMW 1-Series
Read: Flash Drive: 2009 BMW 128i convertible
Chevrolet Corvette
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2010 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport
Percentage of owners who recommend: 94 percent
What the studies say: The Corvette was AutoPacific’s most recommended “premium sports car,” ranked second in the “sports car” category of its 2009 VSA study, and third in the “premium sporty car” category of J.D. Power’s latest dependability study. The Z06, with its 505-horsepower V8 engine, even got a nod from CR as one of its four “most satisfying” cars to drive. Unfortunately, it also received a “much worse than average” reliability rating from the magazine. The worst culprit: body integrity.
MSN evaluation: The Corvette has arguably been Chevy’s best designed and best engineered car overall since the introduction of the fifth-generation C5 in 1997. The current-generation C6 has improved further in all respects. And the new ZR1, with its 638-horsepower supercharged engine and Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes, undoubtedly is the world’s best supercar value in spite of the disappointing interior finish.
Does perception meet reality? Hard to say — reliability might be a concern.
Watch Video: Test Drive: 2009 Chevrolet Corvette
Read: Review: 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
Discuss: When you are considering a car purchase, how important are opinions and ratings from current owners and/or professionals? If you were considering a certain vehicle but then learned of low recommendations from polls and surveys, would they change your purchase decision?
Cadillac CTS
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2009 Cadillac CTS-V
Percentage of owners who recommend: 92 percent
What the studies say: The Cadillac CTS is tied for second place with Infiniti G-Series in both the “entry premium vehicles” class of J.D. Power’s latest long-term dependability study and the 2009 Initial Quality Study for “entry premium vehicles.” On the other hand, it gets middling test scores and a “below average” reliability rating from CR.
MSN evaluation: The CTS has been in the hunt since it entered the near-luxury sedan battle in 2003, and more so after a successful revamp that improved quality, interior, handling and performance for the 2008 model year. The second-generation CTS-V version, powered by a 556-horsepower supercharged V8, can run with Europe’s best sports sedans or purr quietly down the road for much less money.
Volkswagen Jetta
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2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI
Percentage of owners who recommend: 92 percent
What the studies say: The VW Jetta was the most recommended midsize car and the third-most satisfying in AutoPacific’s most recent studies. It also gets the “Recommended” mention from CR in spite of its “average” reliability rating. The new TDI sedan is the magazine’s third-highest-scoring “entry-level family sedan,” but its direct-injection turbocharged 2.0-liter diesel engine is too new to be rated for reliability.
MSN evaluation: The Jetta sedan is an attractive, fun-to-drive, roomy and practical car with clear and well-laid-out instruments and controls. The SportWagen version, new for 2009, has the same basic virtues and is a stylish, affordable and agile alternative to CUVs, SUVs and minivans. Both cars are exceptionally frugal, with the smooth, modern, odor-free and smokeless TDI diesel, which returns up to 41 mpg on the highway.
Does perception meet reality? Yes
Read: Review: 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Clean Diesel
Toyota Avalon
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2009 Toyota Avalon Limited
Percentage of owners who recommend: 92 percent.
What the studies say: The Toyota Avalon ranks second in J.D. Power’s 2009 Initial Quality Study, third among “large cars” in the AutoPacific VSA study and third best among “upscale sedans,” according to CR.
MSN evaluation: The Avalon is an unapologetically big, spacious, cushy, well-equipped and conservatively styled sedan aimed at buyers looking for maximum content and value for their dollar, with minimum frills and gadgetry. Its 3.5-liter 268-horsepower V6 has plenty of zip for highway merging and will remain smooth and quiet as you cruise along, sipping gas at a rated 28 mpg. Toyota has more or less perfected the big American sedan of old with the Avalon. Adrenaline junkies and sport sedan fanatics need not apply.
Does perception meet reality? Yes
Read: Car and Driver Review of the 2009 Toyota Avalon
Acura TL
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2009 Acura TL
Percentage of owners who recommend: 92 percent
What the studies say: Fully redesigned for 2009, the Acura TL sedan is rated fifth in the “aspirational luxury car” category in the VSA study. CR rates it among the best upscale sedans overall. The magazine gives it kudos for performance, fuel economy, fit and finish, safety and above-average reliability.
MSN evaluation: The TL has long been a solid choice and excellent value in near-luxury sedans, but this year’s redesign has yielded spacey and rakish exterior styling that is unquestionably polarizing. Acura has built on the car’s existing strengths and upped performance with a 3.7-liter 305-horsepower V6 engine, also making it available with its excellent all-wheel-drive system.
Does perception meet reality? Maybe — the exterior styling might be a deal-breaker
Read: Review: 2009 Acura TL
Toyota Prius
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2010 Toyota Prius
Percentage of owners who recommend: 92 percent
What the studies say: The Toyota Prius is the top-scoring “image compact car” in AutoPacific’s VSA study. It is also CR’s top “green car,” one of its highest-rated “entry-level family sedans” and one of its five most reliable vehicles. The mild-mannered Prius is also one of CR’s four “most satisfying models” alongside performance icons such as the Corvette Z06, MINI Cooper Clubman and Porsche 911.
MSN evaluation: The second-generation Prius was a solid step ahead of its pioneering predecessor in terms of ergonomics, practicality and driving feel, but most of all for the efficiency of its landmark hybrid powertrain. The extensively redesigned third-generation version that is being rolled out as a 2010 model has higher ambitions still, with more power and the promise of even better fuel economy.
Does perception meet reality? Yes
Read: The 10 Most Efficient Hybrids
Read: Car and Driver First Drive Review: 2010 Toyota Prius
Read: Road & Track First Drive Review: 2010 Toyota Prius
Discuss: When you are considering a car purchase, how important are opinions and ratings from current owners and/or professionals? If you were considering a certain vehicle but then learned of low recommendations from polls and surveys, would they change your purchase decision?
Volkswagen Passat
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2009 Volkswagen Passat
Percentage of owners who recommend: 92 percent
What the studies say: The VW Passat 2.0 sedan is ranked fourth out of 21 cars in the “family sedan” class by CR but does not get the magazine’s sought-after recommendation because of its “worse than average” reliability.
MSN evaluation: The Passat sedan and wagon are slick and elegant German-built cars at affordable prices. They are also roomy, practical and fun to drive, with well-equipped and well-crafted interiors.
Does perception meet reality? Maybe — with a caveat for uneven reliability.
Read: Consumer Reports Ratings Snapshot of the 2009 Volkswagen Passat sedan
Find more news about the AutoPacific Vehicle Satisfaction Awards on Bing
A professional auto journalist for more than 25 years and the founding editor of Sympatico / MSN Autos, Marc Lachapelle is a two-time winner of the Canadian Journalist of the Year award from the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada, an accomplished photographer and licensed racer.
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