and auto motor und sport/autostrassenverkehr Report: For the First Time, Honda is the Most Satisfying Brand to Own in Germany Toyota s Green Prius Leads Customer Satisfaction Rankings FRANKFURT: 10 July 2007 For the first time, Honda ranks highest among automotive brands in satisfying new-car owners in the J.D. Power and Associates released today in cooperation with auto motor und sport/autostrassenverkehr. The study, now in its sixth year, is based on evaluations of more than 20,000 vehicle owners in Germany after an average of two years of ownership. The study includes 27 brands and 112 models. Owners provide detailed evaluations of their vehicles and dealers, which cover 77 attributes grouped in four measurements of satisfaction. In order of importance, they are: quality and reliability (30%); vehicle appeal (25%), which includes performance, design, comfort and features; service satisfaction (23%); and ownership costs (22%), which includes fuel consumption, costs of service/repair and insurance. In the nameplate rankings, Honda ranks highest for the first time, receiving a customer satisfaction score of 848 index points on a 1,000-point scale. Honda receives particularly high ratings in all four key measures. Following Honda in the rankings is Toyota with 847 points. Toyota performs particularly well in two measures: quality/reliability and ownership costs, while Subaru performs very well in service satisfaction. Subaru, BMW, Mazda, Volvo, Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Škoda also perform above the industry average in overall customer satisfaction. Since the launch of the Germany CSI Study in 2002, Honda has steadily improved its performance, including a notable increase of 10 index points between the 2006 and 2007 studies, said Martin Volk, senior research manager at J.D. Power and Associates in Europe. However, even at the highest level, there is still room for improvement in delivering an exceptional customer experience. Highlighting the growing focus on environmentally friendly cars, the Toyota Prius ranks highest among all models in the study with an index score of 892. The Prius performs particularly well in the ownership costs and quality/reliability measures. For the first time, a hybrid car has come out on top of the model rankings, said Volk. It is particularly notable that the Toyota Prius also receives high ratings from its customers for day-to-day operating costs and build quality. Toyota captures three top model awards, while Honda earns two model awards and BMW captures one. The awardees in each of the study s six vehicle segments are: Toyota Yaris Verso (small car) Toyota Prius (lower medium) Honda Accord (upper medium) BMW 5 Series (executive/luxury) Toyota Corolla Verso (MPV), which earns an award for a second consecutive year Honda CR-V (SUV) Volkswagen is the most improved nameplate in 2007, increasing 25 points from 2006. German premium brands BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi also show a strong performance, each improving by at least 10 index points. (Page 1 of 2)
We notice a strong positive trend for the German brands BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen this year, said David Lauth, managing director of J.D. Power and Associates in Munich, Germany. All three brands have effectively addressed customer product quality concerns from previous years, and indeed, product quality is driving higher customer satisfaction, together with an improving dealer service network. J.D. Power and Associates conducts CSI studies around the world, including Europe (France, Germany, United Kingdom); North America (Canada, Mexico, United States); Asia Pacific (China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand); and Africa (South Africa). More comprehensive study results are published in the July 11, 2007 issue of AUTOStrassenverkehr. A summary overview on premium brands can be found in the July 4, 2007 edition of auto motor und sport. About J.D. Power and Associates With European offices in Guildford, UK, for research operations, and Munich, Germany, for client support and consulting solutions, and world headquarters in Westlake Village, California, U.S.A., J.D. Power and Associates is an ISO 9001-registered global marketing information services firm operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, training and customer satisfaction. The firm s quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies. About The McGraw-Hill Companies Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor s, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2006 were $6.3 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com. Media Relations Contacts: Dennis Bartel Michelle Curley/Emma Noble Cohn & Wolfe Torhaus Westhafen Cohn & Wolfe Speicherstrasse 59 30 Orange Street D-60327 Frankfurt am Main London WC2H 7LZ Germany United Kingdom Phone: +49 (0)69 7506 1299 Phone: +44 (0)20 7331 5389 / 5366 dennis_bartel@de.cohnwolfe.com michelle_curley@uk.cohnwolfe.com John Tews J.D. Power and Associates 5435 Corporate Drive, Suite 300 Troy, MI, U.S.A., 48098 Phone: +1 248 312-4119 john.tews@jdpa.com This press release is provided for editorial use only. No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of J.D. Power J.D. Power and Associates press releases and media information can also be accessed at www.jdpower.com. # # # (Page 2 of 2) NOTE: Three charts follow.
Overall CSI Nameplate Ranking (Based on a 1,000-point scale) Honda Toyota Subaru BMW Mazda Volvo Audi Mercedes-Benz Škoda Industry Average MINI Mitsubishi Opel Volkswagen Hyundai Ford Nissan Alfa Romeo Fiat Seat Renault Citroën Peugeot Kia Suzuki Chrysler smart Chevrolet 763 762 759 848 847 832 831 831 827 817 816 806 805 803 798 798 795 793 792 789 786 783 782 778 NOTE: Included in the study but not ranked due to small sample size are: Daihatsu, Jaguar, Jeep, Land Rover, Lexus, Porsche and Saab. Source: J.D. Power and Associates
Top Three Models per Segment Overall CSI Small Car Toyota Yaris Verso Honda Jazz Toyota Yaris 837 873 Lower Medium Car Toyota Prius Honda Civic Toyota Corolla 849 845 892 Upper Medium Car Honda Accord Škoda Superb Toyota Avensis 872 864 856 Executive/Luxury Car BMW 5 Series Audi A6 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 840 830 824 MPV Toyota Corolla Verso Mazda 5 Mercedes-Benz B-Class 832 842 SUV Honda CR-V Toyota RAV4 BMW X3 841 837 Source: J.D. Power and Associates
Composition of the 2007 Germany Customer Satisfaction Index Vehicle Quality and Reliability 30% Problems experienced with the vehicle across nine areas: Engine Transmission Ride, handling and braking Vehicle interior Features and controls Seats HVAC (heating, ventilation and cooling) Sound system Vehicle exterior Vehicle Appeal 25% Satisfaction with the vehicle s performance, design, function and styling across eight areas: Engine and transmission Ride, handling and braking Cockpit and instrument panel Comfort and convenience Seats HVAC (heating, ventilation and cooling) Sound system Vehicle styling/exterior Ownership Costs 22% Fuel consumption Insurance Cost of service/repairs Service Satisfaction 23% Service Initiation Service adviser Dealership facility Vehicle pick-up Service quality Source: J.D. Power and Associates