Buick Beats BMW in New Car Rankings, Survey Says

Biz Yahoo ^ | 3-09-04 | Karen Lundegaard @ WSJ

[q_an_a]

For the first time in 25 years, the influential Consumer Reports magazine says the reliability of Detroit car and truck brands is now slightly better, on average, than European brands, Tuesday's Wall Street Journal reported.

Prestigious European brands Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volkswagen, Audi, Volvo, Mini and Jaguar all ranked below average for reliability in 2003, based on results from the magazine's annual subscriber survey, which this year got 675,000 responses.

For cars less than a year old, the average problem rate for European cars was 20 per 100 vehicles, compared with 18 problems per 100 for traditional U.S. brands, such as Buick, Saturn or Dodge. U.S. makers still significantly trail Japanese and Korean auto makers, though. Asian auto makers held steady at 12 problems per 100 in the latest survey.

The findings are part of the magazine's annual Auto Issue, which makes buying recommendations based on the survey results as well as its own months-long hands-on tests. The issue circulates to 5.4 million subscribers and an additional 300,000 newsstand buyers.

Consumer Reports is one of the most influential sources of consumer information on new vehicles in the U.S. The magazine also noted that more vehicles are getting high marks for safety. The magazine said 21 sedans had "excellent" safety ratings, compared with just nine three years ago, while 11 SUV models got excellent ratings compared with two just three years earlier.

Wall Street Journal Staff Reporter Karen Lundegaard contributed to this report

[AreaMan]

I wonder if the troublesome EuroCars are from the U.S. plants?

[Made In The USA]

Gotta love "The General" taking a beach head in the automotive wars!

Can't wait for spring to break out my summer sports car - a PONTIAC.

[MrB]

The obvious answer is that reliability is a direct inverse correlation to the country's embracing of communism and unions.

[AreaMan]

I agree.

[Teacher317]

For cars less than a year old, the average problem rate
for European cars was 20 per 100 vehicles,
compared with 18 problems per 100 for traditional U.S. brands...
Asian auto makers held steady at 12 problems per 100 in the latest survey.

We still have a ways to go, yet.

[-YYZ-]

Yeah, and the South Korean brands are probably pulling down the overall numbers for Asian auto makers - I'll bet the best Japanese manufacturers have numbers in the single digits.

Still, both European and US car makers have come a long way since the 70s and early 80s. Expensive European cars, although nice looking and fun to drive, used to be infamous for their variety of problems, possibly worse than US cars of the time.

OTOH, while problems in the first year are an indicator of quality, they aren't necessarily an indicator of the long-term reliability and durability of a vehicle.

[traumer]

I wonder about this 'survey'...

[wardaddy]

Is this a USATODAY poll?

[One_American]

My Name's Harley Earl, and I've come back (to sell you a Buick)

[q_an_a]

I did not have time to reply to your comment, yesterday. You would think that making quality would have been a lesson learned in the 80s when Japan Inc. became so tough. But 20 years later Chrysler and all of Europe is falling behind the INC. folks. Ford is alive because of pickup trucks and GM is dead, but still walking. With new pickups made in the USA by Toyota, watch for Ford and Dodge to drop more.