Posted on 08/09/2007 4:09:37 PM PDT by beancounter13
DETROIT (AP) -- Buick tied with Lexus as the highest-ranking brand in a closely watched study of vehicle dependability, marking the first time in 12 years that Lexus has shared the top award, J.D. Power and Associates said Thursday.
Cadillac, Mercury and Honda rounded out the top five brands in the annual survey, which measures problems experienced by the original owners of three-year-old vehicles. Both Buick and Lexus had 145 problems per 100 vehicles. The worst-performing brand, Land Rover, had 398 problems. The industry average was 216 problems, down from 227 problems in last year's survey.
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I once drove buick rivieras, until the transmissions went out..
Alot of the new GM’s are pretty sharp looking.
And I once drove a Mercedes, until the engine blew up. Cars are mechanical things, and all cars will give problems once-in-a-while. I think that is why studies like this are important. They give us an overall idea of how the products perform in general.
true, however buick no longer makes the riviera..
Looks like the yahboes at Land Rover have been hitting the local Pubs early and often.
Yes, and that is a shame. I am hoping that if the Lucernes and Enclaves are able to stabilize the Buick plate, they might eventually be able to re-enter the market for coupes. It really is one step-at-a-time for the moment. There are already so many people saying that Buick and Pontiac should follow Oldsmobile which would disappoint me.
I am happy to see Cadillac also make the top five —giving GM two plates in the list— but I have always thought Cadillac was a little too square in its design.
Sat in an Aurora. I think it was a Buick, but I am not sure about that. It was like sitting in a spaceship. Don’t know if it is driveable, but it sure was comfortable.
I share your concern. I’ve owned (and sold) GM’s. The most reliable car I’ve owned was an ‘85 Buick Regal.
You would think that Buick would move a little quicker in making their fleet a little more hip since they’ve been sponsoring Tiger Woods.
You get behind one, and the guy driving it is going 10-25 miles UNDER the speed limit. And about 80 percent of those Buick drivers turn out to be senior citizens well into their 80s. Old men love their old Buicks it seems. Those Buick drivers who turn out to be around my age? They too drive their Buicks 10-25 miles under the speed limit. What is it about that car that makes them drive so slow? When I get stuck behind a Buick in traffic, I KNOW I'm in for a slooooow drive.
BTW, I drive a Lexus. For real.
but who would want a
bu-ick?
Still, I agree that it, too, is a nice-looking car.
As for me, I am quite happy with my Lucerne CXS --even though I would have preferred they just labeled it Electra-- of course, that is just the Texan shining through!
The Chevy Impala/Caprice was a cash cow. They dropped it.
Olds made fantastic cars, the line was dropped.
Boo-ick caters to the >70 crowd who will be dead in a few years.
Clever moves, eh?
Don’t bring your Lexus to Texas —it might not keep up with my Buick!
Around here, most Lexus drivers with their gray hair make me feel like a teenager again.
I just bought a new car last week and I referred to the 2006 JD Powers list during my search. Mercury was number two last year (behind Lexus), and I really wanted to buy a Mariner but I just couldn’t get past the cheesiness of the interior trim. Too bad, ‘cuz it could be a great car.
I went with a Ford Edge instead and so far like the car just fine. We’ll have to see about long term reliability. Last year Ford was slightly above average for dependability.
BTW, I traded in a 2000 Mercury Sable wagon on the deal. Now that was a great car.
Well, despite the demographics, I drove Buicks for over 10 years in my 40’s.
Back in the late 80’s, GM, Ford and Chrysler commissioned a study called “zero defects”. It was supposed to reveal why Toyota had a 60% lowed fect rate then US cars. The answer? Unions.
There is little doubt that GM has made many management blunders over the years —the biggest being the blurring of its brands.
For example, Cadillac should NEVER have been allowed to market a truck, SUV or otherwise, and Cadillac’s entry-level sedan should be presently priced around $100k —no less. This would leave the $50k-100k price point for Buick, the $30k-50k price point for Olds, and the below $30k for Chevrolet. If those segments were still held, GM’s quality would not have slipped over the years as the prices would have paid for top-notch materials and workmanship.
Saturn should have been left to its original purpose —cheap, hi-quality cars to compete head-on with the imports.
sw
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