Domestic Brands Find Owner 'Love' In Quality Study

Choose a domestic-brand car, like the 2013 Dodge Dart or 2013 Ford Fusion, and you might actually be in love.

That's what the latest study results from the market-research firm Strategic Vision suggest. The Dart, along with the Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Durango, Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, Chrysler 200 Convertible, Ford Fusion, and Chevrolet Corvette were all Total Quality winners in their segments.

For the first time in more than a decade, domestic brands captured many of the top spots in Strategic Vision's Total Quality Index (TQI), based on a multi-faceted approach that counts vehicle issues as well as “multiple aspects of influence and perception that customers use as a base for all their decisions.”

The company asks owners about their vehicle ownership experience after several months of ownership, and allows “I love it” as the best possible response, followed by “Delightful,” then “Excellent,” “Satisfactory,” or “A Failure.”

As the firm has argued in the past, TQI is relevant in pointing out how well the company is doing in delivering the products that customers want; and it can function as a measure in showing how well an automaker's products are doing in satisfying consumer desires, not just functional needs.

Volkswagen of America did the best overall among corporations, for the eighth consecutive year, while Audi and Lexus tied for the best individual brand. Ford Motor Company, General Motors, and Hyundai Motor Corporation were locked in a 'statistical tie' for the following spots.

For Strategic Vision's 17 different categories of vehicles, here's the full list of 2013 Total Quality Index winners:

Dodge Dart
Kia Soul
Ford Fusion / Chevrolet Volt
Honda Crosstour
Volkswagen CC
Hyundai Genesis / Audi A4 Sedan
Lexus LS
MINI Cooper Hardtop
Chevrolet Corvette Coupe
Chrysler 200 Convertible
Chevrolet Corvette Convertible / Porsche Boxster
Chrysler Town & Country
Volkswagen Tiguan / Toyota FJ Cruiser
Dodge Durango
Chevrolet Traverse
GMC Yukon
Buick Enclave

 

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