Porsche tops quality survey for third year in a row; overall auto quality improves 6 per cent

05 June 2008

If there's one name synonymous with auto quality, it's Porsche. The iconic German band has just reinforced this belief by scooping up the title for the topmost quality brand in one of the most respected industry surveys, making the victory a hattrick of wins.

Porsche, the maker of the 911 sports car, had 87 problems per 100 new vehicles in the JD Power & Associates survey, followed by Nissan Motor Co.'s Infiniti luxury brand at 98 and Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lexus with 99. While the 911 retained its top spot from last year, the runner-up Infiniti managed to climb to its present position from ninth earlier.

As for multiple winners, Honda ruled the roost. The Japanese automaker had winners in three categories, more than any other brand, with its Fit, Civic and CR-V getting top honours in the subcompact, compact and compact sports utility vehicle (SUV) categories respectively. However, the brand ranked seventh overall with an average of 110 problems per 100 vehicles sold.

In the mass brands, Toyota scored the highest with its vehicles notching up a respectable score of 104 problems per 100 vehicles sold. In fact, it tied with luxury car maker Daimler AG's iconic Mercedes Benz brand for the fourth position on the list.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Chrysler's iconic Jeep brand was the worst performer, with a whopping 167 problems per 100 vehicles sold. It was followed by the Mini.

The Mercedes-BenzCLK-Class was the highest-ranked compact premium sporty car, while the Infiniti EX-Series was the highest-ranked entry premium vehicle.