For people currently shopping for a new car, the big news in the J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) that measures long-term reliability is that General Motors had more first-place models and top-three finishes than any other car company.
In the study that asked 50,635 Americans how the vehicles they bought in the winter of 2002 had fared over three years, GM cars and light trucks were judged the "most dependable" in eight of the 19 categories and had 18 top-three finishes.
Ford Motor Company vehicles top the top spot in five categories, it is also worth nothing, while Toyota won four, though three of them were for the Japanese firm's luxury Lexus. That means only one Toyota model was named the most dependable in its category, which matches the record of Honda and Mazda in this study.
People who believe that Japanese cars always have better quality than American cars will be interested to note that Chevrolet had four number one models, more than those three famous Japanese brands combined.
For buyers of new and used vehicles in general, the general direction of automotive quality continues to get better. According to Power, the industry showed "an impressive 12 percent improvement in long-term vehicle quality."
But the best news of all is that the study proves that just about every brand on the market is building vehicles that record fewer than three problems over three years, and that those problems rarely have anything to do with a vehicle's reliability.
For the most part, Power says, the problems people make note of include things like wind noise, how stereo control knobs work, brake feel (not stopping ability), and even fuel economy. There are of course still vehicles that won't start or stop running or generally cause real frustration or anxiety, but they seem to be more rare than ever.
Chance Parker, the executive-director of product and research analysis at J.D. Power, says, "At the industry level, manufacturers have made a considerable leap in quality, with improvements across all categories."
That means the industry average improves 32 problems per 100 vehicles compared to 2004. "In addition," says Parker, "nearly all nameplates and 84 percent of vehicle models included in the 2005 VDS also record year-over-year improvements."
The categories showing the most significant improvements in 2005 include ride, handling and braking, engine, and interior.
According to J.D. Power's long-term reliability survey, the top-three most dependable vehicles in order of finish in each segment are:
Compact car: Chevrolet Prizm, Toyota Echo, and Toyota Prius.
Entry mid-size: Chevrolet Malibu, Oldsmobile Alero, and Hyundai Sonata.
Premium mid-size: Buick Century, Buick Regal and Toyota Avalon.
Full-size car: Buick LeSabre, Ford Crown Victoria, and Mercury Grand Marquis.
Entry luxury car: Ford Thunderbird, Lincoln LS, Infiniti I35
Mid-luxury car: Lincoln Town Car, Lexus GS300/GS430, and Buick Park Avenue.
Premium luxury car: Lexus LS 430, Lexus SC 430, and Cadillac Eldorado.
In the study that asked 50,635 Americans how the vehicles they bought in the winter of 2002 had fared over three years, GM cars and light trucks were judged the "most dependable" in eight of the 19 categories and had 18 top-three finishes.
Ford Motor Company vehicles top the top spot in five categories, it is also worth nothing, while Toyota won four, though three of them were for the Japanese firm's luxury Lexus. That means only one Toyota model was named the most dependable in its category, which matches the record of Honda and Mazda in this study.
People who believe that Japanese cars always have better quality than American cars will be interested to note that Chevrolet had four number one models, more than those three famous Japanese brands combined.
For buyers of new and used vehicles in general, the general direction of automotive quality continues to get better. According to Power, the industry showed "an impressive 12 percent improvement in long-term vehicle quality."
But the best news of all is that the study proves that just about every brand on the market is building vehicles that record fewer than three problems over three years, and that those problems rarely have anything to do with a vehicle's reliability.
For the most part, Power says, the problems people make note of include things like wind noise, how stereo control knobs work, brake feel (not stopping ability), and even fuel economy. There are of course still vehicles that won't start or stop running or generally cause real frustration or anxiety, but they seem to be more rare than ever.
Chance Parker, the executive-director of product and research analysis at J.D. Power, says, "At the industry level, manufacturers have made a considerable leap in quality, with improvements across all categories."
That means the industry average improves 32 problems per 100 vehicles compared to 2004. "In addition," says Parker, "nearly all nameplates and 84 percent of vehicle models included in the 2005 VDS also record year-over-year improvements."
The categories showing the most significant improvements in 2005 include ride, handling and braking, engine, and interior.
According to J.D. Power's long-term reliability survey, the top-three most dependable vehicles in order of finish in each segment are:
Compact car: Chevrolet Prizm, Toyota Echo, and Toyota Prius.
Entry mid-size: Chevrolet Malibu, Oldsmobile Alero, and Hyundai Sonata.
Premium mid-size: Buick Century, Buick Regal and Toyota Avalon.
Full-size car: Buick LeSabre, Ford Crown Victoria, and Mercury Grand Marquis.
Entry luxury car: Ford Thunderbird, Lincoln LS, Infiniti I35
Mid-luxury car: Lincoln Town Car, Lexus GS300/GS430, and Buick Park Avenue.
Premium luxury car: Lexus LS 430, Lexus SC 430, and Cadillac Eldorado.