US Car Perception Survey: Toyota and Honda at 1 and 2; Hyundai 4th in value

vasudeva · 13th January 2009, 17:20

In Jan 2009, Consumer Reports (CR) published the results of its brand perception survey for US market. This was based on a random, nationwide telephone survey conducted in Dec 2008. Survey data was collected from 1,745 adults in households that had at least one car.

As in 2008, Toyota topped the survey, followed by Honda, Ford, Cadillac, and Merc. Suzuki was at the last position followed by Mazda.

The survey is here:

Car brand perception vs reality: Consumer Reports Cars Blog

The ranking on various attributes:

SAFETY: Volvo, Ford, Honda, Toyota, Merc.

Safety was rated No. 1 by 25 percent of respondents. While consumers listed most of the same brands as last year among safety leaders, Subaru fell from the top five, while Mercedes-Benz joined the ranks.

Quality: Toyota, Honda, Merc, Lexus, Cadillac

Twenty-one percent of the respondents cited quality as a most significant factor in choosing a new vehicle. The quality of a vehicle speaks to not just its initial fit-and-finish impression, but to how well the model will hold up over time. Toyota and Honda are again perceived to lead in quality. In brand perception, Merc and Cadillac made the top-five list. But neither brand does particularly well in CR reliability rankings among brands.

VALUE: Honda, Toyota, Kia, Hyundai, Ford

Forty-nine percent of the survey’s respondents considered value as a leading factor in forming their perceptions. Consumers said that Honda delivers the best value. It scored 29 percent in 2009 and 30% in 2008 (score means % of respondents ranking it no. 1). Toyota shows an increase from 24% in 2008 to 27% in 2009. Just as those two brands shine for Quality, they also excel in Value. Honda and Toyota vehicles deliver better than average owner costs—buoyed by reliability and strong trade-in values—when compared with similar models, even those with lower purchase prices. While Kia was in top 5 in 2008 also, Hyundai made it to the top 5 because of appropriately -priced, competitive new products and long warranty coverage.

PERFORMANCE: Porsche, BMW, Toyota, Chevrolet, Ford

Porsche and BMW again top the performance category. Toyota has earned its placement in this ranking with increasingly powerful and fuel-efficient drivetrains. Chevrolet and Ford offer strong V6 and V8 engines.

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY/GREEN: Toyota, Honda, Chevrolet, Ford, GMC

Consumers are most likely to pin the green label on Toyota because of its Prius. It scored 49% (same as in 2008). Honda's score improved from 26% to 31%. Honda has long nurtured a reputation for good fuel economy and low emissions. Its current Civic hybrid will soon be joined by two more hybrids, the Insight four-door hatchback and the sporty CR-Z. Chevrolet and Ford have entry-level cars heavily promoted as being fuel efficient, though Aveo, Cobalt, and Focus trail some competitors in fuel economy.

DESIGN/STYLE: Lexus, Cadillac, Jaguar, BMW, Merc

Luxury brands have the most appealing designs. Lexus leads by a significant margin, showing an eight-percentage-point increase over last year despite a product line that has seen few changes. On the other hand, Mercedes-Benz slid, from 24 percent to 19 percent. Those moves might be influenced by new designs from Cadillac, Jaguar, and BMW.

TECHNOLOGY/INNOVATION: Toyota, Cadillac, Lexus, Honda, BMW

With a score of 34%, Toyota improves over 2008 score of 30%, and takes first position, because of Prius and other hybrid models. However, technology/Innovation is the lowest priority for general consumers when they are shopping for their next new car.

GTO · 14th January 2009, 11:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by vasudeva

This was based on a random, nationwide telephone survey conducted in Dec 2008.

According to me, that doesn't say a lot about the quality of this survey. For instance:

Quote:

SAFETY: Volvo, Ford, Honda, Toyota, Merc.

Ford ahead of Mercedes in safety?!

Quote:

Quality: Toyota, Honda, Merc, Lexus, Cadillac

Mercedes in third spot! Boy, that is an ignorant sample! I would put Benz at the bottom of the pile. And what is Cadillac doing ahead of so many other higher-quality brands?

Quote:

PERFORMANCE: Porsche, BMW, Toyota, Chevrolet, Ford

Chevy? Ford? C'mon.

Quote:

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY/GREEN: Toyota, Honda, Chevrolet, Ford, GMC

GMC is green?!

They have amongst the widest range of guzzlers. And certainly not the widest range of competitive small / fuel-efficient cars.

I could go on & on (Cadillac innovation?! What innovation?).

MalluDude · 14th January 2009, 12:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTO

Ford ahead of Mercedes in safety?!
GMC is green?!

Yeah..it's the perception of the carbuyer, right? People THINK that their Ford car is safe. They THINK that their GMC truck is green! Just goes to show how perception can be different from actuals. And trust the brands to strut these figures around in their future ads!

vasudeva · 14th January 2009, 17:24

I did put perception in bold. Also put US in bold. Note these and kindly forgive me.

hondadude · 14th January 2009, 19:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTO

According to me, that doesn't say a lot about the quality of this survey. For instance:

Like any survey, people answer questions based on their perceptions. I personally think, this survey actually does reflect American perceptions.

Quote:

Ford ahead of Mercedes in safety?!

Most successful model for Ford is probably F150. Wouldn't people perceive a truck to be safer than a car ? Unless ofcourse, there is a separate survey for trucks. In that case, I am baffled as well about this.

Quote:

Mercedes in third spot! Boy, that is an ignorant sample! I would put Benz at the bottom of the pile. And what is Cadillac doing ahead of so many other higher-quality brands?

Again, quality does not equate to reliability. A lot of times, people vote for quality keeping fit and finish and build quality in mind.

Quote:

Chevy? Ford? C'mon.

Absolutely. How can Americans not vote for 'stang and 'vette

Quote:

GMC is green?!

They have amongst the widest range of guzzlers. And certainly not the widest range of competitive small / fuel-efficient cars.

I could go on & on (Cadillac innovation?! What innovation?).

GMC is probably showing up under GREEN because of "GMC Yukon Hybrid".

Sudipto-S-Team · 14th January 2009, 23:05

GTO - even Americans themselves agree that 80 per cent of them are extremely dumb and barely know about the town/village that they live in. Therefore I wouldn't expect them to be very logical in their choice of cars or their perceptions about cars.
I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of Americans hooted for Chevy and Ford in an official survey out of patriotism but drove a Honda or a Toyota in real life.

raveen_2023 · 15th January 2009, 11:30

i am surprised to see Hyundai in 4th position for VALUE despite its poor resale market.

amit · 15th January 2009, 16:01

Problem with such survey's is that people don't think or aren't given the time to think before responding. It's like your walking on the street and someone with a TV camera comes to you and asks you who do you think is the most beautiful woman in the world? Now, your most beautiful lady maybe Katrina Kaif but at that moment you blurt out Aishwarya Rai because we have been hammered with the "the most beautiful woman in the world is Ash Rai" for decades now. Another question, who do you think is the best actor today. Most people in a normal setting would say Amitabh or Aamir but at that moment you would say Shahrukh Khan because the guy is all over the media and you have bombarded with the images of him taking awards after (rigged

) awards for many years!

abk · 15th January 2009, 17:58

Completely agree with Amit's explanation.

This is one of the best disclaimers I've so far seen on TBHP!

Quote:

Originally Posted by vasudeva

I did put perception in bold. Also put US in bold. Note these and kindly forgive me.

sujaylahiri · 19th January 2009, 09:57

I actually agree with a lot of stuff here. Looking at some of the categories, they do make sense to me.

Like Ford being ahead of Mercedes in terms of safety. Overall Mercs might be safer than Fords. But what price do you pay for all those safety features. The most basic Merc is close to 40 grand in Canada. Whereas you can get almost 80% of its safety features in a Ford at almost half the price (ABS, multiple airbags, ESP, TC etc.).

Again for performance, how many companies can provide you with V8's for under 30 grands? And especially now that they have the newly updated Mustang.

And the Cadillac CTS is actually quite a capable car both in terms of quality and performance. It's not just me saying it, but almost the whole automotive press.

13th January 2009, 17:20	#1
vasudeva Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 2,221 Thanked: 212 Times	US Car Perception Survey: Toyota and Honda at 1 and 2; Hyundai 4th in value In Jan 2009, Consumer Reports (CR) published the results of its brand perception survey for US market. This was based on a random, nationwide telephone survey conducted in Dec 2008. Survey data was collected from 1,745 adults in households that had at least one car. As in 2008, Toyota topped the survey, followed by Honda, Ford, Cadillac, and Merc. Suzuki was at the last position followed by Mazda. The survey is here: Car brand perception vs reality: Consumer Reports Cars Blog The ranking on various attributes: SAFETY: Volvo, Ford, Honda, Toyota, Merc. Safety was rated No. 1 by 25 percent of respondents. While consumers listed most of the same brands as last year among safety leaders, Subaru fell from the top five, while Mercedes-Benz joined the ranks. Quality: Toyota, Honda, Merc, Lexus, Cadillac Twenty-one percent of the respondents cited quality as a most significant factor in choosing a new vehicle. The quality of a vehicle speaks to not just its initial fit-and-finish impression, but to how well the model will hold up over time. Toyota and Honda are again perceived to lead in quality. In brand perception, Merc and Cadillac made the top-five list. But neither brand does particularly well in CR reliability rankings among brands. VALUE: Honda, Toyota, Kia, Hyundai, Ford Forty-nine percent of the survey’s respondents considered value as a leading factor in forming their perceptions. Consumers said that Honda delivers the best value. It scored 29 percent in 2009 and 30% in 2008 (score means % of respondents ranking it no. 1). Toyota shows an increase from 24% in 2008 to 27% in 2009. Just as those two brands shine for Quality, they also excel in Value. Honda and Toyota vehicles deliver better than average owner costs—buoyed by reliability and strong trade-in values—when compared with similar models, even those with lower purchase prices. While Kia was in top 5 in 2008 also, Hyundai made it to the top 5 because of appropriately -priced, competitive new products and long warranty coverage. PERFORMANCE: Porsche, BMW, Toyota, Chevrolet, Ford Porsche and BMW again top the performance category. Toyota has earned its placement in this ranking with increasingly powerful and fuel-efficient drivetrains. Chevrolet and Ford offer strong V6 and V8 engines. ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY/GREEN: Toyota, Honda, Chevrolet, Ford, GMC Consumers are most likely to pin the green label on Toyota because of its Prius. It scored 49% (same as in 2008). Honda's score improved from 26% to 31%. Honda has long nurtured a reputation for good fuel economy and low emissions. Its current Civic hybrid will soon be joined by two more hybrids, the Insight four-door hatchback and the sporty CR-Z. Chevrolet and Ford have entry-level cars heavily promoted as being fuel efficient, though Aveo, Cobalt, and Focus trail some competitors in fuel economy. DESIGN/STYLE: Lexus, Cadillac, Jaguar, BMW, Merc Luxury brands have the most appealing designs. Lexus leads by a significant margin, showing an eight-percentage-point increase over last year despite a product line that has seen few changes. On the other hand, Mercedes-Benz slid, from 24 percent to 19 percent. Those moves might be influenced by new designs from Cadillac, Jaguar, and BMW. TECHNOLOGY/INNOVATION: Toyota, Cadillac, Lexus, Honda, BMW With a score of 34%, Toyota improves over 2008 score of 30%, and takes first position, because of Prius and other hybrid models. However, technology/Innovation is the lowest priority for general consumers when they are shopping for their next new car. Last edited by vasudeva : 13th January 2009 at 17:26.
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14th January 2009, 17:24	#4
vasudeva Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 2,221 Thanked: 212 Times	I did put perception in bold. Also put US in bold. Note these and kindly forgive me.
	() Thanks

14th January 2009, 23:05	#6
Sudipto-S-Team Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Kolkata Posts: 1,320 Thanked: 290 Times View My Garage	GTO - even Americans themselves agree that 80 per cent of them are extremely dumb and barely know about the town/village that they live in. Therefore I wouldn't expect them to be very logical in their choice of cars or their perceptions about cars. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of Americans hooted for Chevy and Ford in an official survey out of patriotism but drove a Honda or a Toyota in real life.
	() Thanks

15th January 2009, 11:30	#7
raveen_2023 BHPian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Hamden Posts: 120 Thanked: 55 Times View My Garage	i am surprised to see Hyundai in 4th position for VALUE despite its poor resale market.
	() Thanks

15th January 2009, 16:01	#8
amit Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 3,717 Thanked: 449 Times	Problem with such survey's is that people don't think or aren't given the time to think before responding. It's like your walking on the street and someone with a TV camera comes to you and asks you who do you think is the most beautiful woman in the world? Now, your most beautiful lady maybe Katrina Kaif but at that moment you blurt out Aishwarya Rai because we have been hammered with the "the most beautiful woman in the world is Ash Rai" for decades now. Another question, who do you think is the best actor today. Most people in a normal setting would say Amitabh or Aamir but at that moment you would say Shahrukh Khan because the guy is all over the media and you have bombarded with the images of him taking awards after (rigged ) awards for many years!
	() Thanks

19th January 2009, 09:57	#10
sujaylahiri BHPian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: North America Posts: 960 Thanked: 6 Times View My Garage	I actually agree with a lot of stuff here. Looking at some of the categories, they do make sense to me. Like Ford being ahead of Mercedes in terms of safety. Overall Mercs might be safer than Fords. But what price do you pay for all those safety features. The most basic Merc is close to 40 grand in Canada. Whereas you can get almost 80% of its safety features in a Ford at almost half the price (ABS, multiple airbags, ESP, TC etc.). Again for performance, how many companies can provide you with V8's for under 30 grands? And especially now that they have the newly updated Mustang. And the Cadillac CTS is actually quite a capable car both in terms of quality and performance. It's not just me saying it, but almost the whole automotive press.
	() Thanks