Mercedes beats Lexus for First Time in USA

[hawk20]

American forums are ablaze with the news that Mercedes has beaten Lexus to win the large premium car class, with the new S class in the latest USA JD Power Initial Quality Surveys (which looks at faults and much more during the first 3 months of new cars' lives). In addition, the facelifted E class saw off all comers to win its class, the medium premium car class, and the SL won its class too.

JD POWER Initial Quality Survey. 2007

http://www.jdpower.com/articles/article.aspx?ID=259

Each year, the J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study (IQS)SM surveys consumers who have purchased new model-year vehicles and have owned them for at least 90 days. The 2007 IQS measures consumer satisfaction with vehicle design and mechanical quality: design quality to gauge how the vehicle works (i.e., control operation and layout) and mechanical quality to determine how the vehicle is assembled and functions. Awards are given to the top-ranked models in 19 vehicle segments, as well as to assembly plants that produce vehicles with the fewest reported defects.

Mercedes-Benz showed dramatic improvement in the nameplate rankings, largely on the strength of these best in class winners: the S-Class (which ties for the award with the Audi A8 in the large premium car segment), the E-Class, and the SL-Class. The Mercedes-Benz M-Class was also one of the study’s most improved models year over year.

Mercedes-Benz jumped from 25th (2006) to 5th (2007) overall in the recently released JDP IQS survey!! Of note, the all-new S, the facelifted E and the SL-Class models all won best in class awards.

The S-Class had the fewest problems of any car in the industry with 72 problems per 100 cars, beating Lexus for the first time, I think.

 

[whitenemesis]

That's 72% of cars with problems!! And thats good?

 

[hawk20]

That's 72% of cars with problems!! And thats good?

No. That is 72 problems per hundred cars. Can have several on one car. When I buy new, I expect to have a few niggles and things that need adjusting. With modern complicated cars I am surprised any go out with absolutely nothing wrong at all.

Anyway, better than Lexus and all other cars cannot be bad can it?

 

[benzo]

Saw the thread title and I knew instantly who posted it... I do hope they keep it up and the improvements filter down to the 'smaller' cars in the range.

 

[jberks]

Saw the thread title and I knew instantly who posted it... I do hope they keep it up and the improvements filter down to the 'smaller' cars in the range.

Allegedly the new C has been gone through with a magnifying glass. If they've achieved that improvement with existing models it implies the new ones where they've considered quality from the design stage, should be excellent! (Japanese reliability, german feel and character). We could be looking at a fine handling, economical 124! (or maybe I'm pushing it a bit!)

 

[television]

Yes this is good news for those buying new, I just wish that they would come clean on things like the Valeo issue, the 271 head and the instrument cluster back light faults, as these are things that affect some of our members. Also where manufacturing faults have caused expensive faults due to water into the electrics. I feel sure that if people were told that something could go wrong, and that if they changed XYZ the major faults could be averted, prevention is always better and much cheaper than a cure.

 

[hawk20]

Saw the thread title and I knew instantly who posted it... I do hope they keep it up and the improvements filter down to the 'smaller' cars in the range.

Yes well apparently there has, by law, to be at least one enthusiast per thread! Seriously though, Dr Z has put his emphasis on a target to beat Lexus on quality/reliability and I think we are seeing some of the fruits of that. The facelifted E has more new and redesigned parts that most new models. The new C will be interesting to follow. My Service Manager thinks the new A class has been amazingly reliable, so i think you are right to hope/expect the changes to filter through the whole range. Let's hope so.

 

[Rory]

When I buy new, I expect to have a few niggles and things that need adjusting. With modern complicated cars I am surprised any go out with absolutely nothing wrong at all.

How very strange!

Things do go wrong, but I don't *expect* them to go wrong.

Cars should be much more reliable now they're stuffed with electronics - the reliablity curve of electronic items is such that they generally either fail immediately or, once past initial test, they work fine for an extended period.

 

[jberks]

Im inclined to agree. I felt the same but with regard to used cars (I don't buy new any more). With used I do expect a few niggles - how ever good the PDI is, it's not going to be as strict and thorough as I am. But new, I'd expect a problem to be the exception.

I've only had 2 new cars (audis) the first blew up almost immediatley but with the 2nd (its replacement) and 3rd I can't remember having any cause to revisit the dealer until the service was due the following year.

 

[hawk20]

How very strange!

Things do go wrong, but I don't *expect* them to go wrong.

Cars should be much more reliable now they're stuffed with electronics - the reliablity curve of electronic items is such that they generally either fail immediately or, once past initial test, they work fine for an extended period.

Well given that the best cars in the world have between 70 and 100 faults per hundred cars it is wise to expect something. And given that electrical items are the main source of faults, and given that modern cars are stuffed full of electrical items, it is hardly surprising we get some faults.

Expectations are funny things. Set them too high and we get disappointed. Too low and we become easy to please. Over the years, buying many new cars, I have found that the most realistic expectation is that there will be a few niggles to sort out. And I find that acceptable. Complex things cars.