Car Perception Not Always Reality

Consumers perceive Toyota and Honda brands to be best, according to Consumer Reports’  2008 Car Brand Perception Survey.

CR found the two Japanese nameplates ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in consumer minds when it comes to safety, quality, value, performance, environmental friendliness, design and technical innovation. 

The study of how consumers perceive and rank car brands found Toyota ranked No. 1 by a wide margin. 

But the study was of perceptions, "which shouldn't be confused with reality", said John Bulcroft, a former Audi and Porsche marketing executive who is now with The Advisory Group, a Cresskill, N.J., company that deals with consumer perceptions.

"Perceptions often lag reality, and that's the case with Toyota in the last 12 to 18 months as several issues regarding quality have come up,” he said.

Comments

Consumer Reports is only one source to use for reviewing car quality. I use this magazine simply as a guide to decide on a car purchase, however I use other available sources as well, including hearing feedback from family, friends and co-workers. Even if Consumer Reports has knocked Toyota off as #1, I would still consider purchasing a this brand of car over GM, Ford, or Chrysler. Don't blame Toyota or Honda for making such a superior product. Rather blame GM, Ford, and Chrysler for producing for many years an inferior product. The smart buyer will find a product that offers the best car for the buck. I do.

KJ, The reliability of the cars produced by a company 20 years ago has zero impact on the reliability of cars produced today. I would endeavour to use only up to date information on reliability. Good sources include JD Power and to a lesser extent Consumer Reports (JD Power is a randomized study, CR is not).

As another criteria for purchasing a car, I would look at the Gross Domesitc Impact of production of that automobile. That has a heavy impact on the economy and level of employment of this country, as well as the trade defecit and consequently our currency value and consequently the local price of gasoline.

The Gross Domestic Impact can be estimated by the total number of people employed in the US by the company as well as it's supplier operations, divided by the number of cars sold. GM and Ford are highest in this respect, followed by Chrysler and Honda, followed distantly by Toyota. Toyota only manufactures about half of their cars in the US.

RG, 20 years ago may have zero impact on the reliability of cars produced today, however many consumer like myself that were burned 20 years ago with the purchase of a product do not forget. Even 10 years ago when Ford had lousy transmissions will make me forever skeptical of buying an new Ford now, regardless of improved reliability. That's what the Big 3 don't understand. Screw the customer now and face the consequences for many, many years to come.

As for the Gross Domestic Impact of production for an automobile, well I would love to do my part here, but the reality is I'm going to buy the best car possible for my money, regardless of where it's built. That's the way the market is. Period!

KJ,

its your loss if you want to continue to avoid domestic brands based on what happened 20+ years ago. The facts are clear and they show the quality gap is very small. Even CR shows this if you examine their data closely and ignore the stupid circles. Domestic quality is better than ever and Toyota quality is apparently more spotty than ever. People like you always say you will buy the best product available but the truth is that only applies when the "best" product is an import.

I had a 2005 Avalon. It was THE WORST BUILT CAR I'd had in over 20 years! It had so many mechanical and build quality problems I got rid of it at 6,000 miles.
I'd had many quality Toyotas before but I noticed how even our Sienna rattled, and had other build problems, so we replaced it with a Honda.
As far as I am concerned, "Toyota quality" is now a myth.
Their cars are junk - made as cheaply as possible with the lowest quality materials and poor assembly. Perhaps they have outsourced their car building to Chrysler.
I never thought I would write this about a Toyota.

It's not my fault the best product for the last 2 decades have been import cars. Lets not forget the best product for resale value have also been import cars. You spend your hard earned money on what you want, and I'll spend mine on what I want. I just won't support buying domestic cars right now based on their 20 year record.

I too have heard low product quality with the Avalon. It's good you share your story with others so they can avoid the mistake of buying one. I have a story about the Dodge Magnum based on a family member owning one. After the short factory warranty has expired this car's driver's side airbag is protruding from the dash board. Dodge does not have a TSB regarding this problem, but the dealer acknowledges there is a problem. Also, the rear seal on this car is leaking, and a clunk is heard when accelerating, all which must be repaired at out of pocket cost.

To counter Pete - seeing as people who have problems tend to overshadows those that don't.

I've had my Toyota (a 2004) with zero mechanical problems. I've also owned some in the past with no problems. I drove a brand new Camry Hybrid (2007) with zero mechanical problems and just a slight rattle from the console (typical in a first run). Toyota's quality is still there, you just had a lemon or over exaggerate like many people I know.

RG,
"As another criteria for purchasing a car, I would look at the Gross Domesitc Impact of production of that automobile."
What's the point?
If a product that helps the economy, but is not as good value of a comparable product or a product that meets my needs; shall I still buy the fore-mentioned one?
In other words, to make this into extreme, if the US is making crap, do I still buy them?
Plus, like I've said in another post, during the time that I spent paying the car payment, the monetary amount I would be spending during the same period on everything else will be much more than the amount that I paid for the vehicle itself. And I can assure you that most of those products that I spent my disposable income on will not be made in US.

Hey RG-

Car quality 20 years ago does matter. I won't own GM because of the crap I owned in the 70's and 80's. I buy Toyota & Honda because of the reliability of the cars I owned in the 90's.

And like KJ has said.
This is how money works.
Okay, you guys want to have a free market capitalism; but when Detroit is in trouble, you want to be socialists.
Remember, I am dealing with Detroit's trouble first hand. Michigan is pretty much the only state in recession at this moment, and people including my classmates are losing their jobs. But is it our fault for buying foreign branded cars? No! It is because they are not being competitive enough.
Again, like I've said in another post before. When I was shopping for a compact sedan last Spring, I looked and test drove what Detroit has to offer first (I was not really picky, just a car that I can live with for at least 5 years). But what did I get? Rock-hard steering wheel that cut my hand between my thumb and index finger during test drive in a Cobalt (Plus, the backseat is like a bench in a park). No power windows at the back in a Neon. A mini SUV looking Caliber with the same problem on the steering wheel as the Cobalt (And I am sorry that I don't like SUV). A Vibe that costs more than the Matrix when similarly equipped but has lower resale value. A Focus that has been on the market with NO ACTUAL REDESIGN since 1999. A PT Cruiser that looks like my Grandpa's ride when he was my age.
So are you still blaming me for not choosing a domestic branded vehicle? And I meant to say domestic branded, because some of the vehicle that I tested were not even having their final assembly in the USA!

Now a days the domestic brands have really done a good job improving there products and they are just as good as any import. Toyota will run into the same issues as the domestics did back then, the market gets saturated with their cars, they make so many the quality goes down and in 20 years people will be talking about how they'd never buy a Toyota - just wait.

I believe most economists say the entire country is in recession not just Michigan. Heck, I've heard the "D" word mentioned on some business talk shows.

I have an '04 CTS that is about to go back on lease. After 44,000 miles my only "problem" has been a burnt out fog lamp. To those who have said that you'll only buy import because of some "wrong" that was done to you 20 years ago... do you realize how childish that sounds? You're not wiser for not buying a Ford because your '89 Taurus had transmission problems. By refusing to do research you've made yourself less informed.

Had you done the research, you would have found that Ford now uses a GM designed 6-speed automatic in the Taurus and if there is anything GM does better than anyone else, it's designing a reliable automatic transmission.

So, by passing up the Taurus, you've now deprived yourself of one of the safest family cars on the road, with a Wards 10 Best engine, and a reliable GM designed 6-speed transmission.

Enjoy your Camry. Hope it doesn't sludge.

kudos drew!

Dave,
Look at the unemployment rate. You'll see how bad is Michigan when comparing to the other states. It is even mentioned in Mitt Romney's (Is that how you spell?) campaign ads.

Drew,
You are providing partial truth information.
Yes, Ford's 3.5L V6 did get the Ward's 10 best engine, LAST YEAR.
And it is gone from 2008's list.
On the other hand, the VQ from Nissan had been on the list since 1995.
And to defend Toyota from your comment. (I personally do not support Toyota myself, but I am presenting FACTS)
Its 2GR-FSE 3.5L V6 is on the list at the same time as the Ford's Duratec 35. And it's on the list on 2006-2008.
So please, when using proofs and supports, please don't just present partial truths to support the brand that you are biased toward.
Thanks.

I don't particularly like the Taurus, or Ford products in general, but I'm glad that he stood up for a american company. Good to see people that believe in their country.

Speaking of partial truths. The VQ on the list is from the Infiniti, not the one that will be found in an Altima or Maxima. The 2GR-FSE is the V6 found in the Lexus IS, not the Toyota Camry or Toyota Avalon.... So in short, the two engines you are citing are out of the Taurus class anyway.

The 3.5 Ford Duratec isn't on the list this year not because of any diminished quality on it's part, but because of new engines that have since joined the list. One could buy a Ford Taurus and be very confident in it's engine. It was not a half truth calling the 3.5 Duratec a 10 best engine especially since the new awards came out less than a month ago. That would be like saying Martin Scorsese won't be an Academy Award winning director after February 2008.

So back to my original point of doing the proper research...

That being said, I'm not really a Ford or Taurus fan. If he were asking me, I'd send him out to look at a new Malibu.

wow people are fighting!

Personally, I buy from whoever makes the best car. I have no particular preferences. I drive a Mazda now and I am very happy with it.

If Ford, GM, and Chrysler are able to make their cars more stylish, fuel efficient, and reliable. I would definitely consider them. The last new car my family bought was a Ford Escape Hybrid back in 2005, and my father picked it for the fuel efficiency and size. It does get very decent fuel economy compare to other cars. However, we are very unsatisfied with its quality and service experiences at the dealership. Not to mention all the rattles and noises it makes, it also suffered some major mechanical issues. Dealership denies problems. I do see Ford and GM are making improvements in their designs. The Ford Edge and GMC Acadia are decent looking cars. But they still need to work even harder to be competitive with the foreign brands.

For now, I will stick with the brands that I have good experiences with. Such as my Mazda, mom's Toyota, and a Honda.

Japanese people have different work attitude when compare to Americans. They put themselves to the limit, very loyal and dedicated to the company they work for. They even work overtime for free. That results quality products. I have toured car factories around the world. From my personal experience, I would say the assembly lines in Japan are probably the most organized and well planned assembly lines with very dedicated hardworking people. I also toured a Ford assembly line recently in the U.S., I wouldn’t mention the particular name. I see assembly line workers throw door panels from assembly line to pile them up for assembly later, now you would probably wonder why your Ford has gaps on your door panel, it probably got bend from them throwing it around. So I believe Ford, GM, and Chrysler not only need to improve quality in design, they will also need to hire and train more dedicated hard working individuals.

I do believe American brands can be better in the future, and I do have faith in them. They had their glory days in the past, they should be able to catch up and even pass foreign brands.

Its funny that Colin touts his Mazda, a company in the Ford family that ranked below Ford on the most recent consumer report ranking, and has never enjoyed the sterling reputation of a Honda or Toyota. If that isn't a prime example of perception . . .

Drew,

The VQ on the 2007 list is also offered in a NISSAN 350Z, not only Infiniti; please get the facts straight first.

The 2GR-FSE is not installed on Toyota, correct (partially). But that does not change the fact that it is a Toyota engine. Plus, it is in fact installed on a JDM Toyota, named Toyota Crown Athlete and it was a 2006 model.

It makes no difference if it is out of Taurus's class or not, the fact is you are just presenting partial information.

"The 3.5 Ford Duratec isn't on the list this year not because of any diminished quality on it's part, but because of new engines that have since joined the list."

If it is true, then why in the world does Toyota's 2GR-FSE still exist on the list 3 years in a row?

"It was not a half truth calling the 3.5 Duratec a 10 best engine especially since the new awards came out less than a month ago."

Excuses, excuses, and excuses.
It had been out since December 13, 2007.
Blaming on that is just showing you did not do your research really well.

geez J way to be an ass

For all of you who doesn't love America and will not support your fellow American by buying from a domestic auto maker, you should be charged with treason and sent to the country that you support. You complain about the high trade deficit and blame the President for it.
Hey, get your brain in gear. The president cannot buy enough domestic products to close the trade deficit. It takes every member of a country to make a country great. If you are sending your loyalties to some other country, then you ought to move there.

Wake up People! There are American cars that are much better than the Japanese cars. You need to drive a car over a number of years to know what quality is. I drove a 89 Bonneville SE for some 14 years by choice because I loved the car. Great handling and comfort, no problems, never took it back to dealer. I saw my friends take their Toyota's & Honda's back several times for problems I never once had with my American car! My daughter drove a Pont. 6000 same model year for 1/4 million miles never had engine or transmission trouble, sold the car and as far as I know it's still on the road as is my 89. Now driving a 99 Bonneville, great car, and get 34.4 mpg on the highway. Wouldn't trade my American cars for three Toyotas/Honda's! Being a electrical tech. I am picky about quality, real world long term quality!

Tommy Blackston,
Please tell me that your household don't have a single darn thing that is not made in USA.
Or else, you are just BS-ing.

the original V. Lo,
Tell that to your professor, and hopefully you don't get suspeneded. An argument without proof is just as good as your education level which could be seen in your comment.

Duane Latta.

Please explain why did the fog light on my uncle's 03 Bonneville burnt out in just 3 months on the road.

I tend to buy a vehicle that fits my transportation needs, performance needs, looks and budget. I factor in actual out the door cost of the vehicle, maintenance costs, cost to operate (fuel economy), resale value and by actually spending some quality test drive time in several competing vehicles before making "the choice".

It has nothing to do with being patriotic, brand biased or influencd by family or friends or gimmick based commercials.

Sometimes I end up with a domestic other times an import. I've had good and bad experiences with both (this has been the case with other products as well). This particular cycle it's an import. Last cycle it was a domestic. It just so happens the import fit my requirements better this time around. We'll see what happens the next time around.

Let's not kid anyone, we all know Honda-Toyota-Nissan autos are superior to Ford-GM-Chrysler.
That's why Jap cars are so popular. I've owned many name brands in my life and it's clear to me that if I want quality, and I'm willing to pay, I buy Jap. If I base my purchase on price, I buy Detroit.

Toyota's stock price: $104
GM's stock price: $24

Enough said!

Nissan has crappy interior quality, it is superior to kia.

go eff you J

wow, i saw this post and knew i'd be reading all the same guys explaining why the imports are still the best. cars have come a long way in the past two decades. at this point, it's a question of personal taste (style-wise) and what you want for your money (nicer interior, sportier exterior, more power, etc.). there's really not a "bad" car out there.

g,
Still better than what I saw when I test drove the Caliber!

I have only owned only American cars since 1983.
For some reason I don't fit in a Japanese cars.
I am only 6ft 195lbs but I can't get the legroom I like. The big thing with imports is the fit & finish is nicer. It may not last any longer but it makes a good first impression. American car relied too much on brand loyalty rather than design innovation.They also made too much easy money selling trucks.

Wow, I opened up a can of worms with this discussion. There's no doubt we have a division of import vs. domestic, Asian quality vs. American-made pride. As consumers of products we have and will continue to purchase a car based on the perception of what is most important to us. With the exception of Nissan I have had very good luck with Japanese cars. While I have researched and considered buying American cars, yet still see these cars as inferior. Over time my ideas might change. The new Malibu is an example. Yet it confuses me why GM insists on using an old name on a new car. Ford too with digging up from the grave the Taurus name.

If you like the car, the name shouldn't matter. Future more, besides the Taurus, most of those names( Impala, malibu, charger, challenger) are so old that only old people and a few car fanatics recognize them anyway.

High end cars don't even have names, they are all alpha numeric.

j,

duh, its a dodge product!

the only american company worth mentioning anymore is GM

i've tried many times to give american cars a chance. i read decent reviews on, for example, the late-model Grand Prix's. while it's roomy and handles fine, there's always something about it that felt like the screws weren't all tightened all the way. there's actually a similar feeling i get in many other american-brand cars. i agree with Mike that, if you like roomy, airy cabins, American brand cars definitely do it the best.

quality, reliability depend on so many factors, that different models within a brand, as well as different model years, have a lot of variability. i think that Toyota has worked very hard to create such a strong perception of quality in Americans' minds; whether they now make a lot more crap or not, i think leaders at Ford/GM/ Chrysler should be ashamed and need to stop trying to screw the workers out of their wages and instead focus on creating a better image of themselves too(whether by really improving their quality or just creating an illusion, who cares).

to the ignorant Mr Blackston (unless, as i hope, you were being sarcastic?), many "American" brand cars are made outside the country; conversely, many "Japanese" brand cars are made in the US. My Mazda has plenty of Ford parts. ignorance!

what makes people think that "buying American" really means helping out your fellow citizens? do good car sales translate to better lives for workers, or do they mostly just fatten up investors' and CEO's pockets? making a big buying decision on such stupid criteria as what the origin of a company is makes no sense

g,

The Cobalt that I test drove was in the same league as the Caliber.
Quit giving excuses.

J,

Interesting...given that I've never read a post from you that indicated that you like American cars...why did you test drive a Cobalt? I don't know, not really buying it.

cody,
I have not indicated I like American cars is because there isn't really anything that is in the range I am looking at attracts me. Like I've said (and hopefully you've done your reading before criticizing, or picking a fight with me), I was looking in the compact car category because it meets my needs. I don't care if the Malibu looks great, since it is not a candidate; therefore I can really care less about it.
I don't know how many times I've said this, but I live around Motown (Again, I've said this again in this specific topic), so if I don't even try out what Detroit offers, I might get beaten up out of classes. Plus, I can't really say something bad about a product unless I really tried it myself first hand; which unlike those people that criticize others' choices without even looking at the reason behind them. This is something that I've learned by getting my education.
Oh, but I have to admit that I haven't even try the Focus, the Neon, and the PT. Like I've said, I don't even want to waste my time on something that hadn't get a real update since 1999 (Focus). As for the Neon, it was the car that I took driving classes in, therefore there wasn't a need to try again. For the PT, the look is an immediate turn off.

J,

I wasn't trying to pick a fight with you. I was just surprised to read that you've test drove one of the "inferior domestics".

I recently bought a new Dodge and agree that the US cars are getting better. I would have never guessed I'd own a Dodge before. But its a reality of the business world that it took the pressure of losing for so long that's finally made the US companies get serious and become more competitive. As much as people want to be patriotic and support them when they make crap its counterproductive. That's how the free market works people.