Honda tops nonluxury peers in drivers poll

by Dan Gearino

Honda continues to be in the middle of the pack in a J.D. Power and Associates rating of how gratifying an auto brand is to own and drive.

The brand received a score of 791 out of 1,000 points in the research firm’s annual Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout — APEAL — study. That was slightly below the industry average of 795, but above average among nonluxury brands.

Honda ranked ahead of brands such as Ford, Chevrolet and Toyota.

“Overall, (Honda) really performed better than their competitors,” said Raffi Festekjian, director of automotive research for J.D. Power.

Acura, Honda’s luxury brand, received a score of 811.

This year, J.D. Power changed its formula to reflect the growing importance of on-board electronics. The revision was the first since 2006, and because of it, the firm is urging caution when comparing the results with previous years.

Last year, Honda had 771 points, Acura had 816, and the industry average was 788.

Honda, which makes the Accord, CR-V and Acura TL in central Ohio, tends to perform well in J.D. Power’s ratings of reliability, and less well in this assessment of the driving experience.

The Honda Odyssey, assembled in Alabama, received the highest score in the minivan category. The Accord ranked among the top three in the midsize-car segment. No other Honda or Acura models were listed among the top three in a category.

“We’re very pleased to see that the improvements we’ve made to core models like Civic and Accord have been appealing to customers,” said Chris Martin, a Honda spokesman.

Luxury brands dominated the ratings. Porsche retained its spot atop the list with the highest score, 884 points. The other leaders, in descending order, were Audi, BMW, Land Rover and Lexus.

The top nonluxury brand overall was Ram, with 817 points. At the bottom was the subcompact Smart brand, with 739.

“Even within the same vehicle segment, consumers are willing to spend substantially more on vehicles that they find attractive, provide the performance and utility they are looking for, and have well-executed interiors,” David Sargent, vice president of global automotive at J.D. Power, said in a statement. “These vehicles also sell more quickly.”

The results are based on survey responses from 83,000 drivers of 2013 model year vehicles.

Source;
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2013/07/24/honda.html

Honda of Canada Mfg. wins J.D. Power award

Honda of Canada Mfg. (HCM) Plant 2 in Alliston, Ontario has been awarded the Bronze plant ranking for North/South America in the 2013 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS). Two HCM-built products also received top ranking in their respective segments. The Honda Civic, Canada’s best-selling vehicle for 15 years running, was awarded top marks for initial quality in the Compact Car category. For the second year in a row, the Honda CR-V was chosen tops in the Compact CUV category. Vehicle awards are based on customer surveys following their purchase, while plant awards are based on the least number of manufacturing-related defects or malfunctions per vehicle.

“These results are a validation of the dedication of our Associates,” said Betty Jones, Quality Division Manager for Honda of Canada Mfg. “Our Associates work exceptionally hard to produce the best possible quality for our customers, so it is encouraging to see those efforts reflected in this year’s results. We are particularly thrilled to see Civic win its category because the 2013 Civic has some significant changes from its predecessor.”

Ali Woodley, Quality Leader at Plant 2, noted that taking the customer viewpoint has been key to Plant 2’s success. “We have an unwavering focus on what the customer wants. We listen to our internal and external customers. We address issues quickly and constantly check satisfaction. Ensuring we have ‘zero defects’ is a strong plant focus. Associates are very proud of the quality of our product and want to ensure we continue to meet the number one target!”

Honda and Acura products placed in the top three in seven of the ten segments in which they competed. In addition to the first-place finishes by the Canadian-built Civic and CR-V, the Honda Ridgeline took top spot in the Midsize Pickup class and the Acura TL was best in class in the Compact Premium Car category.

Honda of Canada Mfg. began operations in 1986 at its Plant 1 site, opened its Plant 2 facility in 1998 and began engine production in the fall of 2008. HCM Plant 2 has the capability to produce the Honda Civic Sedan and the Honda CR-V sport utility vehicle. HCM Plant 1 produces both Honda Civic coupe and sedan. Of all Honda and Acura vehicles sold in Canada in 2012, 70 per cent were produced at HCM.

Source;
http://www.hondanews.ca/en/news/release/Honda-of-Canada-Mfg-Wins-JD-Power-Award