According to Consumer Reports, buyers continue to rank Toyota, Ford, Honda and Chevrolet as the leading automotive brands overall. The news comes after CR performed their annual Car Brand Perception Survey, asking participants to rank automakers based on vehicle safety, quality, performance, fuel economy, design/style, safety, technology and innovation.
CR says the survey is all about how the consumer perceives quality and not about the quality of the vehicles themselves.
“The key word is ‘perception’. Consumers are influenced by word of mouth, marketing, and hands-on experience,” said Jeff Bartlett, CR deputy automotive editor in a statement. “Often, perception can be a trailing indicator, reflecting years of good or bad performance in a category, and it can also be influenced by headlines in the media.”
Chevrolet, who ranked fourth in the survey, scored high in the performance section of the voting thanks to the Corvette Stingray and Camaro SS, as well as the SS sedan. CR says standout brands normally offer both sporty and fuel efficient models and Chevy exemplifies this concept by also offering the Volt, Spark EV and Cruze Turbo Diesel.
Chevy also found itself among the top ranking brands in the quality, value and design/style categories of the survey.
Quality ranked as the number one most important attribute to consumers. CR saw a jump in the number of brands that were noted for high quality including Cadillac in sixth place. Cadillac also ranked second behind BMW in the design/style category.
The data for the survey was collected by performing a random, nationwide telephone survey of 1, 578 adults and collecting survey data from 1, 764 adults that had at least one car in their household. For full results from the Consumer Reports survey, click here.
Comments
This is key here to the future as no matter how good you are if the public does not perceived you as good they will not even look. Even better if you are perceived as good they will over look issues when they do pop up.
This is a issue that you have to earn as you can buy it or build it.
Of the categories in which Cadillac was in the top 10:
Overall brand perception – 9 (Volvo – 8, MB – 7, Tesla – 5)
Design/Style – 2 (BMW – 1)
While Cadillac needs to be in the top 10 in other categories, maintaining their perception will always need work; the slow climb upwards.
On the plus side, somewhere beneath Cadillac in the perception category is Acura, Audi, Jaguar, BMW, Lexus, Infiniti, Land Rover….and Lincoln. 😉
I live in an area, in which GM products pretty much dominate the local market so… Locals are pretty much aware of the progress GM has made. The only real competition, in any class, is from the Camry, and Accords. This completion has been diminishing year by year, but Is still strong. As has been noted… This is a long term slug fest.
My only recommendation, for the general, is the constant need to improve the seats. If a customer is uncomfortable, with the reaction of always squirming to get comfortable, the chance of buyer loyalty diminishes subconsciously. Comfort begins with the seats, and ends with the seats. GM has come along way, but still has a way to go.
This is a never ending process in a very competitive market. GM has been playing catch up all the while trying to earn their reputation back. It just take more time and more good product.
Just look at Hyundai and their first cars to where they are today. If they can do it anyone can.
You’ve got that right scott, it is a never ending process. GM playing catch up and fixing reputation at the same time is a daunting task. I feel they are being successful in their efforts as well and although some of us are critical of things at times(me included) I give them lots of praise for what they’re accomplishing as well.
I have a 2009 Chevy Equinox, and after five years of ownership, it had its first “Check Engine” indication this Monday (Feb 3rd). The OBD code was P0301 which was a bad spark plug at cylinder 1. The dealer service rep showed me GM’s warranty covering the platinum spark plugs and wires for 100,00o miles or ten years, so the replacement, which took one hour, was at no cost for me.
That is the way to go, GM!
I could have done that in less than 15 minutes! The Nox’ is one of the best but needs to get replaced soon (2016 can’t come soon enough)! The interior is very “Old GM” and the powertrains are less than extraordinary! I say a 1.6L Turbo I4 (VVT, SIDI and iVVL) that has 215HP and 230FT-LBS and a 2.0L Turbo I4 (VVT, SIDI and iVVL) that has 280HP and 300FT-LBS. A Sport package with a 2.8L Twincharged V6 (VVT, SIDI, AFM and iVVL) that has 355HP and 380FT-LBS would be nice too! With Bilstein lowered sport suspension, Brembo brakes, Recaro quad chairs and Borla dual exhaust! An off road package is needed as well!
@ EvanG you could’ve done it cheaper what Is cheaper than no cost you would’ve paid him to work on his equinox. Engines should be LFX or an L F3.
What good is an offroad package without a 2 speed transfer case, read low range capability? Or is this what you’re getting at?
Possibly. Along with a lifted chassis and all the other heavy duty equipment for offroading. GM really needs to have a competitor to Jeep. An off road Equinox/Terrain would be an easy competitor to the Jeep Compass/Cherokee and a new GMC Envoy on the Colorado/Canyon platform would compete with a Grand/Cherokee.
I would also like to see how you would do it cheaper?
I do agree that it is do for an update but that just might be the reason GM has a new one coming soon LOL!
As for you off road package this is not the vehicle for it. The Nox and Terrain are not vehicles intended or built for off road since they are car based CUV vehicles like nearly all others in class. the CUV class for the most part is just a more truck like Mini Van. It appeals more to men vs. a mini van which sends the signal you sold out for many.
The reality is these are AWD not 4×4. They generate more profit for those who can’t drive in the snow. Our Terrain FWD does great since we dumped the Hankook OE tires for Goodyear Tripletreds.
The Colorado Trailblaze that Holden has would better fit the off road package idea.
As for the free plug change and 10 year 100,000 mile warranty. To be fair that was not GM as that is what the Federal Emission code is for all vehicles sold here. If you have a coil, plug or anything that is emissions related in the fuel, ignition and emission package it is covered by this warranty. So many people miss this in the owners warranty book and end up taking it some where other than a dealer or they do it them selves cheaper LOL! and end up paying for something that should be covered.
You make me out to be this idiot of a person. I am not. I clearly know that GM is coming out (no pun intended) with a new Equinox/Terrain in 2016 along with the Anthem. Just because I am 50 years younger than your sorry ass, doesn’t mean I am stupid. LOL, I cannot believe I actually have to say this…
GM needs to be able to compete with Jeep and the Equinox/Terrain are a good start along with a new Envoy to do just that! I know these are crossovers, but so are the Compass, Patriot and Cherokee…
That is the point as this is not a Jeep and that is why they sell so many of them as they are more car like. GM has other platforms that could do the job better such as the Colorado Trailblazer.
If you look at Compass and Patriot sales they are not all the big as FWD based 4×4 are not well accepted by offroad people and the Cherokee is really a different vehicles and GM could better address it with another vehicle.
I would like to see GMC take on a Jeep like vehicle to take on the Wrangler as I know they have one they looked at but did not have the money to do it.
The key here is the Nox and Terrain are not off road vehicles nor are they intended to be and making them into one would lose a lot of sales they already have. This would be better addresses with a different platform.
I own a Terrain and know it well as well as the people who buy them spending time on web with them.
Sorry not trying to make you an idiot as only you can do that. Besides I could not be 50 years older than you since I would not have been born. Wisdom does not always come with age.
We were just busting you on the free plug change lighten up. The guy got it fixed under warranty and you said you could do it cheaper? It was just funny.
The bottom line here is the Nox and Terrain are pretty much minivans that sit higher and lack sliding doors. They are what women want as they like the space and sitting higher and men are ok as it is a little more macho vs. the minivan.
But to take this thing off road would not be a good thing with the small engine light weight and bias for FWD. A real off roader would just laugh.
The Trailblazer would not be a good fit. It would not sell well at all as it looks worse than an Aztek. You are right, the Cherokee is different but that is why it has been selling pretty well and that’s the market GM needs to get into right now. A new Envoy to take on the Grand Cherokee and Wrangler would be nice. Yes, a small 1.6L Turbo would get killed going offroad. A 2.0L Turbo or 2.8L Twincharged would do the job very well. If not an offroad package, a sport package is very necessary. My grandma has a 2011 Terrain SLE-2 AWD 2.4L and it is a very solid performer.
Who ever said it would look like it does there. They have changed the styling on the new Colorado here along with other features that would better fit our market. If you think it would come here as it is you are sorely mistaken. This is where they can take a real 4×4 and make it so it would compete with the Cherokee and beat the Explorer now that it is a RWD based model.
A low end torque V6 with a Turbo package would do fine as long as the weight is down. I love my 315 FT LB 2.0 but I would not want it in a 4,000 plus pound vehicle. It would kill any advantage with MPG. It is great in my 3200 pound car.
We got the Terrain for the wife. I was not a fan but now that we have it I love it. It is not a performance car or a off roader but it is a good roomy comfortable vehicle like it was intended to be.
The V6 does a good job and now that we lost the 19″ Hankook’s for the new Goodyear’s it is great in the snow. We have every option but the TV screens in the back and AWD. Even with all the snow here there was no need for the AWD since the wife is not afraid of winter driving and does a good job in the weather.
The biggest issue for the terrain and Nox is they are too heavy for the segment now. GM will do a better job on the next one here as they will have more invested in development of the new platform. But it still will not be a tail vehicle as that is not what this segment is all about.
I still feel we may see a SUV version based on the new Colorado for the real 4×4 use.
Ever heard of the Fusion?