JD Power has great news for US carmakers, Japanese not so much

[divideandconquer]

Porsche and Lincoln climb to top of J.D. Power 2010 Vehicle Dependability Study
by Michael Harley (RSS feed) on Mar 18th 2010 at 7:01AM

J.D. Power and Associates has just released its 2010 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS)... and Porsche, Lincoln and Buick have climbed on the podium (Buick, Jaguar and Lexus occupied the top spots in last year's 2009 Vehicle Dependability Study). The German automaker demonstrated a significant jump in quality (up ten spots) with Ford's brand hot on its heels (up six positions). While Buick dropped down, its score was indicative of improved quality – however, the bar had been raised.

This year's VDS found that several brands that perform well in the firm's dependability study are avoided due to public misperception about reliability. These brands include Cadillac, Ford, Hyundai, Lincoln and Mercury – all having the greatest lags between dependability performance and consumer perception. "Producing vehicles with world-class quality is just part of the battle for automakers; convincing consumers to believe in their quality is equally as important," says a J.D. Power and Associates spokesperson.
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http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/18/porsche-and-lincoln-climb-to-the-top-of-j-d-power-2010-vehicle/#continued

[FarCenter]

1. "2010 Vehicle Dependability Study", Top Three Models per Segment

J.D. Power and Associates, "2010 Vehicle Dependability Study", Top Three Models per Segment
http://www.autoblog.com/gallery/2010-j-d-power-vehicle-dependability-study/#3

Sub-Compact Car: Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris
Compact Car: Toyota Prius, Toyota Corolla, Pontiac Vibe
Midsize Car: Buick Lacrosse, Mercury Milan, Honda Accord
Large Car: Mercury Montego, Buick Lucerne(tie), Ford Five Hundred(tie)

Compact Sporty Car: Mazda MX-5 Miata, Saturn Sky, Pontiac Solstice Convertible
Midsize Sporty Car: Chevrolet Monte Carlo, Toyota Solara, Ford Mustang

Compact Premium Sporty Car: BMW Z4
Premium Sporty Car: Mercedes-Benz SL-Class, Porsche 911

Entry Premium Vehicle: Lincoln MKZ, Acura TSX, Cadillac CTS
Midsize Premium Car: Audi A6, Lexus ES 350, Cadilac STS(tie), Infiniti M-Series(tie)
Large Premium Car: Cadillac DTS, Lexus LS 460

Compact MAV: Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester, Hyundai Tucson
Midsize MAV: Toyota Highlander, Toyota 4Runner, Ford Freestyle
Large MAV: Toyota Sequoia, GMC Yukon, Ford Expedition

Midsize Premium MAV: Lexus GX 470, Lexus RX, Infiniti FX-Series
Large Premium MAV: Lincoln Mark LT, Cadillac Escalade EXT, Lincoln Navigator

Midsize Van: Fod Freestar, Toyota Sienna, Buick Terraza(tie), Chrysler Town & Country(tie)

Midsize Pickup: Honda Ridgeline, Dodge Dakota, Ford Ranger
Large Pickup: Toyota Tundra, Ford F-150 LD, Chevrolet Siverado Classic HD