By Frank Williams
January 10, 2008
Ironically enough, Jung observed "there is no scientific test that would prove the discrepancy between perception and reality." Scanning the results of Consumer Reports (CR) automotive brand perception survey, Toyota execs must be muttering "thank God for that," while GM shouts "See? Told ya!" The CR survey evaluates how American consumers perceive car companies in seven key areas: safety, quality, value, performance, environmental friendliness, design and innovation. Toyota ranked first in overall brand perception, racking-up a score of 189. Honda snagged second place, scoring 146. Ford was the highest ranked American brand, placing third with 112 points. While Chevrolet and GMC made the "best" list, Buick was amongst Audi (!) and Acura at the bottom of the league table. Here are the winning brands in the seven categories (listed in order of importance according to respondents):
Safety – Volvo
Quality – Toyota
Value – Honda
Performance – BMW
Green – Toyota
Design/Style – Mercedes
Technology Innovation – Toyota
(For an explanation of CR's methodology, see the bottom of the linked page below.)
Consumer Reports »
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POWERED
January 10th, 2008 at 11:33 am
Interesting data, although it’s nothing surprising. Your jung quote just nailed it.
Perception trumps reality. 80s Volvos may have been much safer than other cars, but I just don’t think the difference is that big now. Same deal for all the other categories.
But hey, that’s how Toyota, Honda, and BMW get away with charging such premiums for their cars!
January 10th, 2008 at 11:47 am
I’m really quite surprised that Audi and Acura are at the bottom of the list, below a completely dead brand (Mercury). How did that happen? Do people just forget about them?
January 10th, 2008 at 11:57 am
The perception term is one that is regularly thrown out, is in my opinion more a sour grapes attitude.
If only JD Powers did 7 or 10 year durability and quality surveys. You might see a perfect match with CR.
January 10th, 2008 at 11:58 am
This is just a tarted-up brand awareness survey. It’s appalling that a supposed “non-profit” like Consumer Reports wasted money on something like this. The brands at the top are at the top primarily because they’re popular and well-known, and the brands at the bottom are mostly obscure. The only big surprise is Buick, which I wouldn’t expect to see quite so low in brand awareness. The most useful information here is that Honda needs to do something about its Acura brand. Maybe the general public doesn’t realize Acura is a separate brand because they look so much like Hondas.
January 10th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Isn’t “Acura” still an American marketing anomaly as these same cars are called Hondas outside the US?
January 10th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
RE: AKM
“80s Volvos may have been much safer than other cars, but I just don’t think the difference is that big now.”
I was at a small auto body shop in southern Maryland where I witnessed a guy go through four carbide-tipped saw blades trying to cut a fender off of a smashed 2001 Volvo S80. He swore that the steel was harder than anything he had ever seen in 20+ years of auto body work; I asked if he typically used a sawsall to work on his customers valuable vehicles.
January 10th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
The Acura score comes as no surprise. There simply is not enough unique product content in Acura to keep the brand afloat in the US or spread it to the rest of the world. Unlike Inifinty they have not done enough to differentiate themselves from their parent company.
January 10th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
The domestics should keep in mind they squandered a 20 year free ride on “perception”.
People thought that “Japanese” = Junk until Detroit thought them the meaning of the word.
Now they complain when “perception” doesn’t change over night in their favor…even though they (esp. GM and the dog) are far from closing the reliability gap. (Ford is starting to get it n this area.)
Whiner babies.
January 10th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
We also have Acuras up here in Canada. In fact, we have at least one Acura model that’s unique to Canada: the CSX (formerly the EL). Apparently they feel that upscale small cars won’t appeal to Americans.
January 10th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
Consumers consider friendliness to the environment (35 percent) to be more significant than styling (23 percent).
I think this explains the Prius… or could the sample be biased by Prius owners?
January 10th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
BlisterInTheSun :
Wow, that’s interesting. I wouldn’t have thought (obviously)!
January 10th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
“We also have Acuras up here in Canada. In fact, we have at least one Acura model that’s unique to Canada: the CSX (formerly the EL). Apparently they feel that upscale small cars won’t appeal to Americans.”
uuuhhhh, the CSX is a Honda Civic with the “A” badge and leather seats. And upscale small car = 3-series BMWs which are too popular in Americaland.
And Audi….no surprise…Audi should take lessons from Lexus on customer service (but not styling or driving dynamics).
And Audi shouldn’t have ended its 3-year free maintenance.
January 10th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
And upscale small car = 3-series BMWs
That car is only “small” in America.
January 11th, 2008 at 1:48 am
An interesting brand image study and the results are not terribly surprising. Volvo earned it’s safety image through decades of work and advertising. BMW likewise has focused on the driving experience, forever. Honda often gives the most bang for the buck through their minimal options strategy.
The top rank green perceptions of Toyota and Honda have everything to do with their pioneering work in hybrids. Honda also gets credit for consistently being the company which says “can-do” to tightening emissions standards.
Through decades of work Toyota and Honda have established outstanding brands in the customer’s mind for the things the average person cares most about. Toyota means great quality for the price. Honda means great value with near Toyota quality levels. Good for both, they are doing their jobs.
Now can someone explain to me exactly what ANY of the domestic CAR brands has stood consistent for over decades?
January 11th, 2008 at 8:00 am
jthorner-”Now can someone explain to me exactly what ANY of the domestic CAR brands has stood consistent for over decades?”
T-R-U-C-K-S
Yes, you said CAR. They still stand for trucks.
January 11th, 2008 at 10:26 am
jthorner-”Now can someone explain to me exactly what ANY of the domestic CAR brands has stood consistent for over decades?”
They stand for getting the most profit with the least amount of work out of the customer(or ’suckers’ as they like to refer to them).
January 16th, 2008 at 9:49 am
Good to see they used a random sample for this one, as you really need a random sample when studying general perceptions. Quite the frothy topic, it’s interesting to read how they try to make sense out of the results — then refer people to their regular content for truly useful info.
Is this the first such study from CR, or have their been others? I wonder what it signifies that they conducted a survey they did not rely on their membership. Maybe it was a one-off conducted for PR purposes. Maybe it’s the first of many.
January 16th, 2008 at 9:56 am
Acura has tried to position themselves as an automotive technology leader, something the general public doesn’t really care about.
January 16th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
I’m not 100% sure but the chance is high that Volvo uses SSAB-products, see “Docal” and “Dogal”. And they are in good company with Porsche whom I am certain uses SSAB steel.
http://www.ssab.com/templates/Ordinary____569.aspx
I’ve got som theories why the US “don’t get” Audi, but that’s for later.