JD Power satisfaction study: Jaguar ends 11-year Lexus domination

The J.D Power and Associates 2012 UK Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction Study revealed Jaguar blitzed the rankings, scoring 828 points out of 1000 and finishing 27 points clear of Lexus and Skoda who tied for second place.

Jaguar’s satisfaction score rose three points from 2011, although the win was largely the result of other manufacturers losing ground.

Lexus’ score plummeted from 845 in 2011 to 801 this year, while last year’s second-ranked Honda dropped to fourth position on the back of a 36-point loss (797 in 2012).

Last year’s fifth-placed Mini was also hit hard this year, falling below the 770-point industry average to 768. Volkswagen and Toyota moved into the top 10, while premium brands Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Volvo and BMW maintained strong positions at the pointy of the table in 2012.

Brands ranked below the industry average included Kia, Ford, Mazda and Hyundai, while General Motors’ two UK brands – Vauxhall and Chevrolet – filled the bottom two places with scores of 747 and 713 respectively.

The study was based on the responses of more than 17,600 vehicle owners in the UK after an average of two years of ownership. Respondents were asked to rate their vehicles across 67 attributes that were grouped into four measures of satisfaction: vehicle appeal including performance, design and features; ownership costs including fuel consumption and repair costs; vehicle quality and reliability; and dealer service satisfaction.

At the segment level, Toyota and Volkswagen had four models on the podium, while Mercedes-Benz and Skoda each had three.

The Kia Sportage achieved the highest individual score, 838, to claim the title of the best compact SUV for owner satisfaction.

2012 vehicle ownership satisfaction study results

City car:

Small car:

Lower medium car:

Upper medium car:

Compact executive car:

Executive luxury car:

MPV:

Compact SUV: