Honda Still Most Popular Choice Among New Owners

Honda Still Most Popular Choice Amongst New Vehicle Owners

Honda has again taken first prize when it comes to customer satisfaction for New Zealanders purchasing new vehicles.

In the latest vehicle ownership and satisfaction study released today by the AA and market research company JD Power New Zealand, Honda has topped the rankings for a second consecutive time for new vehicle ownership.

The study - first conducted in 2004 – canvassed over 14,000 AA Members in four key areas of vehicle ownership: quality and reliability, appeal, service and ownership costs. Of the 14,838 surveyed, 2665 were owners of vehicles purchased new and 12,173 owners of used vehicles.

“The results clearly show that Honda continues to lead the pack in its commitment to excellence in customer service. It also shows just how important customer satisfaction is when it comes to making a decision on a vehicle purchases,” says Stella Stocks, General Manager of AA Technical Services.

“Automotive manufacturers cannot afford to ignore how customers view the vehicle they buy and expect to remain competitive. Honda has actually improved its satisfaction ratings since it last topped this survey.” she says.

There has been an overall increase of vehicle ownership satisfaction levels since the 2004 study. This increase is likely attributed to improvements in vehicle quality and reliability, says Ms Stocks.

Honda scored 787 points out of a possible 1000 point scale. Following Honda in the rankings were Toyota, Subaru and Mazda respectively.

“Honda remains a strong brand in New Zealand,” says Brian Fine, Managing Director of JD Power New Zealand.

“Major focus on technology and heavy importation has helped to build consumer confidence in Honda. Toyota has also made significant improvements compared to the 2004 results due to new product innovations with hybrids and improved customer satisfaction scores,” he says.

Amongst owners of used vehicles Audi ranked the highest in customer satisfaction.

Detailed results of the Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction Study are available in the latest edition of AA Directions magazine, due out this week, and also on www.aa.co.nz.

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