Ford Powers Ahead Carmaker Jumps Toyota in Study of Quality Rankings

    WESTLAKE VILLAGE -- Ford galloped past Toyota as the leader of the pack in initial quality rankings, taking the top spot in five of 19 segments, J.D. Power and Associates, said Wednesday.

    Porsche again dominated the overall ranking of brands, averaging 91 problems per 100 vehicles as it had last year, according to Power's 2007 Initial Quality Study.

    That compared with a 2007 industry average of 125 problems per 100 vehicles. Last year it was 124.

    Ford Motor Co. earned segment awards for the Ford Mustang, Lincoln Mark LT, Lincoln MKZ, Mercury Milan and Mazda MX-5 Miata. Mazda is 33.4 percent owned by Ford.

    Toyota Motor Corp., which grabbed the top spot in 11 segments last year, captured only four this year -- for the 4Runner, Sequoia, Tacoma and Lexus RX350/RX400h.

    Ford's Lincoln brand took third in overall nameplate rankings, averaging 100 problems per 100 vehicles. It was behind Porsche and Toyota's Lexus luxury brand, which averaged 94 problems per vehicles.

    Lincoln jumped from 12th in 2006.

    "We saw dramatic improvement from Lincoln," said Neal Oddes, J.D. Power's director of product research and analysis. "It was a fantastic year for the Mercury Milan, with dramatic improvements in terms of defects."

    Overall, he said, Ford's strength came from new launches such as the Edge, MKX and MKZ.

    Toyota also had seen its list of quality leaders decrease in a quality study released Monday by Strategic Vision Inc., a San Diego- based market research company and consultant to automakers.

    Despite improving its overall quality, Toyota led in one category in that study -- down from four in 2006. South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Co. led in five categories, outperforming its Japanese, European and U.S. competitors. Last year, it had no winners.

    Joe Ivers, J.D. Power's executive director of quality and customer satisfaction, said there's no clear answer for Toyota's drop.

    But several vehicles brought its quality performance down this year, including the Corolla, Prius and Lexus models.

    It is worth noting, he said, that Toyota executives have been speaking publicly about their concerns about managing to maintain its historically high quality during a time of rapid growth.

    BEST COMPACT SPORTY: MAZDA MX-5 MIATA

    What's new: Retractable hardtop, which Mazda considers a separate model.

    Power said: "Most people simply will call it a Miata. Either way, the MX-5 Miata is a nimble sports car with impressive driving dynamics."

    The rest:

    Scion tC, Subaru Impreza

    BEST LARGE PICKUP: CHEVROLET SILVERADO HD

    What's new: Not Applicable

    Power said: "These pickups come in a dizzying variety of configurations that permit customers to tailor their purchasing decisions to their specific criteria."

    The rest:

    Ford F-150 LD,

    GMC Sierra LD

    BEST MIDSIZE: MERCURY MILAN

    What's new: All-Wheel Drive

    Power said: "The Milan continues to be a bright spot for Mercury; its sales are steady, and buyers are impressed with the vehicle's ride and handling qualities."

    The rest:

    Honda Accord, Ford Fusion, Mitsubshi Galant (tie)

    BEST COMPACT MULTI-ACTIVITY: HONDA CR-V

    What's new: Model Makeover

    Power said: "For 2007, the CR-V adds a good degree of sophistication with its all-new and updated version."

    The rest: Nissan Xterra, Hyundai Tucson

    (c) 2007 Daily News; Los Angeles, Calif.. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.