With three vehicles each winning their segments, Ford and Toyota led the newly released 2008 Strategic Vision Total Quality Index, which rates consumer satisfaction during the first three months of new-car ownership.

General Motors’ Chevrolet brand, Honda and Mercedes-Benz had two winners each in various categories, the only other brands with multiple victories. Nissan and its Infiniti luxury brand had no segment leaders. The results of the latest index were released Wednesday.
The Ford winners included the Edge, in the medium crossover segment; the Mustang, among convertibles under $30,000; and the F-250/350 Super Duty, among heavy-duty pickups.

Toyota’s top winners were the Yaris, among small cars; 4Runner, among medium SUVs; and the Sequoia, among large SUVs. Sales of the 4Runner and Sequoia are down significantly this year, primarily because of high gasoline prices, though buyers are snapping up the fuel-sipping Yaris.

Two other vehicles from Ford-owned brands also led their respective classes for overall quality: the Mercury Sable, among large cars, and the Volvo C30 hatchback, among small specialty vehicles under $25,000.

And in the near-luxury SUV class, Ford’s Land Rover LR2 tied with Toyota’s Lexus RX 350.

Scion, Toyota’s youth-oriented brand, also scored a top winner with the boxy Scion xB, which won in the small multi-function vehicle category.

Chevy’s Corvette was the winner among convertibles over $30,000, tied with the Mercedes SL; and the Chevrolet Silverado and Avalanche tied among large pickups.

Honda’s winners were the Odyssey, among minivans, and the Ridgeline, among “standard pickups.”

Mercedes also won with the S-class sedan in the luxury-car class.

“Ford is back, establishing its vehicle quality in the hearts and minds of its customers,” said Alexander Edwards, president of Strategic Vision’s automotive division. “The Ford Edge is one of the vehicles Ford can be proud of.”
Edge sales are up

The Edge has been a bright spot for Ford as sales of its profitable SUVs and pickups have fallen this year as gasoline prices spiked. Through April, Edge sales were up 24 percent for the year, compared with last year.

Ford also sells a fancier version of the Edge as the Lincoln MKX, whose sales also are up 24 percent for the year (through April).

Strategic Vision, a San Diego-based marketing-research firm, has been conducting the annual Total Quality Index study for autos since 1995.

The index measures new-vehicle owner satisfaction, using mailed-out surveys to ask buyers to rate “all aspects of the ownership experience, from buying and owning to performance and driving,” Strategic Vision said in announcing this year’s winners.

Volkswagen’s Jetta topped the “medium car” segment, in which the new Chevrolet Malibu was ranked second, beating such perennial consumer favorites as the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry.

The Jetta is marketed as a compact car, however, whereas the Passat actually is the Volkswagen that competes directly against the Malibu, Accord and Camry.

Hyundai, which led in three segments last year, had just one winner this year, the Santa Fe, among small SUVs.

The Santa Fe was redesigned two years ago, though, and the current model competes in the same segment as the Ford Edge. Hyundai introduced the Tucson to replace the Santa Fe in the small SUV segment.

Other top winners included the Chrysler 300C among near-luxury cars, and the BMW X5 among luxury SUVs.

The good news for U.S. automakers is that they fared so well in this year’s survey, Strategic Vision said.

“Over the past quarter century in the U.S., customer perceptions of quality of domestic and Asian manufacturers underwent large swings,” Edwards said.

Contact G. Chambers Williams III at 259-8076 or cwilliams1@tennessean.com.