SAN DIEGO: Despite changes to consumers’ personal mobility behaviors during the pandemic, new vehicle owners continue to love their vehicles. Honda’s product renaissance garnered the brand the most trophies from Strategic Vision’s 2021 Total Quality Awards. Last year’s leaders, the Honda Civic Coupe and Civic Hatchback are joined by the Accord Hybrid, Insight, and Odyssey, according to Strategic Vision’s 2021 Total Quality Impact (TQI) measure.
“Honda begins with an advantage with customers,” explains Alexander Edwards, President of Strategic Vision. “Regardless of whether they purchased a Honda or not, new-vehicle buyers are more likely to state that Honda has stronger reliability and trust. The pandemic created an atmosphere of insecurity in many aspects of people’s lives. Because Honda’s reliability and trust are seen as the foundation of the brand, customers shopped Hondas and (re)discovered the recent Honda model designs. The enhanced styling acted as a cue of thoughtfulness, further magnifying their existing perceptions of the Total Quality of Honda models.”
“However, it is not just Honda where new styling and innovation led to increased quality perceptions,” notes Chris Chaney, Senior Vice President of Strategic Vision. “The Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride are key examples where the combination of styling, innovation, and warranty all converge to provide customers with the reassurance they need that they own a vehicle of the highest quality.” In addition to the Telluride, the Kia Stinger and Seltos were also segment leaders.
Luxury models also enhanced quality perceptions with product attributes and the emotions that follow. For example, Mercedes had three winners (S-Class, GLC SUV, and G-Class) each leading their respective segments as customers essentially received their “ideal vehicle,” which was high in quality and delivered emotion including safety, prestige, and refinement.
Even though the Lexus LC had a greater incidence of problems than others in its segment, it was also ranked the highest in Interior Workmanship, Styling and Versatility among Premium Coupes. Owners specifically acknowledged that their Lexus LC expressed their individuality in a uniquely personal way compared to what they felt other Premium Coupes had to offer.
Below is the full list of the 2021 Total Quality Award winners and scores:
| Segment | Winner | TQI |
|---|---|---|
| Small Car | Honda Civic Coupe** | 619 |
| Small Hatchback | Honda Civic Hatchback* | 629 |
| Small Alternate Powertrain (APT) Car | Honda Insight | 541 |
| Mid-Size Car | Subaru WRX* | 635 |
| Mid-Size APT | Honda Accord Hybrid Sedan | 558 |
| Near-Luxury Car | Kia Stinger | 679 |
| Near-Luxury APT Car | Volvo S60 Hybrid | 650 |
| Luxury Car | Mercedes Benz S-Class* | 714 |
| Luxury Hatchback | Audi A5/RS5 Sportback | 663 |
| Specialty Coupe | MINI Cooper 4-door Hardtop | 649 |
| Premium Coupe | Lexus LC | 716 |
| Standard Convertible | Ford Mustang Convertible | 612 |
| Premium Convertible/Roadster | BMW 8-Series Convertible | 710 |
| Standard Pickup | Jeep Gladiator** | 566 |
| Full-Size Pickup | Dodge Ram 1500 | 576 |
| Heavy Duty Pickup | GMC Sierra 2500/3500 | 605 |
| Entry SUV | Ford Bronco Sport | 605 |
| Entry CUV | Kia Seltos | 562 |
| Mid-Size SUV | Hyundai Palisade | 605 |
| Mid-Size CUV | Kia Telluride** | 644 |
| Full-Size Utility | Chevrolet Suburban | 651 |
| Near-Luxury Utility | Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe | 716 |
| Luxury SUV | Mercedes-Benz G-Class | 684 |
| Luxury CUV | BMW X6* | 710 |
| APT Utility | Toyota RAV4 Prime PHEV | 574 |
| Minivan | Honda Odyssey | 536 |
*2020 Winner
**2019 - 2020 Winner
Strategic Vision is an international consulting and advisory service organization that focuses on understanding and predicting advocacy, conquest, and loyalty according to consumers’ personal values and decision-making structures. Strategic Vision’s 26th annual Total Quality Impact (TQI) report is based on results from the New Vehicle Experience Study® (NVES) surveying over 132,264 new vehicle buyers after the first 90 days of ownership. It incorporates the impact of problems with the vehicle as well as the drivers’ analytical and emotional evaluations of quality. For further information or interview requests please contact Alexander Edwards or Christopher Chaney at (858) 576-7141, or visit our website at www.strategicvision.com.