Once in a while a shock result shakes up your perception of events. Once in a while Limerick will beat Tipperary at hurling. Who knows: Marussia may even one day win a Grand Prix. But Land Rover finish ahead of Toyota, Nissan and Audi in the JD Power customer-satisfaction survey?
Land Rover's sister company Jaguar has been topping, or finishing near the top of, the research firm's Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction Survey for some years, so eventually some of that influence must have begun to rub off on Land Rover.
We all know of Land Rover’s off-road prowess and the desirability of the brand, but it has never been the most reliable of marques. Until now, it seems, with a sixth-place finish in the VOSS manufacturers’ rating index, while Jaguar topped both the manufacturers’ poll and, with the XF saloon, the individual model list.
Based on a survey of more than 16,000 vehicle owners, polled after about two years of ownership, the rankings showed that Skoda is exceptionally well regarded, with two of its models, the Yeti and Superb, topping their segments. Volkswagen took two category wins, for the Scirocco coupé and the (now replaced) Fox city car. The Toyota Prius, Honda Jazz and Mercedes B-Class also took class honours alongside another winner you might be surprised to see: Citroën, with its DS3 hatchback.
Fiat, Mitsubishi, Alfa Romeo and Chevrolet propped up the bottom of the table, but the strong performance by Land Rover is a clear demonstration that you can develop and innovate your way out of a previously poor rating.
Jeremy Hicks, managing director of Jaguar Land Rover UK, says, "Jaguar and Land Rover have excelled in the results of this study, and we are proud that our cars and dealer network have performed so well.
“The new car market is fiercely competitive, and to be placed as the top automotive brand by car buyers for the second year in a row is a phenomenal achievement.”
Top 10
1 Jaguar
2 Lexus
3 Honda
4 Skoda
5 Mercedes-Benz
6 Land Rover
7 Volvo
8 Toyota
9 Nissan
10 Seat
Bottom 10
10 Ford
9 Renault
8 Mazda
7 Suzuki
6 Vauxhall (Opel)
5 Fiat
4 Peugeot
3 Mitsubishi
2 Alfa Romeo
1 Chevrolet