Survey Finds Honda Falling Back in Pack

By JOHN O’DELL

Oct. 1, 2001 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

Old, reliable Hondas have lost some of their appeal, while Pontiac’s Aztek, arguably the most reviled new vehicle since the Edsel, is considered sexy, according to research by J.D. Power & Associates.

The automotive marketing firm’s annual nationwide survey of new-vehicle owners to discover which models best meet their needs and expectations could set the industry on its ear when it is released this morning.

Among other surprises, a pair of truck-based sport-utility vehicles from General Motors Corp.--the Chevrolet TrailBlazer and GMC Envoy--bested new car-based “crossover” SUVs such as Toyota Motor Corp.’s Highlander in the mid-size SUV category.

South Korean auto maker Hyundai Motor Co. topped competitors such as Toyota, Ford Motor Co.’s Volvo brand and Volkswagen in two categories.

Hyundai’s new upscale mid-size sedan, the XG300, placed second behind the Toyota Avalon, but ahead of the Volkswagen Passat and Volvo V40 among premium mid-size cars. The Hyundai Santa Fe placed second in the entry-SUV category, ahead of the Toyota RAV4.

The study also found that those who dared to buy the humpbacked Pontiac Aztek “sport-activity” vehicle, which has not sold nearly as well as GM had hoped, think it’s the greatest.

True, owners don’t like its styling any more than do the critics--both the rear-end view and the side view were singled out for criticism by respondents to the J.D. Power study--but they love its power, handling, utility, comfort. Even its stereo got high marks.

For the first time since J.D. Power began conducting its APEAL Study--for Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout--in 1996, there are no entries from Honda Motor Co. among the first-place finishers. One of its hottest products, the Odyssey minivan, placed second to DaimlerChrysler’s top-of-the-line model, the Chrysler Town & Country, and was Honda’s only top-three finisher.

That doesn’t mean Honda quality or its owners’ loyalty suddenly plunged, said Brian Walters, director of product research at J.D. Power in Agoura Hills.

Vehicles that scored well “are either brand-new or ones that recently had been completely designed,” he said.

They tend to have an advantage over models that have been around awhile and lack the latest in creature comforts or performance enhancements, Walters said.

“Hyundai just happened to have a little more than Honda this year of what premium mid-size sedan buyers appreciated,” he said.

“You can really see that in the entry-level SUV category, where six of the 14 vehicles were new or redesigned and five of those took the first five places,” Walters said.

That probably hurt perennial SUV market leader Ford.

The company that likes to take credit for popularizing the sport-utility vehicle with the advent of the Explorer in 1990 fell short in the survey, with no first-place score in the four SUV categories. GM had three top-three scorers, all 2002 models introduced this year.

The Ford Excursion did place second among full-size SUVs, behind Toyota’s Sequoia but ahead of the Chevrolet Tahoe. The Ford Explorer Sport Trac tied with Toyota’s Tacoma for top honors among compact pickups.

Toyota and its Lexus luxury car unit were the big winners, with seven of 16 possible first-place finishes. Though no individual Acuras placed on the top-scorers list this year, Walters said Honda’s luxury line was second to Lexus in overall appeal.

Auto makers that do well on consumer surveys generally regard them as valuable tools that help buyers make informed choices. Manufacturers that fare less well tend to denigrate them as popularity contests that may measure flash and freshness but don’t take into account quality and value, including resale value.

The J.D. Power study is based on impressions of more than 110,000 owners who have had their new vehicles for 90 or fewer days.

It asked them to rate more than 100 attributes in eight categories: exterior styling; engine and transmission performance; comfort and convenience features; sound system; ride, handling and braking; seating; heating, ventilation and cooling systems; and cockpit and instrument panel.

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Winner’s Cirle

J.D. Power & Associates ranks cars and light trucks based on new owners’ ratings of 100-plus characteristics in categories including design, interior comfort and engine performance. This year’s top three vehicles in each market segment:

Compact Car

Volkswagen Beetle Volkswagen Golf Chrysler PT Cruiser

Entry Mid-Size Car

Volkswagen Jetta Pontiac Grand Am Hyundai Sonata

Premium Mid-Size Car

Toyota Avalon Hyundai XG300 Volkswagen Passat and Volvo V40 (tie)

Full-Size Car

Ford Crown Victoria Buick LeSabre Chrysler Concorde

Entry Luxury Car

Lexus ES 300 Lexus IS 300 BMW 3-Series

Mid-Luxury Car

Lexus GS sedan Cadillac DeVille Jaguar S-Type