‘Driver Power’ survey reinforces Japanese repute with Italian surprise

Japanese car makers have dominated the annual Driver Power brand results, states Iain Robertson, claiming six of the top 10 spots in the UK’s biggest survey of new-car brands, although one Italian marque seemed determined to upset the apple-cart.

The Toyota Prius clinched a victory last week, as the best new car on sale today, however, the further-reaching Driver Power 2019 brand survey reveals that Lexus is the most highly regarded manufacturer, according to Auto Express magazine readers. In fact, owners state categorically that Lexus models offer peerless reliability, unbeatable build quality and stunning styling…all subjective, of course, but interesting all the same.



Coming top of the interior and comfort, exterior and reliability categories, Lexus repeated its 2017 and 2018 Driver Power brand triumphs, securing victory in the 2019 manufacturer survey, with an overall satisfaction rating of 92.06%. However, Alfa Romeo’s second place in the reckoning, with an overall score of 92.04%, supplemented by wins in the engine and gearbox, and ride and handling categories, while sure to be of great relief to Alfa Romeo, does appear to buck a common belief that Italian cars may be great to look at but not so great to live with.



The march of the Koreans has placed Kia in a fine third-place overall, which reflects the hugely impressive scores that owners gave the brand for its servicing costs, reliability, infotainment systems and practicality credentials. Highly praised, these aspects contributed to a satisfaction score of 91.54% for the Korean player.



However, away from the top three Driver Power brand champions, Japanese companies held the majority of positions in the top 10, with Mazda, Subaru, Honda, Suzuki and Toyota all gaining a place in the top third of the survey of 30 manufacturers. While German brands were noticeable by their absence in the top 10, the VW Group’s Czech-based Skoda clinched an unsurprising fifth place. Intriguingly, British brand Jaguar came ninth, which contrasts with its faltering quality issues reported in other surveys.



Naturally, Ewan Shepherd, director of Lexus, commented: “This is our third consecutive best manufacturer title in the Driver Power survey. At Lexus we are always striving to do better and are thrilled that, yet again, British motorists have recognised and appreciated what we have to offer. It’s 30 years since the Lexus brand was born and it’s always been our aim not just to deliver the best customer service, but also to redefine what great service means to today’s customers. It’s this core commitment to excellence, a line-up of great new products and the hard work and dedication of everyone who works for Lexus, especially our retail and trade partners, that has helped us once again to claim the top spot in the Driver Power manufacturer rankings.



Both Lexus and parent company Toyota have earned an indefatigable reputation for their overall dependability, a characteristic that is placed very highly in the hearts and minds of their owners. However, the Top Ten list highlights that broader customer satisfaction levels are on a genuine high at the moment.

MSG Summary

It is interesting to note how many of the Driver Power Top Ten are also leading suppliers to our business and customers. We congratulate Lexus for its repeated success.

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