Porsche Tops U.S. Initial Quality Study

The Porsche 911 sports car received the best quality score among 209 cars and trucks evaluated by this year's J.D. Power Initial Quality Study of the American car market.

Now in its 27th year, the survey assesses new vehicles within the first 90 days of ownership. Owners respond to a questionnaire, and Power turns the results into a single rating based on average problems per 100 vehicles.

The 911 had only 64 problems per 100 units. The industry average this year is 113. Power announced results on Wednesday to the Automotive Press Assn. in Detroit.

This year's top five brands and their scores are Porsche (80 problems per 100 vehicles), GMC (90), Lexus (94), Infiniti (95) and Chevrolet (97). The bottom five are Scion (161), Fiat (154), Mitsubishi (148), Nissan (142) and Mini (135).

Mercedes-Benz (106) was the next-highest European brand after Porsche. It was followed by Audi (108). Further down the list were BMW and Volvo (114 each), Smart (115), Land Rover (116), Volkswagen (120) and Fiat (154).

Power says nearly two-thirds of complaints this year are about design issues electronic features that are difficult to use, for example rather than malfunctions such as loose trim or misbehaving transmissions.

The most-mentioned flaws this year are voice recognition systems (by a wide margin), Bluetooth connectivity features, wind noise, interior materials that scuff or soil easily and navigation systems that are difficult to use. Power notes that none of these issues relates to reliability, which along with exterior styling is the top reason American buyers cite in selecting a new vehicle.