JD Power agrees with Rouxenator on cars (told you so!)

Rouxenator

Rouxenator

Dank meme lord
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Many times I am ridiculed and called a troll because I recommend cars other than what the mainstream thinks is good. I am very fond of Eastern cars - in particular Korean option and I have a pet hate for anything VAG. When I bought a Opel Corsa last year I compared it the VW Polo and found that the Opel was a much better deal. Yet I was told it is an inferior car when compared to the Polo and that I am just a dumb VW hater.

Another small car that I absolutely love is the Hyundai i10 and more recently the new Chevrolet Spark. Still, when I punt these are good alternatives to cheap VWs and other cars I get labeled as an idiot and someones whose advice should, at best, be ignored.

Well, guess its time to say "told you so" because I just took a gander over the February issue of CAR Magazine and it features the results of the 2010 JD Power quality survey for South Africa. Allow me point out the following results in terms of ranking based on Problems Per 100 Vehicles (PP100).

Light Cars :
#1 Hyundai i10 with 130 PP100
#2 Chevrolet Spark Lite with 170 PP100 (Hot New Spark will probably #1 next year)
#3 Hyundai Atos with 204 PP100

Lower Sub-compact Cars :
#1 Honda Jazz with 100 PP100
#2 Mazda2 with 120 PP100
#3 Opel Corsa with 122 PP100
#4 Hyundai Getz with 141 PP100
#5 Toyota Yaris with 164 PP100
#6 Chevrolet Aveo with 175 PP100
#7 VW Polo Mk5 with 181 PP100 (beaten by a Aveo, Getz and Corsa - suck on that)
#8 Ford Fiesta with 182 PP100
#9 VW Polo Vivo with 187 PP100
#10 Hyundai i20 with 198 PP100 (better luck next year)
#11 VW Polo Mk4 with 213 PP100
#12 Dacia Sandero with 301 PP100 (what did you expect)

Guess I was right with the Corsa then, hey?

Other interesting cars worth mention is the Mercedes A-class that shares 2nd place along with the Audi A3 in the upper sub-compact class. Also the Mercedes C-Class that takes a slash all over the A4, A5 and 3-series in the Compact Cares segment.

Maybe next time think twice about the alternative options people bring to the conversation - chances are good that they are a lot less stupid than you think.
 
Rouxenator said:
...When I bought a Opel Corsa last year I compared it the VW Polo it came a poor second. Yet I was told it is an inferior car when compared to the Polo and that I am just a dumb VW hater...
Click to expand...

Point made...moving swiftly along.
 
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satanboy said:
Point made...moving swiftly along.
Click to expand...
:D no, I don't think you get the point fully, perhaps partly on the part that I was right yes. The part of the point that you are missing is that I'm gonna be rubbing this one in for a long time to come :cool:
 
There's a couple of other elements to this, Rouxie... not the least of which is the nature of your average buyer of a given brand. People who buy cars regarded and perceived as top-notch will complain at the drop of a hat. People whose Chevy Sparks self-ignite will just happily accept it as part and parcel of buying a POS. :p

Obviously not quite to such an extreme, but the point stands.
 
I think at this point it might be a good idea to recommend that you go out and get a copy of the February CAR magazine and read the whole article to get some background on how these results are obtained and what they mean. Your attitude with regards to your car bursting into flames has got very little to do with the quality of the car as there can be many reasons for such occurrences.

As I said, its easy to just snub someone out as being a dumb or ignorant hater, but there is always a reason behind peoples opinions. What I am trying to point out here is that sometimes haters have very valid reasons.
 
I'm quite familiar with the JD Power survey and its workings. The point is that surveys are by definition rather myopic in their application & their results cannot be seen as absolutes. They do make for interesting reading, but there are far too many factors outside the scope of a given survey to regard its findings as gospel.

I also note with interest that you neglect to mention the winner of the "Upper small car" segment. ;)
 
enigma243 said:
I also note with interest that you neglect to mention the winner of the "Upper small car" segment. ;)
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Well spotted! Yes, I guess one of the other factors to consider when rating a car is whether it sucks and in my view the Jetta, despite being Upper Small Car #1, sucks a lot when it comes to being stylish and alternative - its as mainstream as they come. Guess that pretty much illustrates your point perfectly.
 
satanboy said:
I was referring to the mag as a whole...I was a loyal subscriber for years until I noticed their bias (or not making any negative statements). Top Car FTW
Click to expand...

I know, but in this instance the fact that CAR isn't worth the name is moot, 'tis all I'm saying. I don't have a particularly high opinion of any of the local rags, to be honest.
 
I do find them very biased towards VAG. But then again, they did give me free smash and grab on my one car so I suppose I'll keep subscribing. But in this case they are merely the messenger.
satanboy said:
Opel is cr@p
Click to expand...
Not at all - I have two and they have given me far fewer problems than people with VAGs. Plus they are much better looking - and if you look at the total scores of the European Car Of The Year then Opel is still ahead of VW. So what I'm trying to say is - you're wrong.
 
Roux in your big fight against VAG your missing one important point. Most people buy cars with their heart not their mind like for instance I'm know I should buy a practical car but really I want to buy a 4x4 just coz I've always wanted one.

You can always give people advice but if they don't take it then that's their problem.
 
Very true - and I admire those that buy something because they want it and it suits as an extension of who they are. In cases like that nothing else matters, not value for money, safety or even quality - it is a thing of passion and I totally get that. It is one of the reasons I drive a baby blue (Oriental Blue) Corsa and I have only seen one like it in 7 months (with an EC reg mind you).

However the reason I posted this quality survey is to point out that perceived quality is just that - a perception. Once you make a decision and put down your money to start living with your choice things can change, and that is what is pointed out here. Obviously there are exception to the rule and often you will only hear people when they complain about something but that is why surveys like these are done.

It is mere luck that they have the same findings as is my preference in cars.
 
Rouxenator said:
Well spotted! Yes, I guess one of the other factors to consider when rating a car is whether it sucks and in my view the Jetta, despite being Upper Small Car #1, sucks a lot when it comes to being stylish and alternative - its as mainstream as they come. Guess that pretty much illustrates your point perfectly.
Click to expand...
ok, so when it works for you, then its all good. But otherwise, it doesn't really count. sure...

Car faults (or lack thereof) are not entirely what a good car is about. If it was, no one would buy an alfa. A good car goes so much more beyond simply "reported faults", so ur actually not rubbing anything in. For me, less faults doesn't translate into a better vehicle (or better drive). IF it did, I would be driving a honda jazz, and so would everyone else. And they should be loving the experience....in fact, the jazz is a rather mundane drive that leaves very little to be desired by the car enthusiast.

Also, judging a car simply because it is mainstream screams of an emo teenager trying to be different just for the sake of it. What ever happened to liking something on the basis that it is good, rather than if it is mainstream??
 
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