HONDA OWNERS SHOW HIGH CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, ACCORDING TO LATEST J.D. POWER AND ASSOCIATES AUTOMOTIVE STUDY

• Honda Jazz is the highest ranked individual model in the 2005 Study and highest in the Small Car segment
• Other Honda models all ranked within top 13, in first, second or third position within their sector (from 124 models represented)
• Honda is third placed brand overall

A further showing that Honda customers are among the most satisfied in the car industry is revealed this week in the latest J.D. Power and Associates Automotive Customer Satisfaction Study published in the June edition of What Car?

The Honda Jazz has emerged the top rated model for the second year running. It achieved an overall Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) a full 30 points above the next best Small Car with owners more satisfied with the baby Honda than they were with any other single model.

Almost as content were owners of Honda Civics, CR-Vs and Accords. These models were all at the top, or very near the top, of their individual categories and listed among the top 13 models overall: the CR-V was the top-rated Compact SUV, while the Accord was placed second in the Upper Medium segment and the Civic was placed third in the Lower Medium segment.

Honda was one of the most improved brands in this year’s study, improving from last year’s fifth place to third. Particular areas of strength were ‘ownership costs’ (improved 23 points from last year), ‘vehicle appeal’ (up 17 points), ‘quality and reliability’ (up 10 points) and ‘service satisfaction’ – where Honda emerged the highest rated brand of all.

This year’s J.D. Power and Associates results are based on a study of ‘52’ and ‘03’ registered vehicles (those sold between Sept 2002 and August 2003), following a questionnaire mailed to a random sample of 90,000 UK owners. The overall response was sufficient to achieve a (50+) sample from 124 individual car models and 32 brands (100+).

The study asked owners to evaluate their experience on a series of questions. Each question carries a different weight based on its relationship with the respective satisfaction measure; each measure also carries a weight based on its relationship with overall satisfaction. Composition of the 2005 index is as follows quality/reliability (30%), vehicle appeal (28%), ownership costs (19%) and service satisfaction (22%).

"Achieving high customer satisfaction is a top priority for us and we are firmly committed to enhancing the customer experience," says Honda (UK)’s Customer Insight Manager, Jane Nichols. "To this end, the J.D. Power and Associates Study is an important measuring tool, enabling us quickly to identify the things that really matter to the customer. We are greatly encouraged by our success, especially since this year’s study reflects steps we have recently taken to reduce ownership costs."

ends…

• The Jazz’s success in the 2005 J.D. Power and Associates Study is the latest of many awards and accolades gained by the model. Others include the Auto Express Driver Power Survey (Supermini winner 2005, outright winner 2004), Auto Express New Car Honours (Supermini winner 2004 and 2003) and Top Gear Magazine Awards (Best Small Car 2004 and 2003). In addition, the Honda Fit (Japanese name for the Jazz) took both the Japanese Car of the Year and Japan’s "RJC Car of the Year" titles immediately following the model’s launch .
• Full details of the J.D. Power and Associates study appear in the June edition of What Car? magazine available from 14 April.

AUTO EXPRESS DRIVER POWER SURVEY 2005 RESULTS

Moreover, 3 Honda models took the first 3 spots in the recent Auto Express Driver Power Survey 2005. In this survey, made by one of the most influential UK motor magazines, the highest rated car was the Honda S2000 (89.9%), with the Honda Jazz second (88,08%) and the Honda Accord third (87.73%).

More information at Honda UK website