DETROIT — Drivers of new cars were less satisfied with their vehicles this year for the first time in at least five years due mainly to rising fuel prices, according to an annual survey released Thursday, but U.S. cars continued to show improvement.
The survey by the J.D. Power and Associates marketing and consulting company saw the industry average drop by two points to 770 this year from 772 in 2007. The survey measures owner satisfaction with the design, layout and performance of new vehicles.
It was the first drop in at least five years, said Neal Oddes, J.D. Power’s director of product research and analysis. Gas prices rose 27 percent in the period between the 2007 and 2008 surveys, he said, but the latest survey found that fuel economy stayed the same at an average of 21 miles per gallon.
“The fuel economy hasn’t improved from last year to this year,” Oddes said. “You just haven’t seen that movement.”
Foreign nameplates again dominated the survey, but U.S.-based automakers continued to improve.
Porsche led all brands, scoring 854 out of a possible 1,000 points, followed by Jaguar at 844. Cadillac was the highest-scoring U.S.-based brand at 827.
It also found that models that were given mild updates scored higher on average than models that were entirely redesigned, a departure from previous years.
Honda captured more model segment awards than any other automaker. Its subcompact Fit, Odyssey minivan and Ridgeline midsize pickup scored highest in their segments.
Porsche, Toyota and Volkswagen each took two segment awards. The Porsche Cayman won in compact premium sporty car, and its Cayenne took the midsize, multiactivity vehicle honors. Volkswagen’s GTI/R32 won for compact sporty car, while its Passat won for midsize car.
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