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J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Initial Quality Study
June 6, 2007

Defects or design complaints after 3 months of ownership

Nameplate rankings

Brand Problems per 100 vehicles
Porsche 91
Lexus 94
Lincoln 100
Honda 108
Mercedes-Benz 111
Jaguar 112
Toyota 112
Mercury 113
Infiniti 117
Ford 120
Scion 123
Hyundai 125
Kia 125
Industry Average 125
Buick 127
Chevrolet 129
Volvo 129
Acura 130
GMC 131
Nissan 132
Saturn 132
BMW 133
Pontiac 133
Saab 133
Subaru 133
Cadillac 135
Audi 136
Chrysler 151
Suzuki 153
Mitsubishi 155
Dodge 156
Volkswagen 160
Jeep 161
Hummer 162
Mazda 163
Land Rover 170

IronCobra

Nice! Perhaps people will stop looking at Jaguar so poorly. Ford really did a good thing with their British partner and fixed their issues.

I'm proud of Kia and Hyundai for holding their own!

airtime

Apparently they forgot fix the Land Rover

juniorEXE

which is a shame since they make the best looking 4x4

KILLERGS4

is it just me, or has Acura really gone downhill, big time...

Lexmex

Mazda's drop is also something.

KILLERGS4

Lexus used to dominate this market... what happen...

Home > Articles > 2007 Premium Cars
American households are wealthier than ever before, and premium cars are more popular than ever. In the premium car segments, the Lincoln MKZ, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, and Audi A8 are the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Initial Quality Study (IQS)SM award recipients.

Entry Premium segment: 2007 Lincoln MKZ

While the Lincoln MKZ (formerly the Zephyr) is akin to the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan, it does get more of its own personality for 2007. It retains the signature waterfall grille, but has been refined to incorporate more brightwork (polished metal parts) and unique headlamps. The MKZ also gets chrome trim on the beltline as well as on the mirror caps to differentiate it from its siblings. Painted 17-inch alloy wheels are standard, but if you prefer a machined aluminum or chrome look, you can choose that as well. The MKZ also features rear, twin chrome-tip exhausts.


2007 Lincoln MKZ

Inside, the MKZ is instantly recognizable as a Lincoln product. It features electroluminescent gauges trimmed with chrome rings, satin nickel finishes on the center console, a steering wheel with real Figured Maple or Ebony wood accents, and redundant audio, climate, and cruise controls. According to Lincoln, the MKZ boasts of three feet of rear-passenger leg room, along with a trunk that has nearly 16 cubic feet of cargo volume. The rear seats also fold in a 60/40 split for even more cargo capacity. In addition, the MKZ is loaded with all of Ford’s safety features like the Safety Canopy side air bag system and ABS with Electronic Brake force Distribution.

The big news for the MKZ is the presence of a 3.5-liter V-6 engine that’s also the motive force behind Lincoln’s new midsize crossover, the MKZ. While the previous Zephyr, equipped with a 3.0-liter V-6, only produced around 220 hp, the new 3.5-liter unit in the MKZ delivers 263 hp and 249 lb.-ft. of torque. It’s the only engine choice on the MKZ, and is matched to a 6-speed automatic transmission. The addition of intelligent all-wheel drive as an option delivers benefits in any type of weather situation. It’s paired with available traction control, which allows the systems to work together to transfer torque both side-to-side as well as front-to-rear.

Lincoln MKZ Ratings
Lincoln MKZ Photos
Lincoln MKZ Prices

Midsize Premium segment: 2007 Mercedes-Benz E-Class

The E-Class is Mercedes-Benz’s midsize executive sedan. The current generation was introduced in 2003 but has been redesigned and updated for 2007. All E-Class vehicles now come with the Pre-Safe safety system that Mercedes launched with the latest generation of its S-Class, the company’s largest and most luxurious sedan. Pre-Safe sensors take protective measures when a crash is impending by tightening seat belts, properly positioning a reclined front passenger’s seat, and automatically closing the sunroof and side windows. Pre-Safe also reacts to emergency braking, fishtailing, or to a vehicle that’s plowing ahead instead of turning by engaging vehicle stability controls to help the driver maintain safe control.


2007 Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Inside, the E-Class offers a long list of standard equipment, including a new steering wheel and shift lever, a revised layout for the automatic climate control, and four new interior colors. The wagon model now includes a power tailgate. Outside, the E-Class gets a more aggressive look and more aerodynamic mirrors. Among the changes are the use of adaptive brake lights that flash when the driver aggressively steps on the brake pedal, thus alerting those behind of a possible panic stop. Also available are so-called intelligent headlamps that adjust for speed and weather conditions to enhance the driver’s view of the road at night. A no-cost Sport Package includes special wheels, a lowered sport suspension, dual chrome exhaust pipes, and blue-tinted glass as well as black Bird’s-eye maple wood trim and a matte chrome instrument cluster with white gauges.

For 2007, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class is available in several versions. They include the E350 sedan, powered by a 268-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 and available with rear- or all-wheel (4-Matic) drive; the E350 4-Matic station wagon with the same V-6 engine but also equipped with all-wheel (4-Matic) drive; and an E550 sedan that draws on a 382-hp, 5.5-liter V-8 and comes with either rear-wheel or 4-Matic powertrains. Two high-performance versions from Mercedes’ in-house tuning shop, AMG, also are available: the E63 AMG sedan with its 507-hp, 6.3-liter V-8, and the E63 AMG wagon, which also carries the high-performance 6.3-liter powerplant. Additionally, Mercedes offers the E320 Bluetec sedan propelled by a 208-hp, 3.0-liter V-6 engine that operates on new, clean-burning low-sulfur diesel fuel. Mercedes says its Bluetec system is the world’s cleanest diesel, using 20 to 40 percent less fuel than comparable gasoline engines, and other automakers soon will be adopting the technology—as well as their own diesel technologies—to their luxury models.

Mercedes-Benz E-Class Ratings
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Photos
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Prices

Large Premium segment (tie): 2007 Audi A8

Audi's largest car model, known for its lightweight aluminum space-frame construction, is available in both standard (A8) and extended-wheelbase (A8 L) form. For 2007, the A8's standard 4.2-liter V-8 gets Audi’s FSI direct fuel-injection system, which boosts output to 350 hp and increases EPA fuel economy estimates by 1 mpg compared to last year's model. The top-line version of the A8 lineup is the A8 L W12. According to Audi, its 12-cylinder engine, which produces 450 hp and 428 lb.-ft. of torque, propels the A8 to 60 mph in 5 seconds. All engines are backed by a Tiptronic 6-speed automatic with Audi's quattro all-wheel-drive system.


2007 Audi A8

All A8s feature an adaptive air suspension, a full complement of safety equipment (including electronic stability control and side air bags), leather seats, rain-sensing wipers, satellite navigation, rear-view camera, and Bose audio. The latter three utilize a 7-inch, color LCD screen that drops out of view when not needed, and most functions are controlled through the Multi-Media Interface (MMI). An optional Bang & Olufsen stereo cranks out over 1,000 watts via 14 speakers. Interestingly, even at full volume, the B&O stereo can barely be heard outside the car. W12 models have power-closing rear doors and trunk lid and a rear-seat entertainment system with a trunk-mounted 6-DVD changer, as well as twin LCD monitors in the back of the front-seat headrests. W12 options include power-adjustable rear seats and a trunk-mounted refrigerator that is accessible from inside the car.

The new performance-oriented S8 rides on the shorter wheelbase of the A8. According to Audi, its powertrain—5.2-liter V-10 (450 hp, 398 lb.-ft. of torque), 6-speed Tiptronic, and quattro all-wheel drive—accelerates the S8 to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds and on to an electronically-limited top speed of 155 mph.

Audi A8 Ratings
Audi A8 Photos
Audi A8 Prices

Large Premium segment (tie): 2007 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Mercedes is the world’s oldest automaker. For much of its 120-year history, the S-Class has been its flagship, showcasing technology, performance, and luxury. Mercedes says the S-Class was the first car with anti-lock brakes (in 1978), with a supplemental restraint system that included air bags (1982), with Electronic Stability technology (vehicle dynamics control, 1996), and with Pre-Safe, a system that automatically prepares vehicle safety features when an accident is imminent (2002). While the various electronic systems may have distinctive technical names such as Distronic, they use advanced sensors, including radar, to warn of dangerous situations, to maintain the distance between your car and the one ahead on the highway, and even to help the driver back into a parallel parking space.


2007 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Inside, the S-Class offers a full array of luxury amenities, including front seats with 14-way adjustment and inflatable bolsters that can provide a massage or compensate for cornering forces by inflating the side bolsters. Even the rear seats recline, and the longer wheelbase provides limousine-style legroom for those seated in the second row. A push-and-turn “mouse” style controller provides access to audio, climate, seat, and navigation controls. There’s also a 600-watt, 14-speaker Harmon/Kardon Logic7 audio system with 5.1 surround sound. This system plays music from CD or DVD sources and has a memory card slot for easy playback of digitally recorded music. Many of the audio, climate, seat, and navigation functions in the central controller also have redundant switches on the dash. Voice control also can be used for audio, telephone, and navigation systems.

The S-Class literally rides on air with a standard air suspension system instead of steel coil springs. It rides both smoothly and quickly. The S550 has a 382-hp V-8 engine; the S600 is powered by a twin-turbocharged V-12; and the S65 AMG offers more than 600 hp, more than enough to satisfy even hardcore performance enthusiasts.

Mercedes-Benz S-Class Ratings
Mercedes-Benz S-Class Photos

Learn more about the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Initial Quality Study (IQS)SM award recipients by watching a video, reviewing the quality ratings or choosing a vehicle segment below:

Multi-activity Vehicles (MAV)
Premium MAVs
Pickups and Vans
Subcompact and Compact Cars
Midsize and Large Cars
Sporty Cars

http://www.jdpower.com/articles/article.aspx?ID=253

IronCobra

You must read further my friend.

http://www.jdpower.com/press-release...spx?ID=2007088

Lexus is still doing very well, they just didn't top the categories. It’s difficult for a company to maintain #1 in each area when the competition is so intense. Remember, they aren't competing against Chevy and Ford (per say) in this arena, they are competing against MB, BMW, AUDI, and other premium vehicles.



Lexus is still #2 and most of their cars were still in the top 2 or 3.