Consumers Digest Magazine Names 2009 Automotive Best Buys

The Auto Best Buys section includes photos, invoice pricing, standard features and performance traits that support the models’ Best Buy selection in the collective opinion of CD’s veteran automotive editors: Jim Gorzelany has served Consumers Digest readers for 21 years, including reporting on automotive categories such as crossover SUVs and hybrids; Kevin Kelly is senior editor of Automotive Design, suspension & Production magazine; Jim Mateja writes a weekly Chicago Tribune auto column and has received numerous awards for his auto coverage; Matt Nauman served as San Jose Mercury News’ auto editor and is one of the jurors that picks the North American Car of the Year at the annual Detroit auto show.

“Few purchases are more important, or require more research, than buying a new vehicle,” Weber says. “Our analyses underscore our commitment to ensure that consumers are as satisfied with their auto purchase years after making it as they were on the day they drove off the lot.” As manufacturers consistently improve in all areas of the customer experience, satisfaction among new-vehicle owners in Mexico has steadily increased to record-high levels, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Mexico Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction Study(SM) released today.

Now in its fifth year, the study measures new-vehicle ownership satisfaction with 2007 model-year vehicles suspension in Mexico. Overall satisfaction is determined by measuring customer experiences in four areas: vehicle quality and reliability; vehicle appeal (satisfaction with the design, style, performance and comfort of the vehicle); dealership service (satisfaction with the dealer service department); and ownership costs.

The study finds that customer satisfaction across the industry has continuously improved since the study’s inception in 2004, with steady year-over-year increases culminating in an industry average of 825 on a 1,000-point scale in 2008. This marks a 20 percent increase from 2004. Improvements by Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Nissan and Volkswagen account for more than 80 percent of this increase in the average industry satisfaction score. Notable improvements have been made throughout the industry in satisfaction with ownership costs, which has improved markedly since 2004.