(May 27, 2011) LONDON — Despite economic pressures on both auto manufacturers and consumers, vehicle ownership satisfaction in the UK has increased from 2010, with improvement occurring across all aspects of the ownership experience, according to the J.D. Power and Associates.

A new J.D. Power study measured customer satisfaction with the vehicle and dealer service based on evaluation of 66 attributes grouped in four key measures. In order of importance, they are — vehicle appeal (37%), which includes performance, design, comfort and features; vehicle quality and reliability (24%); ownership costs (22%), which includes fuel consumption, insurance and costs of service/repair; and dealer service satisfaction (17%).

The most notable improvement from 2010 occurred in the service satisfaction factor, while modest increases have also occurred in the vehicle appeal and ownership costs factors.

"It is particularly encouraging that satisfaction with ownership costs has improved during a year that has witnessed record fuel costs, increased insurance premiums and greater competitive price pressure for dealerships," said Brian Walters, senior director of European automotive operations at J.D. Power and Associates. "In many respects, this indicates that automakers have been able to protect their customers from direct internal cost pressures."

Lexus ranked highest in satisfying new-vehicle owners for an 11th consecutive year, with a score of 845 on a 1,000-point scale. Lexus performed particularly well in three of the four key measures: vehicle quality and reliability; vehicle appeal; and service satisfaction. Following in the rankings are Honda (833) and Jaguar and Skoda, in a tie (825 each).

At the model level, Honda received two awards for the Accord (upper medium car) and Jazz (small car). Also receiving awards were the BMW 5 Series (executive luxury car, in a tie); Citroen C3 Picasso (MPV); Lexus IS (compact executive car); Mercedes-Benz E-Class (executive luxury car, in a tie); Skoda Octavia (lower medium car); and Toyota Aygo (city car).

Overall satisfaction has improved in each vehicle segment, compared with 2010. In particular, the MPV segment improved more than any other segment in the product appeal and quality and reliability factors.

"It's great news that people are more satisfied with their cars than ever, and it proves that car makers are getting things right more often," said Jim Holder, magazine editor of What Car? "Yet again Lexus tops the study with outstandingly reliable cars and dealer back-up that is truly exceptional. Brands at the other end of the spectrum must work hard to win back customer support."

The study also found that customer expectations for vehicle ownership satisfaction have been steadily rising during the past decade. In particular, owners have become more critical of design elements within their vehicles, are increasingly willing to shop around for service, are less tolerant of quality issues and are placing more importance on the overall appeal of their vehicles. According to Walters, this makes it critically important for brands to differentiate their products and service experiences in ways that meet and exceed customer expectations time after time.