WSJ - A Bad Report Card For European Cars

Klaus · #1 11-14-2004, 07:19 PM

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A Bad Report
Card

For European Cars

BMW,
VW, Mercedes Fare

Poorly in Influential Listing,

But Japanese Models Shine

By NEAL E.
BOUDETTE

Staff
Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

November9,2004;PageD1

Once ranked among the auto industry's best in quality, European
cars are becoming known for something else: unreliable performance.

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RATING
THE CARS
[img]A%20Bad%20Report%20Card_files/image001.gif[/img]
[img]A%20Bad%20Report%20Card_files/image001.gif[/img]
European brands fared
particularly poorly in the sedan segment 
Top 5 "most
reliable" 
•Lexus IS 300

•Acura RL*

•Toyota Camry 4-cylinder

•Toyota Avalon

•Lexus LS 430


Top 5 "least
reliable" 
•BMW 5 Series

•VW Passat all-wheel drive

•Pontiac Grand Prix super-charged

•Saab 9-3

•Volvo S60


*Ranking of the old RL 
<REPRINTSDISCLAIMER>Source:
Consumer Reports 
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In Consumer Reports' preview of 2005 cars, released yesterday,
not a single European vehicle made it onto the magazine's influential "most
reliable" list. Instead, the list of least-reliable vehicles reads like a
roll call of what traditionally had been the industry's most prestigious and
pricey names: the BMW 5 Series and 7 Series, the Mercedes S Class and E Class,
the Jaguar X-Type and S-Type. The Saab 9-3 and the Volkswagen Jetta, Golf and
New Beetle also rate far below average for reliability. Of the 38 cars rated
least reliable, 20 were from European makers.

In contrast, Japanese makes dominated the reliability ratings.
Twenty-nine of the 32 cars rated most reliable were Japanese. Vehicles made by Toyota fared particularly well, including the Avalon, the Camry, the Highlander and the
RAV4. American brands were in the middle, faring slightly better than the
Europeans. Eleven American cars -- including the Hummer H2, Chevrolet Astro
van, Lincoln Navigator sport-utility vehicle and Chrysler Sebring convertible
-- were among the least reliable. Two made the grade as most reliable: the
Buick Regal, which has been discontinued for 2005, and the Pontiac Grand Prix.
Both are made by General Motors Corp.

Long known for high quality, European brands have slumped badly
in the past several years. In Consumer Reports' 2004 survey, Detroit car and
truck brands ranked ahead of European brands on average -- for the first time
in 25 years. Other quality studies, such as the J.D. Power & Associates
customer-satisfaction surveys, have shown a similar slide by the European
brands.

"The Europeans tend to engineer very complicated cars with
lot of electronics that lead to problems," said David Champion, senior
director for auto testing at Consumer Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports.

The BMW 7 Series, for example, has more than 120 electric
motors, including 38 just for adjusting its seats, and dozens of microprocessors
to control everything from the humidity inside the car to the angle at which
the wipers rest on the windshield. "The Japanese in general tend to try to
simplify as much as possible," Mr. Champion said.

Mr. Champion said the nagging quality problems European car
makers are suffering will have an impact on their sales over time. Through
October, U.S. sales of Mercedes-Benz cars have fallen 1.6%, while Volkswagen
AG has seen U.S. sales for its VW brand slump 15%.

BMW's overall U.S. sales are up 8%, thanks to the arrival of a
new SUV, the X3. But U.S. sales of the 5 Series are down 5%; 7 Series sales
have dropped 19%. In contrast, sales at Lexus, which is owned by Toyota
Motor Corp., are up 12%.

For Mercedes-Benz, quality problems are taking a bite out of the
bottom line, too. In the third quarter, DaimlerChrysler AG said
additional spending to take care of Mercedes quality glitches was part of the
cause for a 62% drop in its Mercedes division's operating profit.

The cars included on the "least reliable" list are not
eligible for inclusion in Consumer Report's list of recommended vehicles.

BMW AG's poor rating doesn't come as a surprise to Gerard
Rabadeau, a 58-year-old financial adviser in Westfield, N.J. He bought a 2004 5
Series sedan earlier this year, and the trouble started the day he picked up
the car. He ordered a 5 Series primarily because it was supposed to have
"Bluetooth" wireless technology that would automatically connect his
cellphone to the car's communications system. That would allow him to jump in
the car and talk hands-free with clients while driving.

But when he picked up the vehicle, the salesman explained the
Bluetooth technology wasn't working yet, and he didn't know if BMW would ever
get it to work. Within a week or so, the "key in ignition" warning
started going off -- even after he left the car with the key in his pocket.
Later, the security alarm started blaring whenever he used his key-fob remote
to pop the trunk.

He has taken the car back to the dealership several times, but
the problems continue to occur, and he is resigned to only opening the trunk
manually. "I haven't had problems with the traditional engine, the
transmission, but the electronics are a real pain," Mr. Rabadeau said.
"It's frustrating. It's a $60,000 car."

The survey is based on responses from Consumer Reports'
approximately five million magazine and online subscribers. It compiled data on
810,000 vehicles and covered the 1997 to 2004 model years. CR averages the
overall reliability scores for the most recent three years. For vehicles that
have been significantly redesigned, the rankings used only data on the most
recent version. That's the case with the BMW 5 Series, which was redesigned
last year



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Klaus · #2 11-14-2004, 07:19 PM

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<head>
<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=windows-1252">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 [filtered)">
<title>A Bad Report Card</title>

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<body lang=EN-US>

<div class=Section1>

A Bad Report
Card

For European Cars

BMW,
VW, Mercedes Fare

Poorly in Influential Listing,

But Japanese Models Shine

By NEAL E.
BOUDETTE

Staff
Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

November9,2004;PageD1

Once ranked among the auto industry's best in quality, European
cars are becoming known for something else: unreliable performance.

<table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=left
width=254 style='width:190.5pt'>
<tr>
<td width=243 valign=top style='width:182.25pt;background:#7194BA;padding:
.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'>
<table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=243
style='width:182.25pt;background:white'>
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<td width=10 rowspan=2 valign=top style='width:.1in;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'>
<spacer height=1 width=8 type=block>

</td>
<td valign=top style='padding:3.75pt 0in 3.75pt 0in'>
RATING
THE CARS
[img]A%20Bad%20Report%20Card_files/image001.gif[/img]
[img]A%20Bad%20Report%20Card_files/image001.gif[/img]
European brands fared
particularly poorly in the sedan segment 
Top 5 "most
reliable" 
•Lexus IS 300

•Acura RL*

•Toyota Camry 4-cylinder

•Toyota Avalon

•Lexus LS 430


Top 5 "least
reliable" 
•BMW 5 Series

•VW Passat all-wheel drive

•Pontiac Grand Prix super-charged

•Saab 9-3

•Volvo S60


*Ranking of the old RL 
<REPRINTSDISCLAIMER>Source:
Consumer Reports 
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</td>
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</table>

In Consumer Reports' preview of 2005 cars, released yesterday,
not a single European vehicle made it onto the magazine's influential "most
reliable" list. Instead, the list of least-reliable vehicles reads like a
roll call of what traditionally had been the industry's most prestigious and
pricey names: the BMW 5 Series and 7 Series, the Mercedes S Class and E Class,
the Jaguar X-Type and S-Type. The Saab 9-3 and the Volkswagen Jetta, Golf and
New Beetle also rate far below average for reliability. Of the 38 cars rated
least reliable, 20 were from European makers.

In contrast, Japanese makes dominated the reliability ratings.
Twenty-nine of the 32 cars rated most reliable were Japanese. Vehicles made by Toyota fared particularly well, including the Avalon, the Camry, the Highlander and the
RAV4. American brands were in the middle, faring slightly better than the
Europeans. Eleven American cars -- including the Hummer H2, Chevrolet Astro
van, Lincoln Navigator sport-utility vehicle and Chrysler Sebring convertible
-- were among the least reliable. Two made the grade as most reliable: the
Buick Regal, which has been discontinued for 2005, and the Pontiac Grand Prix.
Both are made by General Motors Corp.

Long known for high quality, European brands have slumped badly
in the past several years. In Consumer Reports' 2004 survey, Detroit car and
truck brands ranked ahead of European brands on average -- for the first time
in 25 years. Other quality studies, such as the J.D. Power & Associates
customer-satisfaction surveys, have shown a similar slide by the European
brands.

"The Europeans tend to engineer very complicated cars with
lot of electronics that lead to problems," said David Champion, senior
director for auto testing at Consumer Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports.

The BMW 7 Series, for example, has more than 120 electric
motors, including 38 just for adjusting its seats, and dozens of microprocessors
to control everything from the humidity inside the car to the angle at which
the wipers rest on the windshield. "The Japanese in general tend to try to
simplify as much as possible," Mr. Champion said.

Mr. Champion said the nagging quality problems European car
makers are suffering will have an impact on their sales over time. Through
October, U.S. sales of Mercedes-Benz cars have fallen 1.6%, while Volkswagen
AG has seen U.S. sales for its VW brand slump 15%.

BMW's overall U.S. sales are up 8%, thanks to the arrival of a
new SUV, the X3. But U.S. sales of the 5 Series are down 5%; 7 Series sales
have dropped 19%. In contrast, sales at Lexus, which is owned by Toyota
Motor Corp., are up 12%.

For Mercedes-Benz, quality problems are taking a bite out of the
bottom line, too. In the third quarter, DaimlerChrysler AG said
additional spending to take care of Mercedes quality glitches was part of the
cause for a 62% drop in its Mercedes division's operating profit.

The cars included on the "least reliable" list are not
eligible for inclusion in Consumer Report's list of recommended vehicles.

BMW AG's poor rating doesn't come as a surprise to Gerard
Rabadeau, a 58-year-old financial adviser in Westfield, N.J. He bought a 2004 5
Series sedan earlier this year, and the trouble started the day he picked up
the car. He ordered a 5 Series primarily because it was supposed to have
"Bluetooth" wireless technology that would automatically connect his
cellphone to the car's communications system. That would allow him to jump in
the car and talk hands-free with clients while driving.

But when he picked up the vehicle, the salesman explained the
Bluetooth technology wasn't working yet, and he didn't know if BMW would ever
get it to work. Within a week or so, the "key in ignition" warning
started going off -- even after he left the car with the key in his pocket.
Later, the security alarm started blaring whenever he used his key-fob remote
to pop the trunk.

He has taken the car back to the dealership several times, but
the problems continue to occur, and he is resigned to only opening the trunk
manually. "I haven't had problems with the traditional engine, the
transmission, but the electronics are a real pain," Mr. Rabadeau said.
"It's frustrating. It's a $60,000 car."

The survey is based on responses from Consumer Reports'
approximately five million magazine and online subscribers. It compiled data on
810,000 vehicles and covered the 1997 to 2004 model years. CR averages the
overall reliability scores for the most recent three years. For vehicles that
have been significantly redesigned, the rankings used only data on the most
recent version. That's the case with the BMW 5 Series, which was redesigned
last year



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Klaus · #3 11-14-2004, 07:19 PM

<html>

<head>
<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=windows-1252">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 [filtered)">
<title>A Bad Report Card</title>

<style>

</style>

</head>

<body lang=EN-US>

<div class=Section1>

A Bad Report
Card

For European Cars

BMW,
VW, Mercedes Fare

Poorly in Influential Listing,

But Japanese Models Shine

By NEAL E.
BOUDETTE

Staff
Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

November9,2004;PageD1

Once ranked among the auto industry's best in quality, European
cars are becoming known for something else: unreliable performance.

<table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=left
width=254 style='width:190.5pt'>
<tr>
<td width=243 valign=top style='width:182.25pt;background:#7194BA;padding:
.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'>
<table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=243
style='width:182.25pt;background:white'>
<tr>
<td width=10 rowspan=2 valign=top style='width:.1in;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'>
<spacer height=1 width=8 type=block>

</td>
<td valign=top style='padding:3.75pt 0in 3.75pt 0in'>
RATING
THE CARS
[img]A%20Bad%20Report%20Card_files/image001.gif[/img]
[img]A%20Bad%20Report%20Card_files/image001.gif[/img]
European brands fared
particularly poorly in the sedan segment 
Top 5 "most
reliable" 
•Lexus IS 300

•Acura RL*

•Toyota Camry 4-cylinder

•Toyota Avalon

•Lexus LS 430


Top 5 "least
reliable" 
•BMW 5 Series

•VW Passat all-wheel drive

•Pontiac Grand Prix super-charged

•Saab 9-3

•Volvo S60


*Ranking of the old RL 
<REPRINTSDISCLAIMER>Source:
Consumer Reports 
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</td>
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<td width=10 style='width:.1in;padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'>
<spacer height=5 width=9 type=block>

</td>
</tr>
<tr style='height:9.0pt'>
<td width=252 colspan=2 style='width:189.0pt;padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt;
height:9.0pt'>
<spacer height=12 width=252 type=block>

</td>
</tr>
</table>

In Consumer Reports' preview of 2005 cars, released yesterday,
not a single European vehicle made it onto the magazine's influential "most
reliable" list. Instead, the list of least-reliable vehicles reads like a
roll call of what traditionally had been the industry's most prestigious and
pricey names: the BMW 5 Series and 7 Series, the Mercedes S Class and E Class,
the Jaguar X-Type and S-Type. The Saab 9-3 and the Volkswagen Jetta, Golf and
New Beetle also rate far below average for reliability. Of the 38 cars rated
least reliable, 20 were from European makers.

In contrast, Japanese makes dominated the reliability ratings.
Twenty-nine of the 32 cars rated most reliable were Japanese. Vehicles made by Toyota fared particularly well, including the Avalon, the Camry, the Highlander and the
RAV4. American brands were in the middle, faring slightly better than the
Europeans. Eleven American cars -- including the Hummer H2, Chevrolet Astro
van, Lincoln Navigator sport-utility vehicle and Chrysler Sebring convertible
-- were among the least reliable. Two made the grade as most reliable: the
Buick Regal, which has been discontinued for 2005, and the Pontiac Grand Prix.
Both are made by General Motors Corp.

Long known for high quality, European brands have slumped badly
in the past several years. In Consumer Reports' 2004 survey, Detroit car and
truck brands ranked ahead of European brands on average -- for the first time
in 25 years. Other quality studies, such as the J.D. Power & Associates
customer-satisfaction surveys, have shown a similar slide by the European
brands.

"The Europeans tend to engineer very complicated cars with
lot of electronics that lead to problems," said David Champion, senior
director for auto testing at Consumer Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports.

The BMW 7 Series, for example, has more than 120 electric
motors, including 38 just for adjusting its seats, and dozens of microprocessors
to control everything from the humidity inside the car to the angle at which
the wipers rest on the windshield. "The Japanese in general tend to try to
simplify as much as possible," Mr. Champion said.

Mr. Champion said the nagging quality problems European car
makers are suffering will have an impact on their sales over time. Through
October, U.S. sales of Mercedes-Benz cars have fallen 1.6%, while Volkswagen
AG has seen U.S. sales for its VW brand slump 15%.

BMW's overall U.S. sales are up 8%, thanks to the arrival of a
new SUV, the X3. But U.S. sales of the 5 Series are down 5%; 7 Series sales
have dropped 19%. In contrast, sales at Lexus, which is owned by Toyota
Motor Corp., are up 12%.

For Mercedes-Benz, quality problems are taking a bite out of the
bottom line, too. In the third quarter, DaimlerChrysler AG said
additional spending to take care of Mercedes quality glitches was part of the
cause for a 62% drop in its Mercedes division's operating profit.

The cars included on the "least reliable" list are not
eligible for inclusion in Consumer Report's list of recommended vehicles.

BMW AG's poor rating doesn't come as a surprise to Gerard
Rabadeau, a 58-year-old financial adviser in Westfield, N.J. He bought a 2004 5
Series sedan earlier this year, and the trouble started the day he picked up
the car. He ordered a 5 Series primarily because it was supposed to have
"Bluetooth" wireless technology that would automatically connect his
cellphone to the car's communications system. That would allow him to jump in
the car and talk hands-free with clients while driving.

But when he picked up the vehicle, the salesman explained the
Bluetooth technology wasn't working yet, and he didn't know if BMW would ever
get it to work. Within a week or so, the "key in ignition" warning
started going off -- even after he left the car with the key in his pocket.
Later, the security alarm started blaring whenever he used his key-fob remote
to pop the trunk.

He has taken the car back to the dealership several times, but
the problems continue to occur, and he is resigned to only opening the trunk
manually. "I haven't had problems with the traditional engine, the
transmission, but the electronics are a real pain," Mr. Rabadeau said.
"It's frustrating. It's a $60,000 car."

The survey is based on responses from Consumer Reports'
approximately five million magazine and online subscribers. It compiled data on
810,000 vehicles and covered the 1997 to 2004 model years. CR averages the
overall reliability scores for the most recent three years. For vehicles that
have been significantly redesigned, the rankings used only data on the most
recent version. That's the case with the BMW 5 Series, which was redesigned
last year



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RoverRoller · #4 01-16-2005, 11:45 AM

Common now, lets not kid ourselves. American cars are still the least reliable cars on the road today.

Klaus · #5 01-17-2005, 09:04 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR>Originally posted by RoverRoller:
Common now, lets not kid ourselves. American cars are still the least reliable cars on the road today. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Do you have any facts to dispute Consumer Reports, or is this just your opinion?

RoverRoller · #6 01-21-2005, 09:01 PM

Well if I'm not completely correct, I'm still close.

Klaus · #7 01-21-2005, 09:29 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR>Originally posted by RoverRoller:
Well if I'm not completely correct, I'm still close. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yeah, right. You get an "E" for effort.

DennisAJC · #8 01-22-2005, 04:33 AM

Rover,

Read the manual bitch.

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