J.D. Power and Associated report that Honda is the best car company in many categories. 06/24/2011
J.D. Power and Associates recently surveyed approximately 78,000 car owners for their annual survey of new car quality. BusinessWeek reports that consumer complaints about entertainment and navigation systems have gone up 28 percent since 2009. In the first 90 days after buying new cars, owners stated that they encountered about 107 problems for every 100 vehicles, and for 2011-model cars, for every 100 cars, 122 issues were reported.
Complaints about hands-free technology, which did not even make the top 20 list of complaints in 2006, have increased by 240 percent. The rise in difficulty with the equipment comes with an increase in the production of cars with built-in technology. Ford, for example, fell from fifth place to 23rd after its introduction of the My Ford Touchsystem, which has gotten a number of customer complaints about glitching technology, Boston.com reported.
Honda received awards for the best subcompact, compact, and midsize cars, as well as midsize pickup and crossover SUV. The 2011 Civic and Insight tied for the compact car award, and the Accord came out on top for midsize cars. The Accord Crosstour, a sleek elongated version of the Accord sedan, offers Bluetooth technology that allows drivers to make phonecalls without taking their hands off the wheel.
The 2011 Honda Fit, with on-board navigation systems was rated the best subcompact car of 2011 by J.D. Power. The car does not have the same "cute" appeal that other subcompacts use to draw in customers. Rather, the four-seat car that gets a combined 33 miles to the gallon, has an edgier style and 10 cup holders, which is perfect for thirsty travelers. The Fit comes standard with voice-recognition navigation.