Ford has been experiencing setbacks after setbacks in recent memory. They have already closed down plants and even went as far as selling the ultra-luxury brand Aston Martin to boost its financial status. While the company is going through hardships ad is expected to return to profitability two years down the road, they have earned overwhelming acceptance from consumers.
In a recent study conducted by the J.D. Power and Associates to determine the value of new cars in the market, the Ford Motor Company has five auto models topping their respective segments. The study involves polling consumers as to the number of problems that they have encountered on their new vehicles for the first 90 days of ownership.
The Ford Mustang, Mercury Milan, Lincoln MKZ, Lincoln Mark LT and the Mazda MX-5 Miata topped their respective class in terms of quality. FoMoCo has a controlling share in the Japanese car manufacturer Mazda.
The Ford Mustang topped the midsize sports car segment, besting the Toyota Solara and the Chevrolet Monte Carlo. The Mercury Milan, on the other hand, bagged the highest ranking in the midsize car category. The Milan beat the Honda Accord, Ford Fusion and the Mitsubishi Galant for the distinction. The Lincoln MKZ topped the entry premium car segment, winning over the Acura TSX and the Cadillac CTS.
The Lincoln Mark LT took the top spot in the large multi-activity vehicle segment over the Lincoln Navigator and the Hummer H2. The Mazda Miata meanwhile bested the Scion tC and the Subaru Impreza to top the compact sporty car class.
"We are designing and building world-class vehicles, and it's great to have this affirmation from the customers who drive our cars and trucks every day," says Mark Fields, the president of the Americas for Ford. "While we're pleased that our internal focus on quality is receiving this kind of recognition from J.D. Power and Associates, we will not let up. We will continue to deliver even more high-quality products that customers want," he added further.
The vehicles considered for the study are those new vehicles which have not undergone nay modifications even those equipped with . Aside from the five auto models which topped their segments, the car maker also has three second place finishers. The Ford F-150 placed second behind the Chevrolet Silverado in the large pickup class. The Lincoln MKX took the second place behind the Lexus RX350/RX400h in the midsize premium MAV segment. The third FoMoCo vehicle who finished second is the Navigator.
Ford also has six vehicles finishing third in their respective segment. These third place finishers for the company are the Ford Fusion for midsize car segment, the Ford Econoline for the van segment, the Ford Five Hundred in the large car class, and the Mercury Montego which is tied with the Five Hundred. The Mercury Mountaineer also finished third in the midsize MAV segment while the Volvo S80 finished third in the midsize premium car class.
Overall, the company ranked fourth this year and that is a significant improvement over last year when the company placed seventh. The Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Jaguar brands finished in the top ten list of nameplates according to J.D Power and Associates. Lincoln jumped from twelfth last year to third this year. Jaguar finished sixth while Mercury finished eighth. Ford brand finished tenth.
