Jesus Sanchez, Contributor 
Hyundai Azera 2006 has high safety ratings. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS
FROM PRICEY Porsches to humble Hyundais, foreign automakers continue to beat their domestic rivals when it comes to new car quality, according to a widely watched automotive industry survey released last week.
Tokyo-based Toyota and its luxury Lexus brand captured 11 out of the 19 awards in different industry segments tracked by J.D. Power & Associates in its 2006 new car survey.
But it was German carmaker Porsche that claimed the nameplate with the fewest problems 91 for every 100 vehicles. Lexus was close behind at 93 and Hyundai came in third with 102 the first time the Korean carmaker placed in the top three.
The American vehicle brand with the fewest problems, Cadillac, came in seventh with a score of 117. The industry average was 124 problems for every 100 vehicles.
The firm's Initial Quality Study which is based on surveys of drivers 90 days after they purchased their vehicles was redesigned this year to measure problems with designs as well as defects. As a result, this year's scores cannot be compared to previous years.
"New vehicles today are often packed with new technologies that, unfortunately, can be complicated and frustrating for the average consumer when their integration is not well executed," said J.D. Power executive research director Joe Ivers in a statement. "In the eyes of consumers, design flaws can have as much of an impact on their perceptions of quality as can a defect. Yet, many manufacturers have tended to address quality solely on the plant floor without considering design factors."
Source: www.latimes.com
