| Author | Message | ||
| magoo (Magoo)
Advanced Member Username: Magoo Post Number: 3337 Registered: 2-2001 |
Tino, I agree with you. I can't see the popularity of the T Bird and the Audi TT as was described. The T bird and their connecting it with the old T Bird is a joke. The car does nothing for me and many others I have spoken to. That will be another one they will shoot down the tubes in a few years. | ||
| Tino (Bboxer)
Junior Member Username: Bboxer Post Number: 175 Registered: 8-2001 |
OK, I may have been too rash. My son may have been too cockey just after grad school, but let's just look at the two "awards" I mentioned n my original post. Stop 100 people on their way out of a Target store and ask them which, in their view,is the PREMIUM sports car they like the most: how many would say the Audi TT was, in your opinion? Do the same for the TBird as the "most popular LUXURY Coupe". Am I a little off to think both cars wouldn't make it ? | ||
| Bill Sawyer (Wsawyer)
Member Username: Wsawyer Post Number: 533 Registered: 2-2002 |
I have met and worked with J.D. Power and many of his people, and I have never been impressed. Several years ago I participated in several of their dealer seminars. Companies like the one I worked for paid $25k to join and be allowed to attend the seminars. Dave Power struck me as a nice guy, but no genius. I remember hearing a marketing executive within GM remark--with a smirk on his face--on how certain company's scores rose immediately following that company spending money with Power on research. I don't know that to be true, but he certainly thought so. Remember that, when Power or any other research company releases a study, they do so to promote other services. They are firmly focused upon car companies and divisions that have large budgets for their services. Ferrari never makes it onto their radar screen. In their world of high volume automotive products the Audi TT may be a premium sports car even though we know better. | ||
| william speer (Wspeer)
Junior Member Username: Wspeer Post Number: 79 Registered: 8-2002 |
i can't tell you how many times i have been asked "is that the tunderbird?" when driving my aston martin db7. most people have no idea what it is until you explain it as "a james bond" car. why that makes them realize, i can't say, i think they just have a better idea of what it is, not what it IS. | ||
| Nick Berry (Nickb)
New member Username: Nickb Post Number: 33 Registered: 8-2002 |
In assessing the survey you need to know exactly what they were asking. I am willing to wager they did not ask "if you could buy any sport car or coupe in the world which one would you buy?" They could have asked about several sport cars in a particular price range (which I suspect occurred;the Audi TT and Thunderbird are in the same price category). Finally, how often have you driven your Ferrari and people wondered what model car it was? F cars are so few many people could not tell you what they look like. T-Birds and Audi TT's are heavily marketed. The survey is for the masses. Ferrari, Lambo's, Aston Martins and Rolls are not suitable candidates for the survey.  | ||
| Hans E. Hansen (4re_gt4)
Member Username: 4re_gt4 Post Number: 348 Registered: 4-2002 |
I've been involved with them to some extent. What bothers me is that their surveys can be 'slanted' considerably by the wording of the questions. i.e. "Are you still screwing the neighbors dog?" Yes, No. They don't give you the option to answer the question accurately. I strongly suspect this prejudiced wording is dependent upon who commissioned the survey. | ||
| william speer (Wspeer)
Junior Member Username: Wspeer Post Number: 78 Registered: 8-2002 |
i will offer my opinion, and it is just that, an opinion based upon my personal experience. although my experience may just be a bad one, i know of several other people who have experienced the same thing. i am in the home building business in houston, texas. jd power ranks homebuilders based upon established criteria. i do not want to sound like i am crying because i did not rank high on their list. but i know for a fact that the person who ranked number one, had to pay through the nose for the priviledge of advertising it. additionally, when their new rankings came out about a month ago, one of the "top" ranked builders is no longer in business. they have been sued to oblivion with all the "mold" litigation that is taking place here in texas, as well as for health problems associated with their homes due to the use of defective products. it would seem to me that since they went bankrupt last year, that they shouldn't show up on the 2002 ranking list. maybe it's just me. further more, the way the surveys are done, doesn't address the playing field or the fact that it is not level. trust me, a first time home buyer buying a nice, well built home is not looking for the same thing a more sophisticated buyer who is buying a 4000 sq. ft plus home with all the options that you could imagine. my personal opinion is that jd power is a scam. there is no one else doing the ranking service bit, and jd power is the only show in town. furthermore, the rankings become blackmail in a sense. they publish rankings that list my business as "below average", but they will not make the information available to me or the public as to what average is, what was used to determine it, whose opinion was aked. now if i am willing to pay a 5 figure dollar amount, they will tel me where i ranked- i am sorry, but the public should know that as well, after all- what does "below average" mean? it would seem to me that if they were going to publish the "top" that they should also publish the "bottom", and explain why. | ||
| Adam Goldman '86 TR (Icnsltmfg)
Member Username: Icnsltmfg Post Number: 435 Registered: 8-2001 |
Tino... I have used and been involved with JD Powers for my entire Automotive life. I was involved with them when I was on the Mfg side of the business, dealer side, and then for many years on the consulting side. They are deeper than just the basic "Consumer info" they provide. They have very deep and intuitive info for the Auto industry. NVQS, VQS, Telematics, E-Diag, etc. I continue to use their BIC and Benchmark info for many of my clients. | ||
| Tony Cantafio (Tonycan)
New member Username: Tonycan Post Number: 12 Registered: 3-2002 |
J.D Power is a top-notch outfit. They live off their reputation, so they are very careful with their surveys. I know several of the folks that work there, including the head of communications, and, contrary to your son's (sorry 'bout that) opinion, they are far from "low caliber." You may not (obviously) agree with the outcome of their surveys, but I wouldn't be so quick to put them down, unless you're just giving your own "one person" opinion. | ||
| Tino (Bboxer)
Junior Member Username: Bboxer Post Number: 174 Registered: 8-2001 |
I don�t know if I�m alone on this, but I�m getting pretty pissed with J.D.Powers and their misleading surveys. Their latest puts the Ford Thunderbird as the �Most popular luxury coupe� and the Audi TT as the �Most liked PREMIUM Sports Car�. Who are these people kidding ? Trouble is they�re pretty much alone in their field. My son interviewed for a job with their automotive dept. a few years ago and did not take it when he noticed the low caliber of people around.(sorry if anyone here works for them). Trouble is they seem to carry a lot of weight with their data and glass trophies and no one ever checks how good they are with their surveys, certainly no one disputes or counters with their own surveys. Have any of you ever participated in their surveys ? |