Strategic Vision’s Total Quality Index, or TQI as it is commonly known, is something manufacturers desperately seek out. They want to have the imprint of success hoisted upon them by independent survey companies.
In 2007, there were some surprise winners. Well, maybe not surprise winners so much as surprises by who didn’t win: Toyota. The Japanese manufacturer, long the benchmark for quality, didn’t win any segments in 2007.
The 2007 models are now widely available. Check against this list to see what the original owners thought about the vehicle you may now be considering for purchase. Also, I’ve linked to reviews on the About.com side that are available for you to read more in-depth about the vehicle you’re considering. In those places where there aren’t links, I’ll provide some insight from six plus years as a new car reviewer.
Buyers rated the following vehicles tops in their segments:
- Small Car Honda Civic* 882
- Small Multi-Function (MFV) Volkswagen Rabbit 880
- Medium Car Saturn Aura 892 , Nissan Maxima 891 The Nissan Maxima got a much-needed redesign in 2005. Little was changed for 2007. It’s a really solid performer that may not excite you 100% of the time, but it will rarely let you down.
- Large Car Hyundai Azera 901
- Near-Luxury Car BMW 3-Series Sedan 919
- Luxury Car Mercedes S-Class 928
- Small Specialty <$25,000 MINI Cooper 911
- Convertible <$30,000 MINI Cooper Convertible* 905 There’s really little difference between the standard Mini and the convertible, except for the fact you lose a lot of space in what is already a small trunk. Mechanically they’re fairly similar.
- Convertible >$30,000 Chevrolet Corvette* 930
- Minivan Kia Sedona 866 The Kia Sedona and the Entourage are kissing cousins. Like one and you’re going to like the other. Hyundai Entourage 866 , Nissan Quest 865
- Small SUV Hyundai Santa Fe 885
- Medium Crossover Dodge Magnum 882
- Medium SUV Kia Sorento 889
- Large SUV Ford Expedition EL 918
- Near-Luxury SUV Lexus RX 350* 905
- Luxury SUV Mercedes ML 915 The second generation ML is a solid performer for a mid-size SUV. However, there are better options out there. I would take the near-luxury SUV the RX 350 over the Mercedes ML.
- Standard Pickup
- Large Pickup Nissan Titan, Ford F-150 876, 875 Both are solid pickup trucks. In fact, the Titan is probably going to be the better deal because there are Ford owners who absolutely refuse to drive anything else. That opens up the market nicely for the Titan.
- Heavy Duty Pickup Ford F-250/F-350 876 These trucks aren’t a strong point for me. I’ll have to defer to the opinions of others with more expertise.
* 2006 Total Quality AwardTM winner
