Cars that tops the JD Powers 2014 Initial Quality Study

Highest ranked small car: Hyundai Accent

Highest ranked small SUV (tie): Kia Sportage

Nissan Juke (tie)- Highest ranked small SUV

J.D. Power and Associates conducted released their 2014 Initial Quality Study on vehicle brands and Porsche topped the list. They have also noticed the increasing number of issues in all cars overall due to new technologies.
The survey ranks brands and individual models in terms of the number of problems a vehicle incurred per 100 within the first 90 days of ownership, the fewer the better. The survey is the auto industry's number one guide for new cars quality and meet customers expectation.

Porsche which is number 1 had 74 problems per 100 vehicles within the first 90 days of ownership, followed by Jaguar in second with 87 problems. The third is Lexus with 92, and then Hyundai with 94.

You'll noticed that Hyundai has improved tremendously taking the number 4 spot, they were at 10th in 2013. Also Hyundai is considerably cheaper than the high end brands in the top 3. Hyundai’s philosophy has paid off, "Go after the big ones; make measurable improvements."

Dave Zuchowski the CEO of Hyundai Motor America said that, their stunning climb in the survey “speaks to our long-term commitment to quality.” Hyundai vehicles got 3 top awards on the JD Powers 2014 Initial Quality. Hyundai Accent got the highest ranked small car, Elantra got the highest ranked compact car, and their Genesis sedan bagged the highest ranked midsize premium car.

2014 BRAND RANKING

*Average problems per 100 vehicles of brand's whole line:

1. Porsche 74
2. Jaguar 87
3. Lexus 92
4. Hyundai 94
5. Toyota 105
6. Chevrolet 106
7. Kia 106
8. BMW 108
9. Honda 108
10. Lincoln 109
11. Audi 111
12. Chrysler 111
13. Cadillac 115
14. Mercedes-Benz 115
15. Volvo 115
16. Ford 116
17. GMC 116
18. Ram 116
19. INDUSTRY AVERAGE
20. Buick 120
21. Nissan 120
22. Dodge 124
23. Land Rover 127
24. Infiniti 128
25. Volkswagen 128
26. Acura 131
27. Mini 133
28. Subaru 138
29. Mazda 139
30. Scion 140
31. Mitsubishi 145
32. Jeep 146
33. Fiat 206

BEST INDIVIDUAL MODELS BY TYPE

Small car: Hyundai Accent, Mazda2, Kia Rio
Compact car: Hyundai Elantra, Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic
Compact premium car: Lexus ES Acura TL, Acura ILX (tie), BMW 4 Series (tie)
Compact sporty car: Mazda MX-5 Miata, Volkswagen GTI, Scion tC
Compact premium sporty car: Porsche Boxster, Porsche Cayman, Nissan Z
Midsize car: Chevrolet Malibu, Hyundai Sonata, Toyota Camry
Midsize sporty car: Dodge Challenger, Chevrolet Camaro
Midsize premium car: Hyundai Genesis, Lincoln MKS, BMW 6 Series (tie), Lexus GS (tie), Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class (tie)
Midsize premium sporty car: Porsche 911, Jaguar F-Type
Large car: Kia Cadenza, Nissan Maxima, Toyota Avalon
Large premium car: Porsche Panamera, Lexus LS, Hyundai Equus
Small SUV: Buick Encore (tie), Kia Sportage (tie), Nissan Juke (tie)
Compact SUV: GMC Terrain, Chevrolet Equinox, Toyota FJ Cruiser
Compact premium SUV: Infiniti QX50, BMW X3, Audi Q5
Compact MPV: Mazda5, Kia Soul, Ford C-Max
Midsize SUV: Ford Edge, Hyundai Santa Fe (tie) Nissan Murano (tie)
Midsize premium SUV: Lincoln MKX, Porsche Cayenne, Infiniti QX70
Midsize pickup: Honda Ridgeline, Nissan Frontier (tie) Toyota Tacoma (tie)
Minivan: Chrysler Town & Country, Toyota Sienna, Dodge Grand Caravan
Large SUV: Chevrolet Suburban (tie) GMC Yukon (tie), Chevrolet Tahoe
Large premium SUV: Infiniti QX80, Cadillac Escalade
Large light-duty pickup: Ford F-150, Toyota Tundra, Ram 1500
Large heavy-duty pickup: Chevrolet Silverado HD, GMC Sierra HD