initial quality

The brand has been doing "significantly better again," he said, in initial quality studies.

"They get the initial quality right, but I don't think the cars are robust enough to last over time," he added.

It ranked fifth in the initial quality test, which measures reliability after 90 days.

Poor initial quality and inadequate maintenance led to rapid decay.

For processed products, it is linked to the initial quality and processing methods.

Nissan was the only one of the major automakers to show a decline in its overall initial quality score.

"We found roughly three quarters of the problems we see in initial quality go back to the design and engineering stage."

For example, the first J-2X engine has demonstrated high initial quality through manufacturing and assembly.

It is a wine which keeps its quality for at least 4 or 5 years, although ageing does not improve the initial quality.

The Initial Quality Survey rates the car ownership experience after three months.

For 2008, Mercedes-Benz's initial quality rating improved by yet another mark, to fourth place.

Initial quality reputation is considered an important influence over purchase decisions, though the gaps between automakers are becoming harder to distinguish.

The research released Wednesday, known as the initial quality study, examined responses from more than 62,000 new owners who rated their vehicles in nine categories.

In the 2005 initial quality survey, for example, the Hyundai brand ranked just above Honda.

The Big Three have battled initial quality perceptions in spite of reports showing improvements.

The initial quality survey is only one measure of success, if a well publicized one promoted loudly in industry advertisements.

So what, exactly, is initial quality?

The Initial Quality Survey polls about 90,000 buyers of cars and utility vehicles.

The 2006 Initial Quality Study found wide variations in how well automakers performed on the two measures.

The preselection jury consists of 3 people who screen the possible submissions to come up with the initial quality lineup for the festival.

Porsche, the top brand in initial quality this year, had also done well in the same study in 2003, finishing seventh.

As initial quality improves, the domestic automakers are increasingly focused on longer-term quality, where they still lag behind Japan.

And BMW, which has been doing well in dependability, made a poor showing this year in initial quality.

The Big Three have suffered from perceived inferior initial quality and reliability compared to their Japanese counterparts, which has been difficult to overcome.

They are the Initial Quality Survey and the Customer Satisfaction Index.