Suzuki Tops Satisfaction Rating

Suzuki Tops Satisfaction Rating in Latest Canstar Blue Award

Owners of Suzuki cars are the most satisfied motorists in New Zealand for the second successive year, according to a nationwide survey by Canstar Blue New Zealand.

After a stellar result last year which placed the brand tops, Suzuki was again a clear winner in the 2015 nationwide survey, scoring a five star rating in four of the five categories.

In the latest survey, Suzuki achieved the five star result in value for money, after sale service, reliability and performance and a four star rating in the point of sale classification. Suzuki was the only car manufacturer to gain a five star award in the overall satisfaction category which was an individual rating and not a combined total of all ratings.

Canstar Blue is a customer research and rating business with the core purpose of assisting consumers make better purchasing decisions.

A new car is one of the biggest purchases people make, short of buying a home, and Canstar said in its latest survey more than 70 per cent of recipients said fuel economy was a significant factor in swaying their purchasing decision.

“With 42 per cent of New Zealanders changing their vehicle every two to five years, new cars constantly have to be improving to stay competitive,” said Canstar.

“We tracked the opinions of hundreds of New Zealanders on how their new car shaped up in terms of value, performance, service and more. In a comparison of nine major manufacturers, we found that Suzuki was our highest rated brand overall,” said the research and ratings company.

“Suzuki managed to come out on top in four of our five rated criteria in a very impressive display,” said Canstar which commissions Colmar Brunton using the SSI panel to regularly survey New Zealand consumers across a range of categories, measuring and tracking customer satisfaction.

Even the most basic new car is a relatively expensive purchase, with more than a third of the people surveyed needing to borrow money to buy their car. Canstar said while buying a vehicle can involve negotiation, some companies simply offer a much better deal in the first place, and it was Suzuki that topped the value for money stakes.

In contrast to what happens at the dealership, after-sales service concerns what happens afterwards, including scheduled maintenance, repairs, information queries and more. Providing good service to existing customers requires consistent dedication and a lot of resources, yet it is also vital to preserve the manufacturer’s reputation.

Canstar said, in relation to after-sales service, “It seems Suzuki is only getting better, having secured five stars once again in this important area.”

Suzuki was also tops in reliability which is a huge concern for almost all buyers, and the survey showed most modern cars are achieving high standards in reliability, which made them long-term purchases.

Performance accounted for a solid 42 per cent of overall satisfaction, suggesting plenty of people view cars as more than just a form of transport. “In terms of overall performance, Suzuki once again outperformed the competition with a five-star rating,” said Canstar.

The outcomes of the survey were the results from customers within the survey group who have bought a brand new car from a dealership in the last three years. Canstar points out not all brands available in the market were compared in the survey.

Canstar is Australia and New Zealand’s premier research and expert ratings agency, working with over 20,000 products and more than 300 brands in the financial services industry. It asks everyday consumers which brands and services they are most satisfied with.

ENDS

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