Each year, Strategic Vision releases its Total Quality Index, which it says includes positive and negative product experiences on vehicles including reliability, actual problems, driving excitement and other measures.
This year’s study surveyed a total of 38,361 owners and here are the top 10 vehicles with the highest scores.
Leading the mid-size car category is the Suburu Impreza sedan which scored 922, besting the Kia Optima by just two points. The cheapest car on the top 10 list, the 2014 Subaru Impreza starts from $19,190 including destination and under the hood is a 2.0-liter Boxer four-cylinder engine with 148 hp and 145 lb-ft of torque. It also gets the best fuel economy with a 27-mpg city, 36-mpg highway rating.
With a score of 926, the Audi Q5 snagged the Near-Luxury Utility category for Audi, helping make the nameplate one of the best Luxury brands in Total Quality. Starting from $39,825 the 2015 Audi Q5 comes standard with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 220 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. For a midsize crossover, the Q5 gets a respectable 20 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway.
Continuing the Audi streak is the A5 coupe that scored 929 in the Premium Coupe category. The 2015 A5 coupe is priced from $40,925 and comes equipped with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine churning 220 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. The luxury sports coupe not only features great styling but gets an EPA estimated 22 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway.
The Premium Coupe category belonged to the Chevrolet Corvette scoring 930, edging out the Audi A5 coupe by just one point. The all-new Corvette Stingray has already captured plenty of accolades thanks to its 6.2-liter V8 engine providing 455 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. Fuel economy isn’t the worst with 17 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway, while its price tag of $53,995 is competitive within the segment.
In the Standard Convertible category, the MINI Cooper Roadster took top honors with a score of 931. The compact model can be had for $26,950 and comes with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine as standard with 121 hp and 181 lb-ft of torque. As one would expect with such a compact car, the MINI Roadster returns 28 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway.
Scoring another award for Lexus in the is the GX 460, which scored 933 in the Luxury SUV category. The body-on-frame GX 460 sports a 4.6-liter V8 under the hood with 301 hp and 329 lb-ft of torque while priced from $49,995. As with most large SUVs, fuel economy is average with the GX 460 getting 15 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway.
Capturing the Luxury Car segment is the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe with a score of 937. The luxury four-door coupe in the base-model 640i comes with a 3.0-liter V6 twin-turbo engine that provides 315 hp and 330 lb-ft of torque while returning 20 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway. All the performance and luxury comes at a price of $79,250.
Paving the way in the Near-Luxury Car category is the Lexus IS sedan, which topped the category with a score of 938. The 2014 Lexus IS250 comes equipped with a 2.5-liter V6 engine providing 204 hp and 185 lb-ft of torque. With a starting price tag of $37,010 the luxury sedan is not only reliable and dependable, but gets a respectable 21 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway.
In the Luxury CUV category, the Audi Q7 scored highest with 942. Under the hood of the base-model Q7 is a 3.0-liter V6 supercharged powerplant with 280 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. For the 2015 model year, Audi has announced that the Q7 will start from $48,625 and fuel economy figures are 16 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the highway.
The Mercedes-Benz SL-Class had the highest score of all the vehicles in this year’s Total Quality Index with 957, taking the award in the Premium Convertible/Roadster category. The 2014 SL550 is priced from $107,625 and comes powered by a 4.6-liter V8 Bi-turbo engine providing 429 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque. The luxury roadster returns 18 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway.