The results of the latest J.D. Power 2022 Initial Quality Study are in, ranking major car brands & models based on new-owner feedback. Among the top-ranked vehicles in the study was the Cadillac Escalade, which was recognized with the number-one spot in the Large Premium SUV segment.
The J.D. Power Initial Quality Study, or IQS, investigates vehicle quality based on survey responses from new vehicle purchasers and lessees early in the ownership period. The latest 2022 study is based on 84,165 responses total, & was fielded between February and May of 2022.
Surveyed customers were given a list of 223 questions that investigate initial vehicle quality based on nine categories, including infotainment, features, controls and displays, exterior, driving assistance, interior, powertrain, seats, driving experience, and climate. From these responses, J.D. Power was then able to calculate individual scores for new vehicles and car brands, using a metric called Problems Per 100 vehicles, or PP100. The lower the PP100 score, the higher the overall vehicle quality. Using these criteria, the Cadillac Escalade was recognized as the best-ranked vehicle in the Large Premium SUV segment. Runner-up models in the segment include the Range Rover and BMW X7.
As GM Authority covered previously, Cadillac as a brand also performed quite well in the study, slotting into third place among all premium brands studied with a score of 163 PP100. The score also placed Cadillac in eighth place overall out of 33 brands studied & ranked. The latest results are a considerable improvement for Cadillac as compared to its ranking in 2021, at which time Cadillac was paced 22nd among 32 brands studied. At the top of the 2022 list of car brands was Buick, which scored an impressive 139 PP100. Notably, GM was one of just nine car brands that actually improved in quality ranking year-over-year.
