Cadillac and Lexus Tied for Top Satisfaction

Much has been said about the "Big Three" and the quality gap that plagued them for so long. In measures like satisfaction, quality, etc the numbers clearly showed that they were lagging behind.

In recent years the gap has gotten smaller though, to the point that the American automakers are actually besting the competition. More proof of that comes in the form of the American Customer Satisfaction Index for automakers from the University of Michigan.

In the survey, Cadillac and Lexus are in a two-way tie for the top billing in customer satisfaction. Coming in third is another tie, this time three-way: Lincoln-Mercury, Buick and Honda. Toyota and Volkswagen then tie again for seventh place. There are so many ties it's going to turn into a knot! (Cheap, I know). Of all the automakers, Volkswagen has most improved it's position this year.

It's good to see Cadillac rising to the top. Lexus works hard to keep owners satisfied, so this is an achievement from where they were in the past. The director of MSU's National Quality Research Center, Claes Fornell, thinks the increase in satisfaction is partially due to a drop in sales - leaving the core, satisfied base reporting.

Whether or not that is true is debatable - but it's clear that in product quality and design (not things like platforms, with the ridiculous choice of a FWD Cadillac flagship), GM has made huge strides. There is a lot of work to be done though in executing a proper business strategy and making the right kinds of products for the future. Next comes the hardest part - growth. Now that is something GM hasn't been doing for a long time.