When you think of quality, a few specific brands or products probably come to mind. Rolex, for instance, is famed for its luxury timepieces that are – quite literally – built like a Swiss watch. Carhartt work clothing is legendary for its durability, Le Creuset cookware is hailed by chefs around the world, Rimowa probably makes the finest luggage available anywhere, and Kobe beef from Japan is simply unparalleled. In the automotive world, it’s largely the same story, too.
A Tectonic Shift
Drivers in search of the highest-quality vehicles would be wise to consider something from Lexus, a brand that’s always at or near the very top of practically every quality study. Toyota, this luxury brand’s parent company, is a legend as well for building vehicles that just don’t quit. And then there’s Honda and Acura, both of which have a sterling reputation for quality. One automaker that’s not usually included in this group of blue-chip brands is Nissan, though that may be changing.
We’re not just building cars; we’re creating experiences that bring joy, build confidence, and help people go after what they love.
Historically, this Japanese company hasn’t necessarily rivaled Toyota or Honda for quality. In recent decades, Nissan has also reportedly had plenty of trouble with the continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) installed in a huge number of its vehicles. Against the odds, though, Nissan was just rated the No. 1 mass-market brand for new vehicle quality in the J.D. Power 2025 Initial Quality Study (IQS), a huge victory for the company.
Spreading The Word
To celebrate the auspicious occasion, Nissan is launching a new media campaign that highlights the strides they’ve made in improving quality. “Dynamic social media content”, as well as longer videos that take viewers behind the scenes, highlight the exhaustive testing this automaker performs on its products. Real engineers at the Nissan Technical Center North America and the Nissan Arizona Testing Center also help shine some light on the exhaustive evaluations each vehicle undergoes, while also explaining how the company is manufacturing top-quality cars and trucks.
In addition to all that, a series of TV commercials, digital videos, and other content will highlight the Nissan Rogue small utility vehicle as it takes on extreme stunts. In other content, the automaker will also emphasize the toughness and durability of the Frontier midsize pickup truck. To get a taste of what this will look like, this series recently debuted with a 30-second commercial featuring the Rogue.
“We’re not just building cars; we’re creating experiences that bring joy, build confidence, and help people go after what they love. These latest J.D. Power IQS results are a great reminder that our vehicles don’t just perform – they inspire every step of the journey,” said Vinay Shahani, senior vice president of U.S. marketing and sales at Nissan, in a media release. “At Nissan, our customers aren’t just along for the ride – they’re why we do what we do,” the executive added.
Nissan Is Really Goin’ Places
J.D. Power’s well-respected IQS measures defects during the first 90 days of new vehicle ownership. This gives motorists a good idea of how well vehicles are built. Keeping things simple, defects are measured in problems per 100 vehicles, or PP100 for short. The lower the number, the fewer issues a particular vehicle has had.
Now in its 39th year – yeah, they’ve been doing this for quite a while – IQS covers 227 specific problems across nine different vehicle categories, everything from the climate control system to advanced driver assistance technologies, infotainment technology, power seats, display screens, and much more.
As for Nissan, it was the best mass-market brand in initial quality, posting a PP100 of just 169, right behind industry benchmark Lexus, which was rated at 166. This means Nissan significantly outperformed other brands that are known for quality: Honda (179), Porsche (188), Acura (198), and even Toyota, which had an eye-opening PP100 of 200, a good bit worse than the study’s average of 192.
Helping deliver that impressive performance, the automaker also won two vehicle categories outright and performed very well in three others. The Altima was the highest-ranked midsize sedan, and the Sentra was the best compact car. Then the Rogue, Frontier, and Pathfinder each landed in one of the top three positions in their respective segments, an undeniably strong showing.
TopSpeed’s Take
Nissan generally doesn’t have the same sterling reputation for quality that Toyota and Honda do, but the automaker is clearly doing something right these days. The company’s performance in this latest J.D. Power IQS is damn impressive, and shows that Nissan is working to build the best vehicles it can. Toyota’s lackluster performance in this study is both curious and concerning, as the brand has been the gold standard for quality and dependability for many decades. For Nissan, at least, hopefully, their strong IQS performance will continue in the coming years.
Read the full article here