In the 2010 J.D. Power and Associates US Initial Quality Survey, Mercedes-Benz ranked higher than Lexus — the first time in 21 years. Porsche AG came first, and was trailed by Honda Motor Co.’s Acura division.
Mercedes got third place, from sixth in 2009. But Lexus fell from the top slot in 2009 to place fourth this year. The J.D. Power survey has been ongoing for 24 years. And before Lexus arrived in the US in 1989, Mercedes-Benz had ruled the quality scene. In particular, Mercedes took first place in initial quality in 1987, fell to second place in 1988, got the title back in 1989 and lost it to Lexus in 1990. In the last few years, and especially with Mercedes-Benz USA CEO Ernst Lieb in the helm, Daimler AG’s Mercedes brand has been doing what it can possibly do to regain its premier status in the luxury-car world.
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