The Clarion Navigation System Supplied to the Lincoln MKS Ranks Highest among Factory-Installed Navigation Systems

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Dec. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Real-time traffic and voice recognition are becoming increasingly popular features among factory-installed navigation system owners, compared with 2008, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Navigation Usage and Satisfaction Study(SM) released today.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050527/LAF028LOGO-a)

The study finds that 26 percent of owners report having a factory-installed navigation system equipped with real-time traffic capabilities -- twice the proportion of owners in 2008 who said the same. Among owners whose systems do not currently have the real-time traffic feature, nearly 80 percent report interest in having the option in the future. Real-time traffic capability has a considerable impact on overall navigation system satisfaction, as satisfaction averages 8.1 (on a 10-point scale) among owners with the feature, compared with 7.3 among those without.

Approximately 60 percent of owners report having voice recognition on their factory-installed navigation system. Among those owners who do not currently have the feature, two-thirds of respondents express an interest in having it in the future. Overall navigation system satisfaction is positively impacted by the presence of voice recognition. Among owners who report having the feature, satisfaction averages 7.7 compared with an average of 7.2 among owners of systems without voice recognition technology.

"Among the 10 navigation systems with the highest levels of customer satisfaction, all of them have real-time traffic capabilities, and a majority are equipped with voice recognition -- underlining the positive effect these advanced features have on overall navigation system satisfaction," said Mike Marshall, director of automotive emerging technologies at J.D. Power and Associates. "With 39 percent of consumers in the study reporting that they would have purchased another vehicle if navigation wasn't available (up from 31 percent in 2006) there is a growing segment of automotive consumers who are driven by technology. Integrating and delivering advanced user-facing technology in vehicles will continue to gain importance among manufacturers fighting for market share."

Now in its 11th year, the study identifies six factors that contribute to overall customer satisfaction. In order of importance, they are: ease of use; system routing; system appearance; voice directions; navigation display screen; and speed of system. The study also measures quality by examining problems per 100 (PP100) navigation systems, in which a lower score reflects higher quality.

The Clarion navigation system supplied to the Lincoln MKS ranks highest in consumer satisfaction with factory-installed navigation systems and performs particularly well with the ease of use factor. The Clarion navigation system supplied to the Ford Flex follows in the rankings, while the Pioneer navigation system in the Acura TL ranks third.

The study also finds the following navigation system trends:

• More than one-half of respondents report using their system on a regular basis (at least one to two times per week).
• Among consumers who have previously owned a vehicle equipped with a factory-installed navigation system, approximately 80 percent say that their current system is performing at the same level or better than their previous system.
• Approximately one-fourth of consumers say they believe that an annual update for mapping software is necessary and would be willing to pay an average price of $57 for updates.

The 2009 Navigation Usage and Satisfaction Study is based on responses from 16,939 owners who recently purchased or leased new 2009 model-year vehicles with factory-installed navigation systems. The study was fielded in October 2009.

Navigation System Ranking by Vehicle Model
(Based on a 1,000-point scale)

                                                               JDPower.com
                                                               Power
                                                               Circle
                                                       Index   Ratings For
Supplier          Model                                Score   Consumers
--------          -----                                -----   -----------
Clarion           Lincoln MKS                          839     5
Clarion           Ford Flex                            835     5
Pioneer           Acura TL                             833     5
Clarion           Ford F-150                           828     5
Harman/Becker     Porsche 911                          823     5
Alpine            Cadillac CTS                         816     5

Clarion           Ford Escape                          811     4
Clarion           Ford Edge                            808     4
Harman/Becker     Hyundai Genesis                      804     4
Clarion           Infiniti FX-Series                   801     4
Harman/Becker     Audi Q5                              800     4
Clarion           Infiniti M-Series                    800     4
Harman/Becker     Dodge Challenger                     798     4
Pioneer           Ford Fusion                          796     4
Clarion           Infiniti G37 Sedan                   795     4
Clarion           Lincoln MKX                          793     4
Continental       Volkswagen CC                        792     4
Mitsubishi
 Electric         Mercedes-Benz C-Class                791     4
Clarion           Ford Escape Hybrid                   790     4

Alpine            Acura TSX                            784     3
Alpine            Honda Pilot                          784     3
Clarion           Lincoln MKZ                          784     3
Clarion           Nissan Murano                        784     3
Delphi            Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV       782     3
Denso             Chevrolet Avalanche                  782     3
Alpine            Honda Accord                         780     3
Alpine            Acura RDX                            778     3
Harman/Becker     Chrysler 300                         778     3
Clarion           Nissan Maxima                        778     3
Alpine            Honda CR-V                           776     3
Denso             Lexus IS Series                      776     3
Denso             Toyota Venza                         774     3
Denso             Cadillac DTS                         774     3
Delphi            Buick Enclave                        772     3
Denso             Chevrolet Tahoe                      772     3
Delphi            Chevrolet Traverse                   771     3
Hyundai Mobis     Hyundai Sonata                       771     3
Denso             Lexus ES Series                      769     3
Clarion           Infiniti G37 Coupe                   768     3
Harman/Becker     Jeep Grand Cherokee                  768     3
Continental       Volkswagen Jetta/Jetta SportWagen    768     3
Harman/Becker     Dodge Journey                        766     3
Alpine            Honda Civic Hybrid                   765     3
Alpine            Honda Civic                          762     3
Alpine            Honda Odyssey                        762     3
Harman/Becker     Audi S5                              760     3
Denso             Chevrolet Suburban                   760     3
Denso             GMC Yukon/Yukon Denali               760     3
                  Industry Average                     760     3
Harman/Becker     Chrysler Town & Country              759     3
Harman/Becker     Dodge Ram LD                         756     3
Alpine            Acura MDX                            754     3
Harman/Becker     Jeep Wrangler/Wrangler Unlimited     751     3
Alpine            Honda Fit                            747     3
Alpine            Mercedes-Benz M-Class                747     3
Clarion           Nissan Altima                        744     3
Denso             Mazda 6                              741     3
Harman/Becker     Audi A5                              740     3
Delphi            GMC Acadia                           738     3
Harman/Becker     Audi Q7                              732     3
Alpine            Mercedes-Benz E-Class                730     3
Denso             Lexus RX Series                      720     3
Denso             Mazda CX-9                           720     3
Denso             GMC Sierra LD                        719     3
Denso             Chevrolet Silverado LD               717     3
Denso             Chevrolet Corvette                   715     3
Denso             Toyota Camry                         714     3
Denso             Toyota Highlander                    712     3
Denso             Toyota RAV4                          710     3

Harman/Becker     Audi A4                              706     2
Denso             Toyota Camry Hybrid                  702     2
Denso             Toyota Sienna                        690     2
Denso             Jaguar XF                            688     2
Aisin AW          Toyota Prius                         676     2
Denso             Toyota Highlander Hybrid             671     2
Kenwood           Subaru Forester                      647     2
Denso             Toyota Avalon                        586     2

Included in the study but not ranked due to small sample size are: Acura RL (Alpine), Audi A6 (Harman/Becker), Audi TT (Aisin AW), Buick Lucerne (Delphi), Cadillac SRX (Denso), Cadillac STS (Denso), Chevrolet Silverado HD (Denso), Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid (Denso), Chrysler Aspen (Harman/Becker), Chrysler Sebring (Harman/Becker), Dodge Charger (Harman/Becker), Dodge Grand Caravan (Harman/Becker), Dodge Ram HD (Harman/Becker), Ford Expedition (Clarion), Ford F-Series Super Duty (Clarion), Ford Mustang (Pioneer), GMC Yukon XL/Yukon XL Denali (Denso), Honda Ridgeline (Alpine), Infiniti QX56 (Clarion), Jeep Commander (Harman/Becker), Jeep Liberty (Harman/Becker), Land Rover Range Rover Sport (Denso), Lexus GS Series (Denso), Lexus GX Series (Denso), Lexus LS Series (Fujitsu Ten), Mazda CX-7 (Denso), Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class (Alpine), Mercedes-Benz GL-Class (Alpine), Mercedes-Benz S-Class (Harman/Becker), Mercedes-Benz SL-Class (Alpine), Mercury Mariner (Clarion), Mercury Mariner Hybrid (Clarion), Mitsubishi Lancer (Mitsubishi Electric), Nissan Altima Hybrid (Clarion), Nissan Armada (Clarion), Nissan Z (Clarion), Porsche Cayenne (Harman/Becker), Subaru Outback (Kenwood), Subaru Tribeca (Kenwood), Volkswagen Eos (Continental), Volkswagen Passat/Passat Wagon (Continental), Volkswagen Routan (Harman/Becker), and Volkswagen Tiguan (Continental).

About J.D. Power and Associates

Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, Web intelligence and customer satisfaction. The company's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies:

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, Platts, Capital IQ, J.D. Power and Associates, McGraw-Hill Construction and Aviation Week. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2008 were $6.4 billion. Additional information is available at www.mcgraw-hill.com.

J.D. Power and Associates Media Relations Contacts:

John Tews; Troy, Mich.; (248) 312-4119; media.relations@jdpa.com

Syvetril Perryman; Westlake Village, Calif.; (805) 418-8103; media.relations@jdpa.com

No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of J.D. Power and Associates. www.jdpower.com/corporate

SOURCE J.D. Power and Associates

Back to top

RELATED LINKS
http://www.jdpower.com