In France, the survey carried out by J.D. Power and Associates in 2008 awarded Prius (867 points) as the leading overall vehicle for the second year running. Prius thus gained 9 points in comparison with the previous year, and with 34 points more than the second car in the rankings its lead has increased by 31 points.

The surveys carried out by J.D. Power and Associates are known and recognized around the world for measuring the level of satisfaction that customers have for their cars. The methodology: a questionnaire is sent to drivers asking them to judge their vehicles for themselves based on 77 attributes which are grouped into 4 categories: vehicle quality and reliability; the appeal of the vehicle; after-sales service and running costs.

For the fourth annual study carried out in France by J.D. Power and Associates in cooperation with L’Automobile Magazine, no less than 109 models were closely examined, representing 25 car brands. For the 2008 survey, J.D. Power and Associates sent out its questionnaire to more than 97,000 owners of models bought between January 2005 and December 2006. 18,180 replies were obtained, representing a reply rate of 19%.

In addition to its victory in the general rankings, Prius also ended up in the leading position for the ‘Family cars’ category (the D segment). It thus followed in the footsteps of the Corolla Verso in the ‘Minivan’ category and the Land Cruiser in the ‘SUV’ category. Yaris and Corolla ended up in second position for the ‘Small’ and ‘Compact’ categories respectively.

J.D. Power and Associates carry out independent customer satisfaction surveys in numerous countries around the world : Europe -(France, Germany, United Kingdom) -North America (Canada, Mexico, United States) -Asia Pacific (China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zeeland, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand) and Africa (South Africa). The automotive industry uses them to establish international benchmarks, with a view to measuring and increasing customer satisfaction. They also give consumers reliable and accurate information about many different models of vehicles.