J.D. Power and Associates

Hyundai Brand Jumps Eight Rank Positions In Yearly Dependability Study / Problems- Per- 100 Vehicles Drop Overall By 14 Percent / High-Mileage Accent At The Top Of Its Class / All Models Improved Over Last Year

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., 08/07/2008 -- The fuel-efficient Hyundai Accent, which gets up to 35 miles per gallon on the highway, today was named the most dependable sub-compact car by J.D. Power and Associates in its 2008 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS).

2008 Hyundai Accent

Ford Focus most improved model in the industry, besting last year’s score by 88 index points

DEARBORN, June 26, 2008 – The Ford Focus is the most improved vehicle in the industry’s top study measuring customer-pleasing design, content, and vehicle performance.

2008 Ford Focus

Highlights:
* Ford and Mercury posted solid improvements even as the industry average declined.
* Ford Escape (gas and hybrid versions combined) joins Focus in top 10 of most improved vehicles.

In J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) StudySM, Focus raised its score over last year by 88 index points – the biggest improvement in the industry.

Munich, 06/20/2008 -- For the second time in succession, the BMW 5 Series seizes first place in the J.D. Power study "Customer Satisfaction Index" (CSI) in the luxury vehicle segment. Moreover, the independent study on car customer satisfaction in Germany puts the 2008 BMW X3 in first position in the off-road category. In addition to this double success achieved by current models, BMW was able to win the brand ranking in vehicle quality and desirability. With this result, the premium car manufacturer once again underlines the exceptional status both its products and the BMW brand enjoys amongst German automobile purchasers.

2008 BMW X3

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., June 11, 2008 – Audi of America, Inc. posted the greatest ranking improvement in initial quality in the results from J.D. Power and Associates’ 2008 industry-wide study, released June 4, 2008. Even as initial quality improved across the auto industry, Audi distinguished itself from the pack, jumping sixteen spots to #10 with 113 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100). The Audi A6 ranked third in a tie in the Midsize Premium Car segment.

J.D. Power and Associates cites effective re-design for improved new-vehicle shopper satisfaction

May 23 , 2008 -- According to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Canadian Manufacturer Web Site Evaluation Study, Subaru Canada, Inc. (SCI) ranks highest among auto manufacturer websites in satisfying Canadian new-vehicle shoppers. The 2008 study is based on evaluations provided by 3,639 new-vehicle shoppers who said they intend to purchase a new vehicle within the next 12 months.

In what Subaru believes is a first for the industry, the SCI corporate website, www.subaru.ca, and the sites for its network of 89 dealers are managed, developed and hosted entirely in-house.

J.D. Power Asia Pacific Reports: 2008 Japan Winter Tire Customer Satisfaction Index Study

TOKYO: 22 May 2008 — For a fifth consecutive year, Michelin ranks highest in satisfying vehicle owners in Japan with their winter tires, according to the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2008 Japan Winter Tire Customer Satisfaction Index StudySM released today.

The study, now in its fifth year, measures customer satisfaction with winter tires by examining five key factors: tire performance in snow-covered road conditions, icy road conditions and regular road conditions, as well as tire appearance and tire quality/durability. The overall index score is calculated based on customer evaluations and is scored on a 1,000-point scale.

Woodcliff, NJ, April 14, 2008 -- BMW today announced that the influential J.D. "Dave" Power III, founder of J.D. Power and Associates and board member of Fuel Systems Solutions, Inc., is the latest high-visibility eco-friendly ambassador to receive keys to a BMW Hydrogen 7 - the first hydrogen-powered luxury sedan. Power is the most recent member of the BMW Hydrogen 7 Pioneer Program, which gives industry leaders and prominent figures in entertainment, politics, business and more a BMW Hydrogen 7 for their daily use for three weeks.

Woodcliff Lake, NJ, December 11, 2007 -- BMW Financial Services of North America, LLC (BMW FS) ranked highest in satisfaction with initial consumer leases for luxury nameplates in the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Consumer Financing Satisfaction Study released today.

The top ranking in this study marks the first time(*) BMW Financial Services has received the highest ranking in this important segment and reflects a 47 index point increase that takes it from seventh to first place. BMW Financial Services is the first financing provider to attain top ranking in both Retail Leasing Satisfaction in the J.D. Power and Associates Dealer Financing Satisfaction and Luxury Lease Satisfaction in the Consumer Financing studies in the same year.