The fact is that nothing has happened to Lexus, they design, engineer and build an extraordinary vehicle.  What’s happened is that the other manufacturers have improved to the point where every year it’s a genuine dogfight to get to the top spot.

There were some other surprises that weren’t so good…. Jaguar dropped from the 1st spot in 2009 to 23rd.  Given Jaguar’s long standing reputation for iffy quality, that’s certainly not a good thing from their perspective.  Audi also took a hit dropping from the 12th spot in 2009 to 26th in 2010, but my guess is this year will prove an aberration.

Personally, I think it is exciting to see Buick up near the very top and Cadillac well above average.  These brands have their product act together, now marketing needs to pull its own weight.

This year’s study and the jockeying for position proves something I have been telling people for a number of years:  In today’s market, it’s tough to buy a bad car.

Download the JD Power press release