Audi provides the best car-buying experience in China, survey says

In J.D. Power’s annual survey of Chinese vehicle owners, Audi took top honors for offering the best car-buying experience at its dealerships. It was trailed by Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz and BMW AG's core brand. Seven criteria were used to assess each brand. These are: the delivery process, the timing of the vehicle delivery, the dealership facility, the salesperson, the paperwork, the actual sales transaction, and the initial sales contact. Audi had a score of 887 on a scale of 1,000. Coming in second is Dongfeng Nissan with a score of 880. This was followed by FAW-Volkswagen, Dongfeng Honda and GAC Toyota.

BMW came in at No. 12 while Mercedes-Benz placed 15th. The international brands took the top 18 spots. FAW Car ranked No. 19, the top domestic brand in the survey. An average score of 847 was recorded, 24 points higher than the previous year, setting a record for China's automakers.

The scores for brands that were below the industry average were not released by J.D. Power. For the survey, J.D. Power interviewed 11,496 car buyers two to six months after the purchase. The survey included 57 brands and was done in 37 major cities. Audi dominated the luxury segment in China, with sales of 140,699 cars in the first half, 28% higher than sales in the first half of 2010. In comparison, BMW Group's six-month sales in China surged by 61% to 121,614 vehicles. Meanwhile Mercedes and its Smart brand sold 92,174 units in China in the first half, a 52% increase compared to the same period last year.[via - 4wheelsnews]

Photo : 2012 Audi A6