Hyundai Elantra, Honda Clarity, Nissan Rogue top JD Power seat quality study

The JD Power 2021 US Seat Quality and Satisfaction Study ranked Hyundai Elantra as the best mass market compact car in the seat quality study. The Honda Clarity also earned the top score in the mass market mid size/large car category. Nissan Rogue ranked on top in the compact SUV segment.

In the mass market compact car category, the second and third spot for seat quality satisfaction were occupied by Honda Civic and Volkswagen Golf while Dodge Charger and Nissan Maxima stood second and third respectively in the midsize/large car category.

In the compact SUV segment, Ford Mustang Mach-E and Honda CR-V respectively followed Nissan Rogue in the seat quality assessment. On the other hand, On the other hand, the study ranked Chevrolet Blazer, Hyundai Palisade, and Nissan Murano respectively as top three in the mass market midsize/large SUV category.

Among premium cars, the Porsche 718 lead the car segment while the Lexus UX lead the SUV segment. The Lexus RC and Genesis G90 completed the list of premium cars while the Lexus LX and BMW X4 stood second and third in the premium SUV category.

The seat quality of these vehicles was measured via the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100) during the first 90 days of ownership. This means the lower the number, the better the quality of the seat of the vehicle. The 2021 US Seat Quality and Satisfaction Study is based on responses from 110,827 purchasers and lessees of the new 2021 model-year vehicles between February and July 2021.

The study also found that leather alternatives have evolved such that carmakers no more have to sacrifice consumer experience by not using genuine leather while synthetic leather also provides benefits such as easy cleaning. “Our study shows that synthetic leather out-performs cloth seating in select areas while offering benefits similar to those of leather," said Brent Gruber, senior director of global automotive quality at JD Power.