JD Power Survey 2005 - Roadsters and coupes

This sports car section spans a wide gulf – from the excellent Porsche Boxster, which sits in the top 10 of our whole survey to the poorly performing MG F/TF, languishing in 123rd place – just one place from the bottom of the pile.

It just goes to show how much variety you can find in one sector of the market. Apart from the top-placed Boxster, you need to look east for the best results. The next three spots are all hogged by Japanese cars: Toyota’s Celica and MR2, followed by last year’s winner, the Mazda MX-5.

Porsche Boxster CLASS WINNER
Rating 83.8% Overall Ranking 10th
Like the Mazda MX-5 before it, the Boxster was voted into the top 10 overall for vehicle quality. Of every car surveyed, the Porsche had the third-best customer service. Owners praised knowledgeable staff, the dealer surroundings and the quality of work carried out.

Not that Boxster owners spend much time at their dealerships – the car is generally very reliable, with especially robust transmissions, suspensions, brakes and engines.
In fact, the only fly in the ointment is the stereo system, about which there were more complaints than for any other car in this category.

Toyota Celica Second in class
Rating 82.1% Overall Ranking 20th=
A strong performance earned the Celica a top-20 billing. Owners raved about the dealer service and reported very few faults with the bodywork or lights. They were also happy with the car’ cabin and affordable running costs.

However, our survey picked up a number of engine faults – the Celica scored the second-highest number of problems, after the MX-5.

Toyota MR2 Third in class
Rating 81.8% Overall Ranking 24th=
The MR2 was snapping at the Celica’s heels in this year’s survey, and finished inside the top 25 overall. Owners were happier than any of their rivals’ in this category with the modest bills for fuel, insurance and servicing.

Mechanical problems are rare, and not a single engine fault was reported. The only black mark noted was for convenience – a reflection on the risible luggage space.

Click here for the roadsters and coupes results table

Click here for the model league table

Click here for the manufacturer league table