CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — J.D. Power recently published their 2020 U.S. Initial Quality Study, in which Mitsubishi Motors was ranked sixth overall. In specific categories, Mitsubishi was the top-ranked Japanese brand in the industry, and the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport tied for third in the Small SUV category.
Marjorie Painter, owner of Painter’s Sun Country Mitsubishi in St. George, told St. George News that when it comes to reliability, she would put their vehicles up against any other brand, and they are elated to receive the recognition.
“It’s just awesome,” Painter said. “Mitsubishi is an amazing brand, and it’s the best-kept secret in America.”
Painter is a third-generation auto dealer. Her family has been doing business in Southern Utah since 1945, but she said that a lot of new people have moved into the area in recent years whom they have yet to meet. All the vehicles in Mitsubishi’s line are excellent, she said, adding that they would love the chance to help their new neighbors find a reliable vehicle they can count on for years to come.
“We would absolutely love for people to come see us,” Painter said. “I’ve got a great staff of people, and we are a ‘one-price store.'”
As one of 33 brands evaluated across the industry, Mitsubishi experienced the greatest year-over-year improvement in ranking, moving from 30th in 2019 to sixth in 2020, as J.D. Power redesigned the Initial Quality Study to focus more on in-vehicle technology. Now in its 34th year, the study examines problems experienced by owners of new 2020 model-year vehicles during the first 90 days of ownership.
In a press release announcing the recognition, Yoichi Yokozawa, president and CEO of Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc., called the J.D. Power study a “powerful tool, allowing automotive manufacturers to listen to our customers and gain insights into their views of our vehicles.”
“The 2020 results recognize our focus on quality, reliability and value in all Mitsubishi vehicles,” Yokozawa said. “Our ranking in this study gives us even more reason to continue our commitment to innovation.”
In addition to Mitsubishi’s overall improvement in the IQS brand ranking, the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, which underwent a significant redesign for the 2020 model year, ascended to the top three rankings in the Small SUV category, placing third alongside the Buick Encore and Chevrolet Trax.
Painter said the Outlander Sport is a great product.
“They’ve got a 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty because they know they’re not going to break down,” Painter said, adding that owner loyalty is astronomical mostly because they are such a reliable vehicle.
Mitsubishi’s IQS results follow a similarly strong performance in the J.D. Power 2020 Customer Service Index study released in March. The accolades are the latest in a series of successes for the company as it reinvents its brand and business in the U.S. market ahead of a new product initiative that will help strengthen sales in the market.
Mitubishi recently relocated its corporate headquarters from Southern California to Franklin, Tennessee, building a state-of-the-art facility and hiring more than 140 new employees. Last year was the brand’s best sales year since 2007, its seventh consecutive year of sales growth in the U.S. and third straight year of 100,000-plus annual sales.
Painter said for people looking to purchase a new vehicle, Painter’s Mitsubishi is the place to go. They are totally transparent and never use high-pressure sales tactics.
“It’s just easy to do business here,” she said. “We don’t dicker or anything like that; we just give you the best price.”
Painter’s Sun Country Mitsubishi is located at 1600 Hilton Drive. For more information, call their sales team at 435-244-5535 or service department at 435-244-5473. Find their inventory of new and used vehicles online here.
About Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc.
Through a network of approximately 350 dealer partners across the United States, Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc., is responsible for the sales, research and development, marketing and customer service of Mitsubishi Motors vehicles in the United States. 2019 marked the brand’s seventh consecutive year of sales growth.
Located in Franklin, Tennessee, Mitsubishi Motors North America is a part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. Mitsubishi continues to lead the way in the development of highly efficient, affordably priced new gasoline-powered automobiles, while using its industry-leading knowledge in battery-electric vehicles to develop future EV and PHEV models.
For more information on Mitsubishi vehicles, please visit their website.
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