Quote:
Posted by BillB
Reliability means superb handling, cornering, and unsurpassed performance and FUN to drive. |
I would equate handling, cornering, performance, and fun-to-drive characterists as distinctions of quality rather than reliability. Reliability is the
frequency of problems encountered in the mechanical, electronic and structural systems that lead to good handling, cornering, performance, and overall fun. Whereas quality is more qualitative (i.e., a matter of subjective perception), reliability is more quantitative (i.e., a matter of objective measurements) and is based on units such as:
MTTF - Mean time to failure for a particular part or subsystem
MTTR - Mean time to repair
MTBF - Mean time between failures for any type of problem
If you browse the JD Power & Associates website (
http://www.jdpower.com) you will find rankings for 2004. BMW ranks 4th or 5th on the list of Initial Quality Survey (IQS) and slightly above the industry average on "Problems per 100 Cars" (reliability scale).
