A majority of passenger-vehicle owners in Japan (82%) who purchased new winter tires during the past few years regard tire performance on icy roads as an important purchase consideration. These buyers also tend to be more satisfied with their tires than customers who don’t value tire performance in winter ice and snow conditions, according to our J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2011 Japan Winter Tire Customer Satisfaction Index Study.^SM

We find that the index score (based on a 1,000-point scale) for customers who value tire performance on icy roads averages 596, which is 71 points higher than the tire satisfaction score (525) for those owners who do not place particular importance on tire performance in winter conditions. In addition, the average satisfaction score is 65 points higher among owners who indicate that handling and traction on both dry and wet roads is an important consideration in their purchase of winter tires. Continue reading ›