Pirelli Ranks Highest in South Africa Tyre Satisfaction for a Second Consecutive Year

LONDON, February 14 --

- Tyre Quality/Durability and Ride/Handling Performance Are the Two Primary Drivers of Customer Satisfaction

Owners of new vehicles equipped with Pirelli tyres report having the most satisfying ownership experience, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2005 South Africa Original Equipment Tyre Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) Study(SM) released today.

Pirelli retains the top spot for a second consecutive year with an overall CSI score of 841 based on a 1000-point scale. Five index points separate Pirelli from second-place Michelin (836). Rounding out the brands performing above the industry average are Bridgestone (815) and Yokohama (798). A total of 10 tyre brands are ranked in the study.

The tyre CSI study is a comprehensive measurement of the ownership satisfaction with the tyres equipped on new vehicles at the time of purchase. The study identifies four factors that contribute to overall satisfaction, which are weighted to reflect what is most important to South Africa's motorists. The four factors of satisfaction are as follows (the importance of each factor in determining overall satisfaction is shown as a percentage):

    
    - Tyre quality and durability (50%)
    - Tyre ride/handling (18%)
    - Tyre appearance (16%)
    - Tyre traction (16%)

Pirelli receives the highest ratings in three of the four tyre CSI measures: tyre appearance, tyre traction and tyre ride/handling. However, Michelin receives the highest ratings in the tyre quality and durability measure -- the highest weighted measure in the index. In fact, fewer owners of Michelin tyres (19%) experience tyre problems than any other brand. Bridgestone, Dunlop and Pirelli follow Michelin, each with 25 percent of owners reporting problems. Among the most common types of tyre problems experienced by South African motorists are need for realignment, damage from road debris and uneven wear.

"Although most new-vehicle buyers don't choose which tyres come with their new vehicles, they are in the best position to evaluate how those tyres perform under the rigours of daily driving," said Brian Walters, senior director of European operations at J.D. Power and Associates. "Among the rewards of having high customer satisfaction are increased levels of brand advocacy and loyalty. Not surprisingly, Michelin and Pirelli have the highest proportion of owners saying they 'definitely will' recommend the tyre brand to a friend, relative or colleague at 42 percent and 40 percent, respectively. Michelin and Pirelli owners also have the highest repurchase intent at 33 percent and 28 percent, respectively."

J.D. Power and Associates is recognised across the globe as the leading independent authority on consumer-reported quality and customer satisfaction in the automotive industry. The firm's primary role is to provide a better understanding of consumer preferences and buying patterns, which helps automotive manufacturers and suppliers further improve their product quality and service levels. The firm also provides study results to consumers for use as a reference point when purchasing a new vehicle.

The J.D. Power and Associates 2005 South Africa Tyre CSI study is based on questionnaire responses from more than 6900 owners of new vehicles first registered between October 2003 and September 2004. The study is conducted independently by J.D. Power and Associates with cooperation from the South Africa Department of Transport, which facilitated the distribution of the questionnaires.

J.D. Power and Associates and J.D. Power Asia Pacific also conduct tyre customer satisfaction studies in the United States, Japan and India.

About J.D. Power and Associates

The European headquarters of J.D. Power and Associates is located in Guildford, UK. With world headquarters in Westlake Village, California, U.S.A., J.D. Power and Associates is an ISO 9001-registered global marketing information services firm operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, consulting, training and customer satisfaction. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 290 offices in 38 countries. Sales in 2005 were US$6.0 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.