Rover climbed in the latest car customer satisfaction league table - but it remains below the industry average, writes David Duffy.

Japanese car maker Subaru topped the satisfaction table, with Jaguar - the most improved company - in second place.

Vauxhall was bottom of the table, with Rover fifth from bottom in the latest annual list compiled by BBC Top Gear magazine and US-based JD Power and Associates. Almost half the companies covered achieved their highest-ever scores, with Land Rover enjoying a 16-point rise.

Dave Sargent of JD Power, said: "Across the industry, there is no doubt that new car quality is getting better, with much of the credit due to customers' ever-increasing demands on the manufacturers."

The study was based on a survey of more than 24,000 drivers of P-registered cars, bought in 1996-97. Customers were asked 36 questions covering such fields as vehicle performance, service costs and customer care. The industry average of customer satisfaction improved by nine points to its highest-ever level of 110 - six points better than the previous peak in 1996.

Rover scored 105 - an increase of ten points.

Story date: Thursday 08 April

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.