If you’ve spent any time browsing preowned lots around Omaha, you already know the hardest part isn’t finding a vehicle in your price range — it’s figuring out which of those vehicles is actually going to hold up once it’s yours.
A used Kia Forte and a used compact sedan from a brand with a spotty reliability record can look nearly identical sitting side by side under the lights at a dealership, but their long-term track records can be worlds apart.
That’s where J.D. Power’s Initial Quality Study (IQS) comes in handy, even years after the fact.
Every summer, J.D. Power surveys tens of thousands of new-vehicle owners about problems they experienced in the first 90 days of ownership — everything from infotainment glitches to squeaky brakes — and scores each model on “problems per 100 vehicles” (PP100).
The lower the score, the better.
The study is built for shoppers eyeing new cars, but it turns out to be just as useful a few years later, once those same vehicles have cycled onto used lots here in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa.
A model that was engineered well enough to avoid early hiccups tends to be a model that ages well, too.
Looking back at the 2019, 2020, and 2021 studies, one thing stands out if you shop with us here at H+H: Kia, Chevrolet, and the Jeep/Dodge/Ram family all show up again and again near the top of the rankings.
That’s a nice bit of validation for anyone cross-shopping the lots at H+H Kia, H+H Chevrolet, and H+H Jeep Dodge Ram, and it means a lot of these award-winning vehicles are genuinely easy to find in preowned inventory today — not rare unicorns you’d have to drive to Kansas City to track down.
2019: Kia and Genesis Set the Tone, GM Trucks and SUVs Shine
Genesis topped the overall brand rankings in 2019, with Kia right behind it as the highest-ranked mainstream brand — an early signal of the quality run Kia would go on to have, one we still see reflected in the trade-ins rolling through H+H Kia today.
At the model level, Kia picked up segment wins with the Forte, Rio, Sportage, and Sedona, while Hyundai’s Santa Fe and the Genesis G70 rounded out the group’s haul.
Chevrolet had a strong showing of its own, with the Equinox, Malibu, Silverado HD, and Tahoe all winning their segments — good news if you’re cross-shopping a used Silverado or Equinox at H+H Chevrolet on a Council Bluffs commute, since both are staples of preowned SUV and truck inventory around here.
Cadillac’s Escalade also picked up a win, and the Dodge Challenger claimed the sporty car segment, an early preview of the quality reputation Dodge and Ram would build on in the years that followed.
2020: Dodge Makes History, Kia Keeps Rolling
2020 was a milestone year: Dodge tied Kia for the highest overall brand score, making Dodge the first domestic brand ever to rank at the top of the IQS.
That distinction was earned at the brand level — J.D. Power’s model-level segment awards that year didn’t include a specific Dodge nameplate (the Challenger had claimed its segment the year before, in 2019) — but a brand-wide #1 finish, across every Dodge model on the road, is arguably an even bigger statement, and it’s part of why Dodge products moving through H+H Jeep Dodge Ram have earned a reputation for durability that shows up in resale values around Omaha today.
Kia didn’t slow down, either, picking up segment wins with the Forte, Sedona, Sorento, and Soul, while Hyundai Motor Group as a whole led all manufacturers with seven total awards (including the Genesis G70, Hyundai Tucson, and Hyundai Veloster).
On the GM side, Cadillac had a big year with four model wins — the CT5, CT6, Escalade, and XT4 — plus a Chevrolet Malibu win and a standout performance from the Chevrolet Sonic, which posted the single best score of any vehicle in the entire study that year.
2021: Ram Takes the Crown
By 2021, the momentum for Stellantis brands culminated in Ram ranking highest overall of every brand in the industry — not just among domestics, but outright highest, with Dodge finishing a close second brand-wide.
As with 2020, Dodge’s strong showing was a brand-level result rather than a specific model-segment win, but Ram backed up its brand title with real model hardware: the heavy-duty Ram 2500/3500 pickups won their segment outright.
Jeep also got in on the action with a segment win for the Gladiator, putting three Stellantis nameplates — Ram 2500/3500 and Jeep Gladiator at the model level, plus Ram and Dodge at the brand level — in the spotlight the same year.
It’s the kind of lineup you’ll still find represented on the lot at H+H Jeep Dodge Ram.
Kia had its best year yet in terms of sheer volume, leading all brands with five segment awards: the Forte, Sedona, Soul, Sportage, and the three-row Telluride, which had only recently launched and immediately established itself as one of the most dependable new three-row SUVs on the market — and one that’s become a popular ask for shoppers walking into H+H Kia.
The Genesis G80 and Hyundai Accent added to Hyundai Motor Group’s total.
On the GM side, the Chevrolet Corvette and Cadillac CT5 each won their segments, and the Nissan Maxima posted the best score of any model in the study.
At a Glance: H+H Standout Winners by Year
| Year | Highest-Ranked Brand | Notable Kia / Chevrolet / Jeep-Dodge-Ram Winners |
| 2019 | Kia (highest-ranked mainstream brand) | Kia Forte, Rio, Sportage, Sedona Chevrolet Equinox, Malibu, Silverado HD, Tahoe Dodge Challenger |
| 2020 | Dodge & Kia (tied, highest overall brand) | – Kia Forte, Sedona, Sorento, Soul; – Chevrolet Malibu, Sonic (best score in the study) – Dodge — no specific model-segment win this year, brand-level #1 only |
| 2021 | Ram (highest overall brand) | – Kia Forte, Sedona, Soul, Sportage, Telluride – Chevrolet Corvette – Ram 2500/3500 – Jeep Gladiator – Dodge — 2nd highest brand overall, no specific model-segment win |
Why This Matters When You’re Shopping Preowned in Omaha
Here’s the practical part: several of these award-winning models aren’t rare finds.
Kia’s Forte, Sportage, Sorento, Soul, and Telluride are consistently among the most common trade-ins and preowned vehicles we see move through H+H Kia, precisely because they sold well when new and owners tend to hang onto them.
Chevrolet’s Equinox, Malibu, and Silverado are everywhere on the used lot at H+H Chevrolet for the same reason — high new-vehicle sales volume translates directly into strong preowned availability a few years later.
And with Ram’s historic overall win in 2021 following Dodge’s milestone in 2020, preowned Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs at H+H Jeep Dodge Ram from these model years carry a quality track record that’s hard to ignore, especially for drivers who need a vehicle that can handle a Nebraska winter and an Iowa gravel road with equal confidence.
None of this means every used vehicle from an award-winning nameplate is problem-free — maintenance history and mileage still matter just as much as the badge on the hood.
But when you’re comparing two similar preowned vehicles side by side, knowing which ones were independently recognized for going 90 days trouble-free right out of the gate is a genuinely useful tiebreaker.
If you’re ready to see which of these award-winning models we currently have on the lot, stop by H+H Kia, H+H Chevrolet, or H+H Jeep Dodge Ram — or browse our preowned inventory online first.
Our team is happy to help you match one of these proven performers to your budget and your driveway, wherever you’re commuting from around Omaha, Council Bluffs, or beyond.
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