Two Chrysler Group vehicles have earned top spots in the J.D. Power rankings of initial vehicle quality, said Jerry Marmie at Marmie Motors, Great Bend.

The 2011 Chrysler Town & Country ranked highest for initial quality in the minivan segment, while the 2011 Dodge Challenger took the top spot in the mid-size sporty car segment.

The rankings come from the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 U.S. Initial Quality Study, one of the most influential assessments of new vehicle quality.

In addition to the Town & Country and Challenger, three other Chrysler Group vehicles were highlighted by J.D. Power and Associates for ranking among the top three vehicles of their competitive class: Dodge Durango in the mid-size crossover/SUV category, Dodge Grand Caravan in the minivan category and Ram Dakota in the mid-size pickup segment.

"Having five vehicles rank at or near the top of their segments is the result of a lot of hard work and long hours dedicated to updating our product line," Marmie said. "We’ve made steady gains, improving reliability by 58 percent in the past four years," he said of the Chrysler Group. In the past year, the group has launched 16 new or significantly improved vehicles.

In compiling its rankings, J.D. Power and Associates surveyed owners of new 2011 model year vehicles that were registered between the months of November 2010 through February 2011.