Automotive Lease Guide (ALG), a subsidiary of DealerTrack Holdings Inc., a provider of on-demand software and data solutions for the U.S. automotive retail industry, announced that Lexus maintained its top position in ALG’s Luxury Models Summer 2009 Perceived Quality Study (PQS). Only four brands out of the 15 surveyed showed a year-over-year improvement, with Cadillac registering the strongest performance with a four-point increase in its overall score, helping it jump two places to number nine in the 2009 rankings. Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Acura, Infiniti and Porsche rounded off the top five positions in the study, which also were unchanged from the 2008 study (Infiniti and Porsche tied for fifth).

“Luxury brand value has proven to be resilient even during this severe economic downturn,” said James Clark, general manager of ALG. “However, manufacturers’ retail strategies to push volume, such as exceedingly high sales and leasing incentives, pose a threat to sustaining strong perceptions for many of these luxury brands in the future.”

Lexus’ top performance in PQS correlates with its exceptional resale and residual performance. The brand currently holds a considerable advantage in residual performance relative to the luxury average, consistently ranking in the top two in ALG’s Residual Value Awards over the past five years.

Now in its ninth year, ALG’s PQS is based on a proprietary rating scale derived from surveys of car-owners in the U.S., which then determines the relative positions of mainstream and luxury brands. The survey includes a variety of topics ranging from attitudes towards the economy, interest in and valuation of new vehicle content, and consumer perceptions of quality.

The complete list with scores is available here.