Michigan, United States — Overall customer satisfaction has grown among American car buyers, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).
The ACSI Study 2022-23 highlights the overall satisfaction based on interviews with 8,941 customers, chosen at random between July 2022 and June 2023. According to the study, overall customer satisfaction with the automobile industry has improved following last year’s decline with an overall satisfaction rating of 79 percent.
This margin–according to Forrest Morgeson, Associate Professor of Marketing at Michigan State University and Director of Research Emeritus at the ACSI–marks a recovery to pre-pandemic levels, and shows that “consumer demand is strong despite rising interest rates.”
Luxury vehicles continue to top the market over mass-produced counterparts, but the gap is shrinking with mass-produced vehicles showing a three percent increase rate versus luxury brands at just a one percent increase rate.
Of mass-produced vehicles, Toyota leads with an overall ACSI score of 84 percent, based on strong consumer ratings in the areas of gas mileage, dependability, and quality for the price factor. Thirty-five percent of Americans said they’d considered purchasing a Toyota vehicle.
Following Toyota, Subaru ranks second with an overall satisfaction rating of 82 percent. The bottom of the list includes Nissan (76 percent), and Volkswagen (75 percent), with Jeep and Ram tied at 74 percent.
Of luxury brand vehicles, Lexus remains on top with an overall satisfaction rating of 83 percent. However, following a one percent slip, they now share the top spot with Tesla.
In close second is Cadillac with a satisfaction rating of 82 percent. Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz all score 80 percent, and after tying for second last year, Acura finishes last, sliding four percent to an ACSI score of 79 percent.
Finally, while drivers of both electric and hybrid vehicles are, on average, more satisfied than customers who drive gas-powered vehicles, EVs rank last for dependability, and reliability and have the highest complaint rate from customers.
“Early EV adopters find these vehicles perform well relative to their expectations, yet ACSI data shows they are only superior in technology and warranties. That is not enough to convince consumers to leave gas in the past,” noted Morgeson.
Regardless, more young drivers are considering buying from luxury brands with the rising tech possibilities being cited as a major factor, and hybrid owners mark the happiest drivers over their EV and gas-powered counterparts.
