The latest look at auto industry customer satisfaction has a brand that should be an underdog moving well into its own in first place. At the same time, vehicles from Ram and Chrysler saw their scores drop significantly. Meanwhile, all while luxury and mainstream brands come closer than they have in years to ultimately leaving their customers satisfied.
With prices and payments up, though, and loans lasting longer than ever, not all is well, according to the latest American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) study. It found consumers to be slightly less happy overall with their latest vehicle purchases than last year.
The brand sitting at the top of the list is Subaru, which climbed 2% to get an 85 score this year, continuing a trend of scoring highly in similar studies. Toyota, which was tied with Subaru for top mainstream brand last year, slid 1% to put it at 82 and in third place. Mazda slipped into the middle with a score of 83. The industry average for customer satisfaction in the study was 79, with Ford, Nissan, VW, Kia, Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler, and Ram below the average. Ram was the biggest mover, down 10% to 69. Not so nice.
Toyota will be happy that Lexus climbed 6% to take the top spot for luxury brands, stealing the title from Mercedes-Benz. The luxury segment had fewer responses, thus fewer brands, with only seven making the chart. Notable absences included Lincoln, Alfa Romeo, and Infiniti. But Acura, Audi, and BMW were there … and ranked below average.
What did people like about their new vehicles this year compared with last? Absolutely nothing, according to ACSI’s results. Every measure was even or down compared to 2024 on both the mainstream and luxury sides.
How far their cars could go was a problem for both gas and electric drivers. Only 74% of mainstream buyers were happy with maximum range before needing gas, versus 64% for EVs. In luxury brands it was even closer, at 74% and 71%. Overall EV satisfaction dropped, from 73% to 68%, with gas holding steady at 80%.
Drivers of mainstream cars are most happy with driving performance, notably handling, braking, and steering. Vehicle dependability came second, with mobile apps taking third this year. After expected resale value and driving distance, warranties and tech were the lowest-scoring categories.
Hybrid buyers of both luxury and regular cars were the most satisfied with their vehicles last year. This year, both fell slightly to end up in a tie with gas cars. EVs were well behind at 73% versus 80%.
How does vehicle satisfaction stack up against other industries? The 79% score puts cars on the same level in the ACSI index as life insurance and supermarkets. Rough company. Soft drinks took the top spot, followed by sneakers, non-hospital care, and breweries. At the bottom were beloved industries like subscription TV, the postal service, and internet service providers.
ACSI’s automobile satisfaction study is based on 9,949 completed surveys. Customers were contacted by email between June 2024 and June 2025, and asked to evaluate their recent experiences with brands.
Source: ACSI
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