January 2008
Best and worst in new car owner satisfaction
Which cars would owners buy again?
For the fourth straight year, the Toyota Prius hybrid is the top car for owner satisfaction. Ninety-two percent of Prius owners
who responded to our survey said they would definitely buy or lease one again. The Prius is followed closely by the BMW 335i
coupe/convertible and Porsche Boxster, which drew scores of 91 and 90, respectively.
GM's trio of minivans, including the Buick Terraza, Chevrolet Uplander, and Saturn Relay, posted the lowest score of 34.
The scores are based on the percentage of Consumer Reports subscribers who responded "definitely yes" to the question "Considering all factors (price, performance, reliability, comfort, enjoyment, etc.), would you get this car if you had it to do all over again?"
Our 2007 Annual Car Owner Satisfaction Survey drew responses about more than 415,000 individual vehicles, allowing us to provide scores for more than 300 models. The survey was conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center.
THE PASSION FACTOR
The Prius is clearly benefiting from today's wave of enthusiasm for fuel-sipping hybrid cars. Boasting the best gas mileage of any five-passenger vehicle we've tested--44 mpg overall--the Prius has generated an almost cult-like following among many environmentally conscious consumers. Likewise, the 34-mpg Toyota Camry Hybrid was the top midsized sedan in the survey, with a score of 87.
At the other end of the scale, the survey shows that performance also generates strong passion. Of the top 12 cars, half are sports cars, including the Porsche Boxster, Cayman, and 911 Carrera; Chevrolet Corvette; Mini Cooper hatchback; and Honda S2000. Overall, sporty cars make up almost half of the Most Satisfying models.
The next largest group is SUVs, led by the Lexus RX350, Ford Edge, and Toyota Land Cruiser.
Pickup trucks and SUVs account for more than half of the models on the Least Satisfying list. Respondents showed particularly little enthusiasm for American compact pickups, with almost every model on the market listed among the least satisfying. The Honda Ridgeline and V8 Toyota Tundra are the only pickups to make the Most Satisfying list.
ASIAN MODELS DOMINATE
In all, 39 models made the top tier, with scores of 80 or higher. Eighteen, or almost half, are from Japanese brands, with 10 of those built by Toyota (including Lexus). European brands account for 12, domestic automakers have 7 models on the list, and for the first time, 2 South Korean models, the Hyundai Azera sedan and Santa Fe SUV, made the list.
Other top models range from the small, $16,000 Honda Fit, which is our Top Pick for budget cars, to the $76,000 Lexus LS, which earned the highest test score in our ratings, 99 out of 100.
The Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey are the only two minivans on the list.
Of the 22 models on the Least Satisfying list, 20 are from American automakers. GM brands account for 15, Chrysler has 3, and Ford has 2.
The remaining two models are Japanese, including the Suzuki Grand Vitara SUV and Mazda B-Series pickup.
Also, see our full owner satisfaction lists linked at left by vehicle types (available to subscribers).
GM's trio of minivans, including the Buick Terraza, Chevrolet Uplander, and Saturn Relay, posted the lowest score of 34.
The scores are based on the percentage of Consumer Reports subscribers who responded "definitely yes" to the question "Considering all factors (price, performance, reliability, comfort, enjoyment, etc.), would you get this car if you had it to do all over again?"
Our 2007 Annual Car Owner Satisfaction Survey drew responses about more than 415,000 individual vehicles, allowing us to provide scores for more than 300 models. The survey was conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center.
THE PASSION FACTOR
The Prius is clearly benefiting from today's wave of enthusiasm for fuel-sipping hybrid cars. Boasting the best gas mileage of any five-passenger vehicle we've tested--44 mpg overall--the Prius has generated an almost cult-like following among many environmentally conscious consumers. Likewise, the 34-mpg Toyota Camry Hybrid was the top midsized sedan in the survey, with a score of 87.
At the other end of the scale, the survey shows that performance also generates strong passion. Of the top 12 cars, half are sports cars, including the Porsche Boxster, Cayman, and 911 Carrera; Chevrolet Corvette; Mini Cooper hatchback; and Honda S2000. Overall, sporty cars make up almost half of the Most Satisfying models.
The next largest group is SUVs, led by the Lexus RX350, Ford Edge, and Toyota Land Cruiser.
Pickup trucks and SUVs account for more than half of the models on the Least Satisfying list. Respondents showed particularly little enthusiasm for American compact pickups, with almost every model on the market listed among the least satisfying. The Honda Ridgeline and V8 Toyota Tundra are the only pickups to make the Most Satisfying list.
ASIAN MODELS DOMINATE
In all, 39 models made the top tier, with scores of 80 or higher. Eighteen, or almost half, are from Japanese brands, with 10 of those built by Toyota (including Lexus). European brands account for 12, domestic automakers have 7 models on the list, and for the first time, 2 South Korean models, the Hyundai Azera sedan and Santa Fe SUV, made the list.
Other top models range from the small, $16,000 Honda Fit, which is our Top Pick for budget cars, to the $76,000 Lexus LS, which earned the highest test score in our ratings, 99 out of 100.
The Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey are the only two minivans on the list.
Of the 22 models on the Least Satisfying list, 20 are from American automakers. GM brands account for 15, Chrysler has 3, and Ford has 2.
The remaining two models are Japanese, including the Suzuki Grand Vitara SUV and Mazda B-Series pickup.
Also, see our full owner satisfaction lists linked at left by vehicle types (available to subscribers).
