The 5 Most Satisfying Car Brands — and the Most Disappointing Ones

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happy man standing in front of car
My Ocean Production / Shutterstock.com

You’ve seen the car commercials where the drivers are cruising down the road or on the trail, beaming from ear to ear in their shiny new vehicles. Does anyone really smile that much when they’re driving?

How real is it? Well, the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) reports that car buyers are happier with their purchases than before, according to latest annual Automobile Study.

Those pandemic supply chain issues have all but cleared up, and folks are more satisfied with improved performance, safety, dependability and gas mileage. The ACSI says customer satisfaction with mass-market cars as a whole is up 3% since the prior study to a score of 79 out of 100. Satisfaction with luxury cars is up 1% to a score of 81 out of 100.

But it’s not universal. Some auto brands did not make the grade with their buyers, and — for some of them — their declining satisfaction rates correspond with drooping sales numbers.

The ACSI interviewed more than 8,900 customers and got their feedback for both mass-market and luxury car brands for their annual study.

Scroll through this slideshow to see which automakers put big smiles on their customers’ faces, while others … not so much.

Subaru

Subaru Crosstek
Steve Lagreca / Shutterstock.com

This car brand’s American Customer Satisfaction Index score: 82 out of 100

Type of car brand: Mass market

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has given more “Top Safety Pick+” awards to Subaru than any other brand from 2013 to February 2023. The Japanese automaker also received Lowest 5-Year Cost to Own designations in five vehicle segments, as awarded by Kelley Blue Book.

Cadillac

Cadillac Lyriq EV circa 2023
Jonathan Weiss / Shutterstock.com

This car brand’s American Customer Satisfaction Index score: 82 out of 100

Type of car brand: Luxury

This GM division, for decades the symbol of driving luxury, shot up 3% from 2022 to 2023, the ACSI found. It will be interesting to see how Caddy fans take to the all-electric Escalade — the “IQ” — that the company is introducing later this year.

Lexus

Lexus RX 350/Lexus

This car brand’s American Customer Satisfaction Index score: 83 out of 100

Type of car brand: Luxury

This division of Toyota is no longer the sole leader among luxury brands, after slipping 1% to drop into a tie with Tesla. However, the 2023 Lexus ES won Best Buy Award Among Luxury Cars from Kelley Blue Book.

Tesla

Tesla Model S
Hadrian / Shutterstock.com

This car brand’s American Customer Satisfaction Index score: 83 out of 100

Type of car brand: Luxury

S&P Global Mobility — a provider of automotive data, analysis and insights — awarded Elon Musk’s carmaker for “Overall Loyalty to Make” as part of its 27th Annual Automotive Loyalty Awards. Tesla also won the award for “Ethnic Market Loyalty to Make,” with 52% of its loyal volume coming from ethnic consumers.

Toyota

Toyota Corolla Hybrid
VanderWolf Images / Shutterstock.com

This car brand’s American Customer Satisfaction Index score: 84 out of 100

Type of car brand: Mass market

The Japanese automaker continues to be an industry leader 86 years after its start in 1937. The ACSI notes the manufacturer’s vehicles rate highly for gas mileage, dependability and quality for the price. Kelley Blue Book awarded Toyota with Best Resale Value of All Brands, Most Trusted Brand and Lowest 5-Year Cost to Own for 2023.

The lowest-scoring car brands

Woman with broken down car
Kryuchka Yaroslav / Shutterstock.com

We now turn to the vehicle brands that didn’t bring as much delight to their owners. We count down the five most disappointing names, according to the ACSI report.

Dodge

Black Dodge Charger Hemi circa 2022
Kirill_ak_ white / Shutterstock.com

This car brand’s American Customer Satisfaction Index score: 75 out of 100

Type of car brand: Mass market

Despite being in the bottom five, this automaker — founded in 1900 and now a division of Stellantis North America — did rank highest overall in J.D. Power’s Initial Quality Study with 140 problems per 100 vehicles. That was the best showing of all brands evaluated.

Volkswagen

Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport SUV
Steve Lagreca / Shutterstock.com

This car brand’s American Customer Satisfaction Index score: 75 out of 100

Type of car brand: Mass market

“This is the final wake-up call,” Volkswagen Passenger Cars CEO Thomas Schäfer told top employees in July as he announced a short-term spending freeze. The move came amid an EV sales decline in China, where VW gets 40% of its revenue. VW is also one of the “13 Car Brands That Give Owners the Most Headaches.”

Jeep

2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Roman Vasilenia / Shutterstock.com

This car brand’s American Customer Satisfaction Index score: 74 out of 100

Type of car brand: Mass market

This former symbol of rugged American individualism on all types of terrain is withering. Its sales growth ranks last among 33 automakers selling vehicles in the U.S., and sales were down 12% in 2023 compared with 2022. It’s the fifth straight year of declines.

Ram

Ram 3500
Shane Lee Photography / Shutterstock.com

This car brand’s American Customer Satisfaction Index score: 74 out of 100

Type of car brand: Mass market

This manufacturer of trucks and commercial vehicles dropped 5% in the ASCI survey in 2023. Sales of the Ram 1500, regularly one of the higher selling trucks on the market, declined more than 17% in 2023 and also dropped more than 17% from 2021 to 2022.

Chrysler

Chrysler 300C circa 2019
Caddy Man / Shutterstock.com

This car brand’s American Customer Satisfaction Index score: 71 out of 100

Type of car brand: Mass market

This American subsidiary of Stellantis is one of the car brands prone to giving owners the most headaches, according to a Money Talks News report. To add insult to injury, the Chrysler 300 is having its worst sales year ever.

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