Japanese makes dominate Consumer Reports Car Owner Satisfaction Survey
Consumer Reports released its Car Owner Satisfaction Survey results and brands hailing from the Land of the Rising Sun accounted for nearly half of the winners. Toyota took 10 of the top 39 spots, including the Prius, where nine-out-of-ten owners said they'd buy it again given the chance. U.S. automakers didn't fare as well, only taking seven spots, but the addition of the V6-powered Ford Fusion and Saturn Aura proved that Detroit is making inroads in the family car segment. Despite many domestic models getting tagged "least satisfying" there's been a significant up tick in the U.S. automaker's standings.
Also of note, European models made up 12-percent of the list, particularly the BMW 335i and Porsche Boxster, which rivaled the Prius for owner gratification. The Hyundai Azera and Santa Fe also made the "most satisfying" cut, which is determined if 80-percent of owners said they would buy or lease the model again.
Consumer Reports' full press release is available after the jump.
PRESS RELEASE
JAPANESE CARS CONTINUE TO DOMINATE CONSUMER REPORTS' LATEST CAR-OWNER SATISFACTION SURVEY
South Korean Cars Make First Appearance on CR's Most Satisfying List;
Domestic Models Gain Ground In Family and Luxury/Upscale Categories For The First Time In Five Years
YONKERS, NY - Japanese vehicles continue their domination over domestic and European brands in Consumer Reports' Annual Car Owner Satisfaction Survey. Of the 39 car models that made Consumer Reports' latest Most Satisfying car list, 18 toted Japanese nameplates with 10 of those built by Toyota.
For the fourth straight year, the Toyota Prius hybrid was identified by respondents as the most satisfying of any vehicle, with 92 percent of Prius owners indicating they would definitely buy one again. Following closely, were the BMW 335i coupe/convertible and Porsche Boxster, which drew scores of 91 and 90 respectively.
European models accounted for 12 cars on the list-a slight increase from last year. Domestic models remained steady at seven, and for the first time, two South Korean models, the Hyundai Azera (83) and Hyundai Santa Fe (80), made Consumer Reports' Most Satisfying car list.
For the first time in five years, domestic models have gained ground in the family car category, which has been consistently dominated by Japanese nameplates. The Ford Fusion V6 with all-wheel-drive and Saturn Aura were identified by respondents as two of the top four most satisfying family cars behind the Toyota Prius and Toyota Camry Hybrid. The inclusion of the Lincoln MKZ AWD was also a five-year first for a domestic model to be found among the most satisfying Luxury/Upscale cars.
"These latest results suggest that domestic carmakers are getting better at capturing what people want in the car they drive every day," said Rik Paul, automotive editor for Consumer Reports.
Individual owner satisfaction scores for the vehicles on Consumer Reports' Most and Least Satisfying car lists are published in the Consumer Reports January issue, which goes on sale December 4, 2007. The complete report is also available at www.ConsumerReports.org.
European models dominated the sporty car and roadster categories taking 10 of the top 14 spots. While the BMW 335i RWD (91), Porsche Boxster (90) lead the way, the Mini Cooper proved to be a very satisfying vehicle, three versions - the Cooper S (88), Cooper Convertible (81) and Cooper Hatchback (80) all made the list. Performance generates a strong passion amongst owners, of the top 12 most satisfying cars, half were sports cars.
Consumers Reports Annual Car Owner Satisfaction Survey asks subscribers if they would buy the car or truck they own again, considering its price, performance, comfort, reliability, and enjoyment. In all, subscribers rated their experience with more than 415,000 vehicles and more than 300 separate models, in the survey conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center.
Among the least satisfying cars, domestics accounted for 20 of the 22 in the lineup, 15 of which are from General Motors. These included the least satisfying vehicles to own: the Buick Terraza, Chevrolet Uplander and Saturn Relay minivans, with only 34 percent of respondents reporting they would definitely buy or lease one again.
There were no European nameplates listed among the Least Satisfying Car list, but several popular European nameplates, including Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Saab and Volvo were absent among the Most Satisfying car list.
Consumer Reports Most Satisfying vehicles are those for which at least 80 percent of owners said they would definitely buy or lease the vehicle again. Consumer Reports Least Satisfying vehicles are those for which less than 50 percent of owners said they would do so. Models are listed within categories in order of most satisfying:
Most Satisfying
- Small Cars: Honda Fit, Volkswagen Rabbit
- Family Cars: Toyota Prius, Toyota Camry Hybrid, Ford Fusion V6 (AWD), Saturn Aura
- Large Cars: Hyundai Azera, Toyota Avalon
- Upscale/Luxury Cars: Lexus LS 460, Acura TL Type-S, BMW 330i/335i (sedan),
- Infiniti M35 RWD, Lincoln MKZ (AWD)
- Sports Cars/Roadsters: Porsche Boxster, Porsche Cayman, Chevrolet Corvette, Mini Cooper S (hatchback), Honda S2000, Porsche 911 Carrera, Mazda MX-5 Miata, Audi S4, Mini Cooper (Convertible), Ford Mustang (V8), Volkswagen GTI, Mini Cooper (hatchback)
- Coupes/Convertibles: BMW 335i (RWD), Volkswagen Eos
- Wagons/ Hatchbacks: Mazdaspeed3
- Minivans: Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey
- SUVs: Lexus RX350, Ford Edge, Toyota Land Cruiser, Chrysler Aspen (4WD), Hyundai Santa Fe, Toyota RAV4 (V6), Toyota 4Runner (V6)
- Pickup Trucks: Honda Ridgeline, Toyota Tundra (V8)
- Small Cars: Chevrolet Cobalt (coupe, nonturbo), Saturn Ion (sedan), Chevrolet Cobalt (Sedan), Chevrolet Aveo (sedan)
- Minivans: Ford Freestar, Buick Terraza, Chevrolet Uplander, Saturn Relay
- SUVs: Chevrolet Trail Blazer (6-cyl., RWD) GMC Envoy (6-cyl., RWD), Suzuki Grand Vitara, Jeep Commander (V6), Chevrolet Equinox, Jeep Grand Cherokee (V6, gas)
- Pickup Trucks: Dodge Dakota, Chevrolet Colorado (5-cyl.), GMC Envoy (5-cyl.), GMC Canyon (4-cyl.), Ford Ranger, Mazda B-Series, Chevrolet Colorado (4-cyl.), GMC Canyon (4-cyl.)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Shawn 12:45PM (1/31/2008)
On the contrary, I've found CR to be spot on, especially in their reliability surveys. In the recent past, I have had relatively new or new vehicles that developed problems that closely matched what was reported in the CR survey, things that were unusual when compared across brands. That is when I began to believe them.
When I bought my last car I bought used and I chose a highly ranked (in CR and elsewhere) 3 yr old sedan and in the 7 years hence it has only had 120 dollars in repair cost, my prior vehicles had over that within a few years of new. The car is now 10 years old and has to be considered one of the smartest purchases I've ever made. Thanks to the non-profit CR and other sources, people in the information age can make decsions based on the reality of the collective experience of (many) others and not based on gut or isolated endorsements or criticisms that might be unique or biased. CR holds manufacturers accountable.
I think the overall improvement in all vehicles is largely due to the increase in information available about them and the increased accountability sources like CR provide. I wouldn't diss them myself ... and I once thought they were biased myself. Not any longer.
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LBuzzer 8:19AM (12/03/2007)
Huh,
If, in the family car segment, you take out the two hybrids where their drivers are likely to bite their tongues if anything about their car is subpar (because, after all, they are saving the world! right?), that leaves the Fusion and the Aura.... Nice for NA automakers!
Given that Ford resale stills afflicts all their cars, a 2 year old Fusion will turn out to be a great deal!
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psarhjinian 10:10AM (12/03/2007)
Maybe people who bought a Prius really like it? You're talking about a type of car that's designed almost exclusively to hit it's demographic's hotbutton points. If they're satisfied, more power to them.
It's like owning a sportscar in terms of subjective appeal, except that owning a hybrid (excepting compromise cars like the Insight) leaves with a vehicle you can live with every day.
It's sad to see Saab not even on the list and Saturn barely there. GM has done an amazing job of absolutely destroying two of the most loyal buyer bases in all of cardom. As good as Saturn is now, it's no longer anything special and I can't see Saturn customers staying loyal when a car like the Malibu is basically an Aura with some shortcoming addressed.
tekdemon 11:07AM (12/03/2007)
Considering that the Toyota has sold more than 1 million hybrids worldwide, I doubt Toyota really cares that you think that the cars are a niche.
Seriously, why does it matter why the owners are satisfied? The owners of the Porsche probably don't give a crap about it's cargo capacity, but are satisfied by it's sports car performance/brand appeal/whatever. So for a hybrid they can be satisfied by the fuel consumption, or how high tech it is, or how silent the car is when the motor is off or whatever. And the Prius is actually pretty spacious, so it's not like it isn't actually a decent family sedan comfort-wise-so a family sedan that gets better mileage isn't allowed to have satisfied owners now?
I don't know if you realize this but paying 1/2 as much money as the guy next to you when you're filling up at the pump is probably a pretty satisfying feeling for your average family driver. Unless you're loaded and enjoy the feeling of spending $150 on gas a week.
Scott 11:45AM (12/03/2007)
$150 on gas a week? Perhaps it's time to move closer to where you work or stop using that Suburban as a solo commuter vehicle!
tekdemon 2:56PM (12/03/2007)
@Scott
I wasn't saying that I spent $150 a week on gas, just that someone driving a Prius probably gets a lot of satisfaction when they're filling up next to the guy who does use a Suburban for his solo commute.
LBuzzer 9:02AM (12/04/2007)
... except that they paid a hefty premium to get the hybrid savings - a premium that will allow them to barely break even over the life of the vehicle. The repair/service argument could be discussed, but another fact is that, the higher in latitude you go, the less efficient those hybrids are because the batteries don't like the cold, causing the I.C.E. to run alot more.
Can you even warm those cars up in the winter?
Jon 12:40PM (12/05/2007)
"Can you even warm those cars up in the winter?"
If you don't know the answer to that, perhaps you're not qualified to be discussing them.
stealth 8:24AM (12/03/2007)
Since when did chevy make a Inline 5?
I thought volvo was the only one.
Any one know anything about it?
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Jason 8:29AM (12/03/2007)
For quite a while now, in the Canyon and Colorado. Acura also made an Inline 5 in the late 80's / early 90's in the Acura Vigor. Those are the two that come to mind off the top of my head - I'm sure there are more companies that have had them.
MixiM 8:35AM (12/03/2007)
Audi had inline 5's during the end of the 80's and throughout most of the 90's in their Audi 100, 90, 80, Coupé models... Today i can only think of Volvo and Ford (even though they use the volvo T5)... 5 Cyl's are quite nice, you can feel the torqueimprovement over a 4cyl and then they sound much better :D. But nothing beats a straight six though.
Brad Kempeny 8:41AM (12/03/2007)
uhhh- don't forget the insane Audi S1 (and its production bretheren) had an inline five. Also not just the Colorado and Canyons, but the Hummer H3 is powered by the I-5 as well.
Sandeep 8:41AM (12/03/2007)
VW still has a inline 5 in the Rabbit and base Jetta.
stealth 11:46AM (12/03/2007)
Is there really that much difference in gas economy between a Inline 5 and a V6?
I know I drive a 2001 Volvo S60 2.4T with an Inline 5 and a 9psi turbo and that my friend drives a 2001 Grand Am V6 and our gas mileage seems to be about the same, assuming the fact that hes not being a leadfoot, which is rarely :-X
compy386 8:19AM (12/03/2007)
Maybe this is just my bias but Ford is doing fairly well: Fusion, MKZ, Mustang, Edge + Mazdaspeed 3 and Miata. Just 2 cars on the worst list: Freestar (discontinued) and Ranger/B Series (to be discontinued?).
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Jason 8:27AM (12/03/2007)
Mazdaspeed 3 and Miata are both built in Japan and Ford has nothing to do with them other than owning a controlling majority of their parent company's stock. Props for Ford for the cars that made the list, but Ford deserves no credit regarding the success of the MS3 and the Miata.
compy386 8:55AM (12/03/2007)
True with the Miata, but the Mazdaspeed 3 is based on a Ford of Europe chassis. Mazda definitely helped to develop the chassis and engine, but hard to say Ford didn't put anything into the development. Even with the Miata, it's part of the Ford Empire that Ford can use. Let us also not forget that Mazda wouldn't even be here if Ford didn't restructure the company and save it from bankrupcy.
unixxus 10:34AM (12/03/2007)
I doubt you will ever see a Ford badged miata or a rotary engine in a Ford. Credit goes to Mazda regardless of the source of the platform. Nissan gets credit for the GT-R not Renault the largest share holder.
collian 2:15AM (12/04/2007)
If mazda sales are not counted as ford sales, why would u want to count there awards as ford awards. how ironical?.... u guys tend to count mazda as ford when they win awards and completely forget them when they fail.
Aaron B Brown 8:47AM (12/03/2007)
Since the 80s, the Japanese auto makers have been making better cars than the American car manufacturers, they consistently do it better. So why is it that the American manufacturers continue to fail to learn anything from the success of the Japanese. It's not that we are not capable of producing a product comparable to the Japanese, it's that corporate America is making too much money selling us things that fail and wear out out much more quickly, and this is an integral part of their strategy for making money. To put it bluntly, screwing people has become standard business practice in America.
The 1988 Acura Integra is a significantly better car than a 2008 Chevy cobalt, why is that? When every Chevy cobalt that's on the road today has been crushed, there will still be 1988 Acura Integras on the road.
Is it any wonder that that every 10 years, like clockwork the American car manufacturers find themselves in financial trouble, this is a direct result of them producing and selling products that are are inferior, yet they continue to market inferior products, which Americans continue to buy. Apparently many American consumers have no problem allowing themselves to be suckered, generation after generation. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me 10 times in a row over 30 year period, you one dumb gullible mother.
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