Special Report
Car Brands With the Best (and Worst) Buyer Experience
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Buying a new car is certainly an exciting experience, but it can also be a source of tremendous stress. While much of that stress relates to the substantial personal and financial commitment, the actual experience of going to a dealership, negotiating a price, and signing paperwork can be highly unpleasant.
But according to a recent survey, the stress associated with buying a new car can depend on the brand of vehicle. To determine the car brands with the best and worst buyer experiences, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the results of J.D. Power’s 2019 Sales Satisfaction Index Study. In the survey, the consumer product review and analytics company measured customer satisfaction with the overall sales experience for major auto brands, rating the experience on a 1,000 point scale.
The Sales Satisfaction study asked consumers about their experience at dealerships nationwide, surveying both customers who ended up buying a certain brand and those who decided against buying the brand. Survey respondents rated brands based on elements such as the dealership personnel, the negotiation and delivery process, the fairness of the price, and the variety of inventory at the dealership. The brands on this list are ranked in order from the best buyer experience to the worst.
As might be expected, luxury brands perform better in this ranking. Dealerships looking to court buyers who can afford higher prices likely must offer a better overall experience than mass-market sellers. In its press release for the 2019 Sales Satisfaction Survey, J.D. Power noted that luxury dealers were more likely to give a thorough explanation and demonstration of the vehicle than mass-market dealers. Out of the 11 car brands with the best-ranked brand experiences, eight are luxury brands. All but one of the 10 of the car brands with the lowest rated experiences are mass-market brands. Luxury brands also tend to rank best in overall customer satisfaction. These are the car brands with the happiest drivers.
J.D. Power releases a separate rating — the Dealership Experience rating — which focuses on the experience of car owners not just in the buying process, but also after the fact, notably the experience of bringing in a purchased car for repairs. Most of the cars brands that perform well in the Sales Satisfaction Survey also rank well in the Dealership Experience score.
In its press release, J.D. power noted that experience at the dealership — from the quality of sales personnel to the speed of delivery — can be a major factor in ensuring customers stay loyal with a given brand. These are the car brands with the most and least loyal customers.
Click here to see the car brands with the best (and worst) buyer experience.
Click here to see our detailed findings and methodology.
1. Porsche
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 827 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Volkswagen Group
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: N/A
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 88 out of 100
> 2019 sales (first three quarters): 45,062
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2. Mercedes-Benz
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 825 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Daimler AG
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 83 (industry average 79)
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 83 out of 100
> 2019 sales (first three quarters): 248,766
3. Infiniti
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 821 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 82 (industry average 79)
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 85 out of 100
> 2019 sales (first three quarters): 87,934
4. Cadillac
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 820 out of 1,000
> Parent company: General Motors
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 81 (industry average 79)
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 85 out of 100
> 2019 sales (first three quarters): 115,697
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5. Lexus
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 820 out of 1,000 (tied)
> Parent company: Toyota Motor Corp.
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 84 (industry average 79)
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 86 out of 100
> 2019 sales (first three quarters): 209,551
6. Lincoln
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 819 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Ford Motor Co.
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 82 (industry average 79)
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 82 out of 100
> 2019 sales (first three quarters): 78,752
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7. Alfa Romeo
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 798 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: N/A
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 72 out of 100
> 2019 sales (first three quarters): 13,347
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8. BMW
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 796 out of 1,000
> Parent company: BMW Group
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 82 (industry average 79)
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 78 out of 100
> 2019 sales (first three quarters): 232,426
9. Buick
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 795 out of 1,000
> Parent company: General Motors
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 79 (industry average 79)
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 92 out of 100
> 2019 sales (first three quarters): 157,852
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10. Audi
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 791 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Volkswagen
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 82 (industry average 79)
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 80 out of 100
> 2019 sales (first three quarters): 158,471
11. GMC
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 791 out of 1,000 (tied)
> Parent company: General Motors
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 78 (industry average 79)
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 87 out of 100
> 2019 sales (first three quarters): 418,070
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12. Acura
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 790 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Honda Motor Company
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 78 (industry average 79)
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 80 out of 100
> 2019 sales (first three quarters): 112,813
13. Jaguar
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 790 out of 1,000 (tied)
> Parent company: Tata Motors
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: N/A
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 73 out of 100
> 2019 sales (first three quarters): 22,432
14. MINI
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 790 out of 1,000 (tied)
> Parent company: BMW Group
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: NM (industry average 79)
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 91 out of 100
> 2019 sales (first three quarters): 27,826
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15. Chevrolet
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 786 out of 1,000
> Parent company: General Motors
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 80 (industry average 79)
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 88 out of 100
> 2019 sales (first three quarters): 1,444,539
16. Volkswagen
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 786 out of 1,000 (tied)
> Parent company: Volkswagen Group
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 77 (industry average 79)
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 79 out of 100
> 2019 sales (first three quarters): 278,155
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17. Subaru
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 783 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Subaru Corp
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 82 (industry average 79)
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 81 out of 100
> 2019 sales (first three quarters): 525,329
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18. Ford
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 782 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Ford Motor Co.
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 77 (industry average 79)
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 78 out of 100
> 2019 sales (first three quarters): 1,719,052
19. Volvo
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 781 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Zhejiang Geely Holding Group
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 82 (industry average 79)
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 74 out of 100
> 2019 sales (first three quarters): 77,425
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20. Honda
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 773 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Honda Motor Company
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 82 (industry average 79)
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 74 out of 100
> 2019 sales (first three quarters): 1,093,596
21. Land Rover
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 773 out of 1,000 (tied)
> Parent company: Tata Motors
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: N/A
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 65 out of 100
> 2019 sales (first three quarters): 66,639
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22. Nissan
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 773 out of 1,000 (tied)
> Parent company: Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 75 (industry average 79)
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 81 out of 100
> 2019 sales (first three quarters): 956,456
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23. Toyota
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 770 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Toyota Motor Corp.
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 81 (industry average 79)
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 83 out of 100
> 2019 sales (first three quarters): 1,569,751
24. Ram
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 767 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 80 (industry average 79)
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 66 out of 100
> 2019 sales (first three quarters): 512,368
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25. Mazda
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 764 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Mazda Motor Group
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 77 (industry average 79)
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 73 out of 100
> 2019 sales (first three quarters): 208,165
26. Jeep
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 750 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 76 (industry average 79)
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 69 out of 100
> 2019 sales (first three quarters): 701,755
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27. Chrysler
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 748 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 71 (industry average 79)
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 72 out of 100
> 2019 sales (first three quarters): 93,966
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28. Hyundai
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 747 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Hyundai Motor Group
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 79 (industry average 79)
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 76 out of 100
> 2019 sales (first three quarters): 506,356
29. Dodge
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 746 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 74 (industry average 79)
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: N/A
> 2019 sales (first three quarters): 332,245
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30. Kia
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 742 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Hyundai Motor Group
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 76 (industry average 79)
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 74 out of 100
> 2019 sales (first three quarters): 463,598
31. Fiat
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 730 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 77 (industry average 79)
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 72 out of 100
> 2019 sales (first three quarters): 7,464
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32. Genesis
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 728 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Hyundai Motor Group
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: N/A
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 73 out of 100
> 2019 sales (first three quarters): 14,910
Methodology
To determine the car brands with the best and worst buyer experience, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the results of consumer product review and analytics company J.D. Power’s 2019 Sales Satisfaction Index Study, which measures customer satisfaction with the overall sales experience for major auto brands out of a 1,000 point scale. The survey includes both customers who purchased a car with a brand and those who decided not to buy a car with the brand, and the two cohorts were asked a different set of questions. Buyers were asked to score a brand based on experience with dealer personnel, the delivery process, deal negotiation, paperwork, the dealership facility, and the dealership website. Those who did not purchase a car rated the brand based on the salesperson they interacted with, the fairness of price, the negotiation experience, the variety of inventory offered, and the dealership facility.
Year-to-date U.S. auto sales data comes from GoodCarBadCar and is through the first three quarters of 2019. Parent company information comes from Consumer Reports. We also included the brand’s customer satisfaction score, which comes from the American Customer Satisfaction Index. The Dealership Experience score comes from J.D. Power’s 2019 Dealership Experience rating.
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