Special Report
Car Brands With the Best and Worst Buyer Experience
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Last Updated:
Deciding what car to buy can be a difficult process. Car buyers often have to contend with a stressful sales environment, negotiating the price they are willing to pay, and filling stacks of paperwork before they can drive off in their new vehicle.
The stress of buying a new car largely depends on where you are getting the car from. Some car brands have made their dealership experience easy and straightforward, while others can leave their customers feeling frustrated.
To determine the car brands with the best and worst buyer shopping experiences, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the results of J.D. Power’s 2020 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.
As you may expect, luxury brands tended to have better sales experiences than mass market brands. Luxury brands had an average sales satisfaction score of 816 out of 1,000, while mass market cars had an average score of 784.
One of the main factors in this year’s ranking was dealerships’ practices in the face of the pandemic. Companies that updated their practices to contend with COVID-19 tended to score much higher than those that did not. Car brands that allowed buyers to do most of their paperwork online or that used virtual communication typically scored better on the survey than those that did not.
While the car buying experience is important to drivers, the car itself is the most important part of the transaction. Certain vehicles simply do not sell well, whether because of poor reviews they have received from car critics or their low safety ratings, or because they have an exorbitant price tag, or due to a number of other factors. These are the cars Americans don’t want to buy.
Click here to see the car brands with the best and worst buyer experience.
1. Lincoln
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 827 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Ford Motor Co.
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 77
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 84 out of 100
> 2020 sales (Q1-Q3): 74,397
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2. Lexus (tied)
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 826 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Toyota Motor Corp.
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 82
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 87 out of 100
> 2020 sales (Q1-Q3): 182,088
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2. Mercedes-Benz (tied)
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 826 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Daimler AG
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 80
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 83 out of 100
> 2020 sales (Q1-Q3): 229,398
4. Cadillac (tied)
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 825 out of 1,000
> Parent company: General Motors
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 80
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 86 out of 100
> 2020 sales (Q1-Q3): 86,586
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4. Infiniti (tied)
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 825 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 79
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 85 out of 100
> 2020 sales (Q1-Q3): 59,021
4. Porsche (tied)
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 825 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Volkswagen Group
> ACSI customer satisfaction score:
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 86 out of 100
> 2020 sales (Q1-Q3): 39,725
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7. MINI
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 824 out of 1,000
> Parent company: BMW Group
> ACSI customer satisfaction score:
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 84 out of 100
> 2020 sales (Q1-Q3): 19,498
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8. Acura
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 813 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Honda Motor Company
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 77
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 79 out of 100
> 2020 sales (Q1-Q3): 95,653
9. BMW
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 810 out of 1,000
> Parent company: BMW Group
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 78
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 79 out of 100
> 2020 sales (Q1-Q3): 181,547
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10. Audi (tied)
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 804 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Volkswagen Group
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 80
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 80 out of 100
> 2020 sales (Q1-Q3): 124,106
10. GMC (tied)
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 804 out of 1,000
> Parent company: General Motors
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 78
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 87 out of 100
> 2020 sales (Q1-Q3): 353,223
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12. Buick
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 803 out of 1,000
> Parent company: General Motors
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 76
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 91 out of 100
> 2020 sales (Q1-Q3): 118,561
13. Jaguar
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 801 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Tata Motors
> ACSI customer satisfaction score:
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 74 out of 100
> 2020 sales (Q1-Q3): 16,286
14. Land Rover
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 800 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Tata Motors
> ACSI customer satisfaction score:
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 65 out of 100
> 2020 sales (Q1-Q3): 52,335
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15. Ford (tied)
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 798 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Ford Motor Co.
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 76
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 77 out of 100
> 2020 sales (Q1-Q3): 1,421,616
15. Volvo (tied)
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 798 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Zhejiang Geely Holding Group
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 78
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 77 out of 100
> 2020 sales (Q1-Q3): 73,604
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17. Alfa Romeo
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 797 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
> ACSI customer satisfaction score:
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: out of 100
> 2020 sales (Q1-Q3): 12,493
18. Subaru
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 793 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Subaru Corp.
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 79
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 82 out of 100
> 2020 sales (Q1-Q3): 436,556
19. Nissan
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 792 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 76
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 82 out of 100
> 2020 sales (Q1-Q3): 615,119
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20. Honda
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 790 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Honda Motor Co.
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 79
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 78 out of 100
> 2020 sales (Q1-Q3): 875,066
21. Chevrolet
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 787 out of 1,000
> Parent company: General Motors
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 76
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 88 out of 100
> 2020 sales (Q1-Q3): 1,209,044
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22. Mazda
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 785 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Mazda Motor Corp.
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 78
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 78 out of 100
> 2020 sales (Q1-Q3): 203,280
23. Volkswagen
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 784 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Volkswagen Group
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 78
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 80 out of 100
> 2020 sales (Q1-Q3): 229,512
24. Dodge
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 779 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 75
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 69 out of 100
> 2020 sales (Q1-Q3): 204,347
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25. Mitsubishi
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 778 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 77
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 83 out of 100
> 2020 sales (Q1-Q3): 72,617
26. Toyota
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 777 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Toyota Motor Corp.
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 80
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 75 out of 100
> 2020 sales (Q1-Q3): 1,270,137
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27. Genesis (tied)
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 773 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Hyundai Motor Group
> ACSI customer satisfaction score:
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 70 out of 100
> 2020 sales (Q1-Q3): 11,285
27. Hyundai (tied)
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 773 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Hyundai Motor Group
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 76
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 75 out of 100
> 2020 sales (Q1-Q3): 441,081
29. Kia
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 771 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Hyundai Motor Group
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 77
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 77 out of 100
> 2020 sales (Q1-Q3): 428,260
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30. Jeep (tied)
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 768 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 76
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 67 out of 100
> 2020 sales (Q1-Q3): 581,591
30. Ram (tied)
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 768 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 80
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: out of 100
> 2020 sales (Q1-Q3): 443,342
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32. Chrysler (tied)
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 756 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 73
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: 69 out of 100
> 2020 sales (Q1-Q3): 75,671
32. Fiat (tied)
> Sales Satisfaction Index Score: 756 out of 1,000
> Parent company: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
> ACSI customer satisfaction score: 76
> J.D. Power Dealership Experience score: out of 100
> 2020 sales (Q1-Q3): 3,569
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