What car you like, or don’t like, can be very subjective. What one person may think is the best car they’ve ever had, another may think it’s the worst. But what is it about certain cars that satisfy some drivers, while keeping many unhappy? Certain criteria may be at the top of the list for many drivers, with emphasis on certain factors and vehicle characteristics, including vehicle startup, driving feel, fuel efficiency, safety, comfort, exterior and interior appeal, and more. When drivers are disappointed with these characteristics, they let carmakers know. (Also see, America’s least reliable new cars.)
24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2023 J.D. Power’s 2023 U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study to find the car brand that Americans dislike the most. The study ranks car brands by owners’ emotional attachment and level of excitement with their new vehicle. J.D. Power asked new-vehicle owners to consider 37 attributes, ranging from how comfortable it is to get in and out of the vehicle and driving feel and computed an overall APEAL Index score on a 1,000-point scale. We included last year’s index score and car sales for each brand for the first half of 2023 from Goodcarbadcar. Ties in the APEAL score were broken using sales figures.
The car brands that were the least appealing were mostly similar to the ones from the survey of a year ago. One notable change was Honda, the most-hated car in 2022, which rose seven spots, improving its APEAL score from 824 to 835, though still well below the segment average score of 837. Honda handed over the most-hated distinction to Chrysler, which was the second-most detested brand a year ago.
Mass-market plates were the most reviled car brands, which occupied the bottom 14 spots. Eight of the brands were below the segment average of 837. Notable mass-market outliers that exceeded the segment average were Dodge, Ram, and GMC. Toyota, the third least-liked car brand, recorded sales of 875,959 in the first half of 2023, a 3% increase from a year ago, and the second-highest sales total behind Ford. (This is the best-selling car in America.)
Seven premium brands had an APEAL score less than the segment average of 871. Acura, with a tally of 853, was the most-hated premium car brand. Low APEAL scores do not necessarily translate into lower sales. Only six of the car brands on the list had lower first-half sales than for the same period in 2022. Alfa Romeo, the 12th-most liked car brand, posted a sales drop of 26.2% in the first half of 2023, the most of any car brand.
Here is the car brand Americans dislike the most.
32. Dodge
- 2023 APEAL score: 887/1,000
- Segment: Mass Market — segment average score: 837
- 2022 APEAL score: 882/1000 #4 out of 32
- Sales H1, 2023: 110,721 (+29.8% from H1, 2022)
- Parent company: Stellantis
31. Jaguar
- 2023 APEAL score: 887/1,000
- Segment: Premium — segment average score: 871
- 2022 APEAL score: 868/1000 #9 (tied) out of 32
- Sales H1, 2023: 4,369 (-8.3% from H1, 2022)
- Parent company: JLR/Tata Motors
30. Porsche
- 2023 APEAL score: 883/1,000
- Segment: Premium — segment average score: 871
- 2022 APEAL score: 888/1000 #1 out of 32
- Sales H1, 2023: 36,336 (+11.7% from H1, 2022)
- Parent company: Volkswagen Group
29. Land Rover
- 2023 APEAL score: 883/1,000
- Segment: Premium — segment average score: 871
- 2022 APEAL score: 871/1000 #7 out of 32
- Sales H1, 2023: 28,503 (+2.3% from H1, 2022)
- Parent company: Tata Motors
28. BMW
- 2023 APEAL score: 878/1,000
- Segment: Premium — segment average score: 871
- 2022 APEAL score: 875/1000 #6 out of 32
- Sales H1, 2023: 169,819 (+11.3% from H1, 2022)
- Parent company: BMW Group
27. Genesis
- 2023 APEAL score: 877/1,000
- Segment: Premium — segment average score: 871
- 2022 APEAL score: 886/1000 #2 out of 32
- Sales H1, 2023: 30,914 (+20.4% from H1, 2022)
- Parent company: Hyundai Motor Group
26. Mercedes-Benz
- 2023 APEAL score: 876/1,000
- Segment: Premium — segment average score: 871
- 2022 APEAL score: 876/1000 #5 out of 32
- Sales H1, 2023: 169,449 (+0.9% from H1, 2022)
- Parent company: Mercedes-Benz Group AG
25. Ram
- 2023 APEAL score: 873/1,000
- Segment: Mass Market — segment average score: 837
- 2022 APEAL score: 863/1000 #12 (tied) out of 32
- Sales H1, 2023: 270,736 (-1.9% from H1, 2022)
- Parent company: Stellantis
24. Lincoln
- 2023 APEAL score: 873/1,000
- Segment: Premium — segment average score: 871
- 2022 APEAL score: 870/1000 #8 out of 32
- Sales H1, 2023: 38,684 (-9.8% from H1, 2022)
- Parent company: Ford Motor Co.
23. Cadillac
- 2023 APEAL score: 865/1,000
- Segment: Premium — segment average score: 871
- 2022 APEAL score: 885/1000 #3 out of 32
- Sales H1, 2023: 75,197 (+21.5% from H1, 2022)
- Parent company: General Motors
22. Lexus
- 2023 APEAL score: 864/1,000
- Segment: Premium — segment average score: 871
- 2022 APEAL score: 863/1000 #12 (tied) out of 32
- Sales H1, 2023: 149,413 (+14.0% from H1, 2022)
- Parent company: Toyota Motor Corp.
21. Alfa Romeo
- 2023 APEAL score: 859/1,000
- Segment: Premium — segment average score: 871
- 2022 APEAL score: 868/1000 #9 (tied) out of 32
- Sales H1, 2023: 4,700 (-26.2% from H1, 2022)
- Parent company: Stellantis
20. GMC
- 2023 APEAL score: 858/1,000
- Segment: Mass Market — segment average score: 837
- 2022 APEAL score: 856/1000 #14 out of 32
- Sales H1, 2023: 286,627 (+13.1% from H1, 2022)
- Parent company: General Motors
19. Volvo
- 2023 APEAL score: 856/1,000
- Segment: Premium — segment average score: 871
- 2022 APEAL score: 852/1000 #15 out of 32
- Sales H1, 2023: 59,750 (+18.3% from H1, 2022)
- Parent company: Zhejiang Geely Holding Group
18. MINI
- 2023 APEAL score: 856/1,000
- Segment: Mass Market — segment average score: 837
- 2022 APEAL score: 848/1000 #19 out of 32
- Sales H1, 2023: 14,868 (+23.9% from H1, 2022)
- Parent company: BMW Group
17. Audi
- 2023 APEAL score: 855/1,000
- Segment: Premium — segment average score: 871
- 2022 APEAL score: 847/1000 #20 out of 32
- Sales H1, 2023: 108,190 (+27.1% from H1, 2022)
- Parent company: Volkswagen Group
16. Infiniti
- 2023 APEAL score: 854/1,000
- Segment: Premium — segment average score: 871
- 2022 APEAL score: 866/1000 #11 out of 32
- Sales H1, 2023: 32,284 (+48.1% from H1, 2022)
- Parent company: Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance
15. Acura
- 2023 APEAL score: 853/1,000
- Segment: Premium — segment average score: 871
- 2022 APEAL score: 851/1000 #16 (tied) out of 32
- Sales H1, 2023: 73,642 (+39.3% from H1, 2022)
- Parent company: Honda Motor Company
14. Kia
- 2023 APEAL score: 851/1,000
- Segment: Mass Market — segment average score: 837
- 2022 APEAL score: 849/1000 #18 out of 32
- Sales H1, 2023: 394,350 (+22.5% from H1, 2022)
- Parent company: Hyundai Motor Group
13. Chevrolet
- 2023 APEAL score: 846/1,000
- Segment: Mass Market — segment average score: 837
- 2022 APEAL score: 851/1000 #16 (tied) out of 32
- Sales H1, 2023: 849,796 (+17.0% from H1, 2022)
- Parent company: General Motors
12. Hyundai
- 2023 APEAL score: 844/1,000
- Segment: Mass Market — segment average score: 837
- 2022 APEAL score: 846/1000 #21 out of 32
- Sales H1, 2023: 389,924 (+15.9% from H1, 2022)
- Parent company: Hyundai Motor Group
11. Nissan
- 2023 APEAL score: 843/1,000
- Segment: Mass Market — segment average score: 837
- 2022 APEAL score: 845/1000 #22 (tied) out of 32
- Sales H1, 2023: 447,882 (+23.6% from H1, 2022)
- Parent company: Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance
10. Buick
- 2023 APEAL score: 841/1,000
- Segment: Mass Market — segment average score: 837
- 2022 APEAL score: 843/1000 #25 out of 32
- Sales H1, 2023: 80,891 (+68.4% from H1, 2022)
- Parent company: General Motors
9. Ford
- 2023 APEAL score: 838/1,000
- Segment: Mass Market — segment average score: 837
- 2022 APEAL score: 845/1000 #22 (tied) out of 32
- Sales H1, 2023: 965,232 (+11.4% from H1, 2022)
- Parent company: Ford Motor Co.
8. Honda
- 2023 APEAL score: 835/1,000
- Segment: Mass Market — segment average score: 837
- 2022 APEAL score: 824/1000 #32 out of 32
- Sales H1, 2023: 557,890 (+23.1% from H1, 2022)
- Parent company: Honda Motor Co.
7. Jeep
- 2023 APEAL score: 831/1,000
- Segment: Mass Market — segment average score: 837
- 2022 APEAL score: 845/1000 #22 (tied) out of 32
- Sales H1, 2023: 334,818 (-11.9% from H1, 2022)
- Parent company: Stellantis
6. Mitsubishi
- 2023 APEAL score: 831/1,000
- Segment: Mass Market — segment average score: 837
- 2022 APEAL score: 840/1000 #26 out of 32
- Sales H1, 2023: 45,538 (-5.7% from H1, 2022)
- Parent company: Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance
5. Mazda
- 2023 APEAL score: 828/1,000
- Segment: Mass Market — segment average score: 837
- 2022 APEAL score: 839/1000 #27 (tied) out of 32
- Sales H1, 2023: 185,473 (+29.9% from H1, 2022)
- Parent company: Mazda Motor Corp.
4. Volkswagen
- 2023 APEAL score: 827/1,000
- Segment: Mass Market — segment average score: 837
- 2022 APEAL score: 839/1000 #27 (tied) out of 32
- Sales H1, 2023: 144,784 (+1.8% from H1, 2022)
- Parent company: Volkswagen Group
3. Toyota
- 2023 APEAL score: 824/1,000
- Segment: Mass Market — segment average score: 837
- 2022 APEAL score: 831/1000 #30 out of 32
- Sales H1, 2023: 875,959 (+3.0% from H1, 2022)
- Parent company: Toyota Motor Corp.
2. Subaru
- 2023 APEAL score: 824/1,000
- Segment: Mass Market — segment average score: 837
- 2022 APEAL score: 833/1000 #29 out of 32
- Sales H1, 2023: 304,089 (+15.3% from H1, 2022)
- Parent company: Subaru Corp.
1. Chrysler
- 2023 APEAL score: 810/1,000
- Segment: Mass Market — segment average score: 837
- 2022 APEAL score: 829/1000 #31 out of 32
- Sales H1, 2023: 81,042 (+22.7% from H1, 2022)
- Parent company: Stellantis
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