Owning a car is a long-term commitment with years of payments. That’s why it would be good to know if you will still like the vehicle after a few years. You can’t ask this question to your future self, but you can do the best thing by collecting the opinions of others. That’s where Consumer Reports’ automotive member surveys come in handy.
Consumer Reports surveys its members about their vehicles, asking them specifically if they would buy the same car again. This information provides a telling data point on owner satisfaction and is used to compile an annual list of the 10 least satisfying cars. This year’s results included some vehicles that performed well in road tests and reliability, as well as several vehicles from the same brands.
Including the Infiniti QX50, Nissan had three vehicles on the list. Only 40% of QX50 owners would buy the car again, along with 49% of Kicks owners and 51% of Altima owners. Consumer Reports recommended all three of these vehicles, but noted that they ranked below average in owner satisfaction.
Kia owners didn’t like the Forte or the Seltos. The Forte scored higher with a satisfaction rating of 51%, while the Seltos received a rating of 48%. The Seltos received a Recommended rating, but the Forte scored too low in other categories to earn the black tick next to its name.
Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen had two vehicles on the list. For Mercedes-Benz, 45% of GLA owners and 39% of GLB owners warmed up with their car. Similarly, 48% of Volkswagen Taos owners and 38% of people who bought an Atlas Cross Sport said they would buy their SUV again.
The other vehicle on the list was the Jeep Compass. Only 46 percent of its owners felt the Jeep small crossover lived up to their expectations. Consumer Reports doesn’t have current test data for the Compass, but said it scored below average in reliability and owner satisfaction.
There are many reasons why a vehicle may or may not live up to an owner’s expectations. But the question, “Would you buy it again?” gets to the heart of those reasons and provides an endorsement or condemnation of the vehicle ownership experience.
