Just to rip off the bandaid: the brand that scores the worst in this study is actually Infiniti, but because that brand has been missing in the Netherlands for a while, we will skip it. The car brand that can count on the least satisfaction is Volkswagen. Indeed: the best-selling brand in the Netherlands has the least happy drivers in the US.
Consumer Reports, the American counterpart of the Consumers' Association, conducted research into the satisfaction of car buyers and asked owners whether they would buy the same brand again. Volkswagen drivers gave their car an average of 2 out of 5 points and only 51 percent would buy a Volkswagen again. Infiniti received 1 point.
A surprising winner
There is only one brand that received a perfect score and that is Rivian. This American EV brand received 5 out of 5 points and 86 percent would buy a car from the brand again. Mini and BMW then scored the best with 77 and 76 percent respectively, plus a score of 4 out of 5. Porsche and Tesla follow with 4 points. You can see the full list at the bottom of the page.
VW is also the least fun to drive
According to the research, Volkswagens are also the least fun to drive when it comes to handling and acceleration. Tesla scores highest here. Volkswagen also scores worst in terms of user-friendliness. Genesis, a sub-brand of Hyundai, scores best here. According to those surveyed, the car brand with the most comfortable cars would be Porsche, with Infiniti being the least comfortable.
How seriously should we take this investigation?
To start with, it is an American study and people there have slightly different preferences than here. In addition, this only concerns cars from 2021 to 2024. Moreover, Tesla is number one in terms of handling and acceleration. They accelerate quickly, that's certainly true, but we can think of plenty of other brands that build more fun cars to drive.
If people were really so dissatisfied with their Volkswagen, it would not remain such a big brand. In any case, Volkswagen was the best-selling car brand in the Netherlands last year, so people cannot be that dissatisfied. Anyway, it's nice material for an article. Check out the full list below.
| Rank | Brand | Satisfaction score (1-5) | Buy again? |
| 1 | Rivian | 5 | 86% |
| 2 | Mini | 4 | 77% |
| 3 | BMW | 4 | 76% |
| 4 | Porsche | 4 | 76% |
| 5 | Tesla | 4 | 74% |
| 6 | Genesis | 4 | 73% |
| 7 | Lexus | 4 | 73% |
| 8 | Subaru | 3 | 70% |
| 9 | Ram | 3 | 69% |
| 10 | Honda | 3 | 69% |
| 11 | Chevrolet | 3 | 69% |
| 12 | Toyota | 3 | 69% |
| 13 | Hyundai | 3 | 68% |
| 14 | Acura | 3 | 68% |
| 15 | Ford | 3 | 67% |
| 16 | GMC | 3 | 67% |
| 17 | Mazda | 3 | 66% |
| 18 | Volvo | 3 | 66% |
| 19 | Lincoln | 3 | 65% |
| 20 | Buick | 3 | 64% |
| 21 | Kia | 3 | 63% |
| 22 | Cadillac | 3 | 61% |
| 23 | Chrysler | 2 | 60% |
| 24 | Mercedes Benz | 2 | 59% |
| 25 | Audi | 2 | 59% |
| 26 | Jeep | 2 | 58% |
| 27 | Nissan | 2 | 55% |
| 28 | Volkswagen | 2 | 51% |
| 29 | Infiniti | 1 | 42% |
The result of the American satisfaction survey | Photo: © Consumer Reports
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