According to the latest American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) study, consumer satisfaction with automobiles is declining. Mainstream brands held steady at an average of 79, while luxury brands dropped 1 point from 2024 to 80.
As car prices rise, data suggests luxury buyers are becoming more price-sensitive. Therefore, in the current economic climate, competitiveness in both quality and value will be crucial for retaining and satisfying customers.
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Subaru Forester in the US. Photo: Subaru |
Subaru Forester in the US. Photo: Subaru
Most customer experience benchmarks remained unchanged this year. Driving performance remained high, followed by dependability, mobile app quality, and safety, each scoring 83. Safety was one of three scores to drop 1%, along with exterior at 82 and technology at 79.
ACSI introduced two new metrics for the survey, and they are the lowest-scoring aspects: driving range on a full tank or charge at 74 and future resale or trade-in value at 72.
10 most satisfying mainstream car brands for American customers:
| Brand | ACSI Score |
| Subaru | 85 |
| Mazda | 82 |
| Toyota | 82 |
| Buick | 81 |
| GMC | 81 |
| Honda | 81 |
| Hyundai | 80 |
| Chevrolet | 79 |
| Ford | 78 |
| Nissan | 78 |
Subaru earned the highest satisfaction score among mainstream brands with 85 points. The company's continued success stems from its reputation for safety and reliability. Sales have grown strongly in recent years, and that momentum may continue in 2025 with products like the redesigned Forester, a more powerful Crosstrek engine, and new trim options for the Ascent and Outback.
Lexus grew 6% to lead the luxury segment with an ACSI score of 87, surpassing last year's leaders Mercedes (down 1% to 82) and Tesla (down 2% to 81).
Most satisfying luxury car brands for American customers:
| Brand | ACSI Score |
| Lexus | 87 |
| Mercedes | 82 |
| Cadillac | 81 |
| Tesla | 81 |
| Acura | 78 |
| Audi | 77 |
| BMW | 75 |
Lexus is finding success with hybrid drivers, as hybrid sales helped the brand achieve its best first-quarter sales in the US in 2025. According to year-end 2024 data, five Lexus models ranked among the 15 most popular luxury hybrids, including the segment-leading Lexus RX, with the NX and ES both in the top 5.
The brand's electric vehicle sales also increased by more than 13% year-over-year in Q1/2025. Satisfaction with Audi dropped 4% to 77, while BMW ranked last among luxury brands, down 5% to 75.
Similar to the mass market, no luxury customer experience benchmark improved. Driving performance and mobile app quality scored the highest at 84 (down 1% and 2% respectively). Comfort (unchanged), mobile app dependability (down 2%), and website satisfaction (down 1%) all scored 83. Technology scores fell 4% to 80, perhaps indicating shifting consumer expectations.
While the share of light vehicles in the US that are hybrid or electric increased from about 18% in Q1/2024 to about 22% in Q1 of this year, driver satisfaction is lower this year. Hybrid satisfaction dropped 2% to 80; electric vehicles fell 5% to 73. Vehicles with internal combustion engines scored the same as hybrids.
Among mainstream vehicles, customers were equally satisfied with gas and hybrid vehicles (80 points), and electric vehicles were lower, at only 68 points. Satisfaction declined across all luxury vehicle types, but hybrids (83 points) still outperformed both gas (80 points) and electric vehicles (78 points).
The 2025 ACSI study is based on 9,949 completed surveys. Customers were randomly selected and contacted via email from July 2024 to June 2025.
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