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The Least And Most Liked Car Brands - Subaru Scores Top 5 In Owner Satisfaction

A new study from Consumer Reports reveals the least and most liked car brands. Subaru outscores its Japanese rivals Toyota and Honda.

How satisfied are owners of Subaru vehicles like the 2022 Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, and other new models? The updated study from Consumer Reports (by subscription) ranks the least liked and the most like car brands. Similar to last year’s rankings, Subaru outscores all of its Japanese rivals, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and Mazda.

Consumer Reports uses the results from owner surveys to come up with its scores. One scoring category is determined based on asking owners “would you buy this car again if given the chance?” Other key categories include driving dynamics, interior comfort, resale value, in-car-electronics, and cabin roominess scores.

2022 Subaru Forester, 2022 Subaru Crosstrek, 2022 Subaru Outback
photo credit: Adventure Subaru

CR says owner satisfaction is just one factor in its overall score for each tested model they rate. Models and brands are also rated for safety, reliability, and road-test scores.

What are the most liked car brands?

Here are the top ten most like brands from the latest CR report. Tesla ranks number one with a score of 88, Lincoln (79), Ram (76), Chrysler (76), Subaru (75), Hyundai (75), Porsche (74), Dodge (74), Mazda (72), and Toyota 71).

2022 Subaru Forester, 2022 Subaru Crosstrek, 2022 Subaru Outback
photo credit: Alison Subaru

What are Subaru’s strengths and areas to improve?

In owner satisfaction scores, Subaru scores well in driving (4/5), comfort (4/5), cabin storage (3/5), and value (3/5). Where can Subaru improve? Subaru owner satisfaction for in-car electronics scores a 1/5. In-car electronics refers to the ease of using infotainment systems and Bluetooth.

What are the least liked car brands?

The bottom dwellers and six least-liked car brands are Chevrolet (65), Mercedes-Benz (64), Buick (61), Cadillac (59), Nissan (58), and Infiniti (48).

The rankings are all owner-based from the Consumer Reports satisfaction surveys. CR says the least satisfying models or brands aren’t necessarily the worst on the market. Instead, they didn’t match the customers’ expectations.

How is Subaru doing during a challenging year with the COVID pandemic and microchip shortages? Subaru delivers a positive resale online digital experience and good customer service during and after the sale. Subaru is also managing the inventory shortage well and not overpricing its new Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, and other models. Check out the complete report here.

The Consumer Reports study says new Subaru models like the 2022 Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, and other new models are well-liked by their owners. Subaru is the number five most-liked car brand and outscores top rivals Toyota and Honda.

You can check out the complete 2022 Subaru model guide at the link below.

You Might Also Like: The Complete 2022 Subaru Model Preview and Guide - 3 Next-Generation Models And A New EV

Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role working with every major car brand. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Check out Subaru Report where he covers all of the Japanese automaker's models. More stories can be found on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Photo credit: main image Alison Subaru

Comments

All (not verified)    February 5, 2022 - 6:11PM

I used to be a huge Subaru fan. I bought a 2012 Impreza and it developed the infamous oil burning issue, the dealership dogged us and would not fix it even though it was an extended warranty issue. Before that issue cropped up, we bought a 2015 Forester XT and now we find out those have a ring land problem in the engine. The boxer engine is famous for having problems with head gaskets going and of course there's 2 of them so that's double the cost. We are done with Subaru and will never be back.