At the end of the day, owner satisfaction is the best way to tell if a particular car model is worth buying. While individual examples may vary, chances are, if thousands of people are happy with the product you want to buy, you will be happy too. Well, the reverse is also true; if thousands of people are dissatisfied with a model, chances are you too will be disappointed with that purchase. Here are Consumer Reports’ top 10.
Consumer Reports surveyed thousands of car buyers to find the least satisfying cars
surveys thousands of car owners for each model they test to determine how satisfied they are with their purchases. CR looked at their most recent survey responses to figure out which cars are the least satisfying. Thankfully there aren’t many surprises on this list.
The owners said they would buy the car again. Some reliability issues and a recall are likely to blame for the dissatisfaction.
9) 2023 Nissan Altima
- Price range: $25,290 – $34,990
- cr mpg: total 31 / city 20 / highway 45 mpg
Only 51% of owners said they would buy another one. Unlike the Forte, the Altima scored very well in CR tests. Considering its consistent reliability and good fuel economy, buyers simply don’t seem to like it.
8) 2023 Nissan Kicks
- Price range: $20,290 – $22,850
- cr mpg: total 32 / city 24 / highway 40 mpg
It has even fewer repeat buyers. Only 49% of owners said they would do that ride again. Again, reliability appears to be the cause of the low satisfaction.
7) Volkswagen Tao from 2023
- Price range: $24,155 – $34,535
- cr mpg: total 26 / city 17 / highway 39 mpg
48% of owners say they would come back for more action. The abysmal trust score is certainly to blame for this.
6) 2023 Kia Selto
- Price range: $23,140 – $28,640
- cr mpg: total 28 / city 20 / highway 35 mpg
It also achieved 48% buyer retention. This model is another example of a car that has performed well, but the owners just don’t like to drive.
5) Jeep Compass 2023
- Price Range: $29,995 – $35,745
New has not yet been rated by CR. However, the survey showed only 46% would buy again.
4) 2023 Mercedes GLA
- Price range: $37,500 – $56,650
- cr mpg: total 27 / city 17 / highway 40 mpg
It’s a little more surprising to see a Mercedes on this list, but here it is. Only 45% of owners say they would buy again. Poor reliability could be to blame.
3) 2023 Infiniti QX50
- Price range: $40,300 – $57,350
- cr mpg: total 22 / city 15 / highway 29 mpg
Only 40% of owners would buy it again. While the expected reliability isn’t great, it seems like price might be part of the sticking point with this model.
2) Mercedes GLB from 2023
- Price range: $39,800 – $51,500
- cr mpg: total 26 / city 17 / highway 38 mpg
Here is another mercenary. Only 39% of buyers switch back to this Mercedes SUV. Again, reliability isn’t great, but price and Mercedes’ high expectations might contribute to this low satisfaction.
1)Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport from 2023
- Price range: $34,460 – $51,625
- cr mpg: total 21 / city 14 / highway 30 mpg
Only 38% of owners are willing to buy another one. That makes the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas the least satisfying car on the market, according to Consumer Reports surveys.
