Owning a car is a long term commitment with many years of payments. That’s why it can be fun to see if you still like the vehicle after a few years. You can’t ask yourself that question in the future, but you can do the next best thing by asking other people’s opinions. That’s where the Consumer Reports automated survey of members comes in handy.
Consumer Reports polled its members about their vehicles, specifically asking if they would buy the same car again. That information provides clear data points about owner satisfaction and is used to compile an annual list of the 10 most unsatisfactory cars. This year’s results included several vehicles that scored well in road tests and reliability, as well as several vehicles of the same make.
Including the Infiniti QX50, Nissan makes the list of three vehicles. Only 40 percent of QX50 owners would buy the car again, along with 49 percent of Kicks owners and 51 percent of Altima owners. Consumer Reports recommends all three of these vehicles but notes that they rank below average in terms of owner satisfaction.
Kia owners don’t like Forte or Seltos. Forte was rated higher with a 51 percent satisfaction rating, while Seltos received a 48 percent rating. Seltos received a recommended rating, but Forte scored too low in the other categories to earn a black tick in his name.
Both Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen have two vehicles on the list. For Mercedes-Benz, 45 percent of GLA owners and 39 percent of GLB owners like their cars. Similarly, 48 percent of Volkswagen Taos owners and 38 percent of people who bought an Atlas Cross Sport said they would buy an SUV again.
Another vehicle on the list is the Jeep Compass. Only 46 percent of owners felt the small Jeep crossover lived up to their expectations. Consumer Reports doesn’t have current test data for the Compass, but shows that it scores below average for reliability and owner satisfaction.
There are many reasons why a vehicle may or may not live up to its owner’s expectations. But the question, “Would you buy it again?” get to the heart of the reason and provide support or criticism of the vehicle ownership experience.
