Click to enlarge.
The U.S. automobile market is selling the highest number of vehicles sold in five years. However, given the ongoing Trump Tariff chaos, prices will be rising and lower-priced models are now an endangered species. Thus, affordability has reemerged as a crucial issue. There are risks with drivers operating under various scenarios that mean longer periods of larger payments or hanging onto older vehicles well past their warranties. According to the latest American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI®) Automobile Study 2025,* overall driver satisfaction slipped 1% to a score of 79 (on a 100-point scale). The luxury segment dropped 1% to 80, while the mass-market segment is unchanged at 79. Smaller brands (both mass market and luxury) that comprise the “all others” measure slide 9% to 74.**
“Automakers are navigating a market where innovation and practicality collide,” said Forrest Morgeson, Associate Professor of Marketing at Michigan State University and Director of Research Emeritus at the ACSI. “Customers expect advanced technology and efficiency, but they’re also scrutinizing every dollar spent. The brands that thrive will be those that can deliver meaningful improvements without losing sight of what matters most to drivers right now.”
ACSI Automobile Study 2025 Observations*
- After tying for first place last year, Subaru (up 2%) and Toyota (down 1%) move in different directions in 2025.
- Subaru now leads with an ACSI score of 85, while Mazda (up 1%) has pulled into a second-place tie with Toyota at 82.
- Three nameplates are close behind at 81: Buick (up 1%), GMC (up 3%), and Honda (down 1%).
“Subaru continues its success by leaning into a reputation for safety and dependability. It has enjoyed strong sales growth in recent years, which could carry over into 2025 with offerings like a redesigned Forester, the availability of a more powerful Crosstrek engine, and new trim options for the Ascent and Outback,” ACSI said
- Hyundai improves 3% this year, climbing to a score of 80.
- Stellantis nameplates, Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler, and Ram all slip.
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“Most customer experience metrics were unchanged this year. Driving performance remains high at 84, followed by dependability, mobile app quality, and vehicle safety at 83 each. Vehicle safety is one of the three scores that decline 1%, along with exterior at 82 and technology at 79.
“ACSI introduces two new metrics to the survey, and they are the lowest-scoring aspects: driving distance on a full charge or tank of gas at 74 and expected future resale or trade-in value at 72. For mass-market customers, hybrid customers give the highest ratings on both metrics. Driving range scores vary from 77 for hybrids, to 74 for gas, and 64 for electric vehicles (EVs). Resale value scores are somewhat closer at 73 for hybrids, 72 for gas, and 63 for EVs,” ACSI said.
Luxury Competitors
- Lexus surges 6% to the top spot in the luxury segment with an ACSI score of 87.
- Last year’s co-leaders Mercedes-Benz (down 1% to 82) and Tesla (down 2% to 81).
- Mercedes-Benz now holds the second spot.
- Tesla and Cadillac (down 1%) tied for third.
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“Lexus is finding success with hybrid customers, as hybrid sales have helped propel the brand to its best ever first-quarter sales in the U.S. for 2025. Five Lexus models were among the top 15 most popular luxury hybrids, according to late 2024 data, including the Lexus RX as the clear market-share leader, with the Lexus NX and Lexus ES both ranking in the top five. The brand’s electrified sales were also up over 13% year over year in Q1 2025,” ACSI said.
- Driver satisfaction for Audi is down 4% to 77.
- BMW finishes last in luxury, -5% to an ACSI score of 75.
“Like mass market, no luxury customer experience benchmarks improve. Driving performance and mobile app quality score the highest at 84 (down 1% and 2%, respectively). Comfort (unchanged), mobile app reliability (down 2%), and website satisfaction (down 1%) are all at 83. The technology score drops 4% to 80, which may indicate shifting consumer expectations,” ACSI said.
“The two new metrics are also the lowest-scoring aspects of the luxury driver experience. Driving distance on a full charge or tank and expected future resale or trade-in value both debut at 73.
- According to ACSI fuel source data for the luxury segment, hybrid vehicles score highest on the new driving distance and resale value metrics, but the gap is smaller compared to the mass market. Driving distance scores vary from 76 for hybrids, to 74 for gas, and 71 for EVs.
- Resale value scores are 77 for hybrids, 73 for gas, and 70 for EVs. This spread of 7 points is smaller than the mass market’s 10 points.
- Gas and hybrid are neck and neck in tight race for fuel source supremacy.
“While the share of U.S. light-duty vehicles that are hybrid or electric is up from about 18% in Q1 2024 to ~22% in Q1 2025, driver satisfaction is lower this year. Satisfaction with hybrids retreats 2% to 80; it drops 5% to 73 for EVs. While unchanged, gas vehicles score the same as hybrids,” ACSI said.
- Among mass-market vehicles, customers are just as satisfied with gas and hybrid vehicles (80 apiece) and less so with EVs, which dips to 68.
- Satisfaction slides across all luxury vehicles, but hybrid (83) still outpaces both gas (80) and EVs (78).
The ACSI Automobile Study 2025 is based on 9949 completed surveys. Customers were chosen at random and contacted via email between July 2024 and June 2025.
*About ACSI
The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI®) has been a national economic indicator for more than 25 years. It measures and analyzes customer satisfaction with about 400 companies in about 40 industries and 10 economic sectors, including various services of federal and local government agencies. Reported on a scale of 0 to 100, scores are based on data from interviews with roughly 200,000 customers annually. For more information, visit www.theacsi.org. ACSI and its logo are Registered Marks of American Customer Satisfaction Index LLC
**AutoInformed on
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
ACSI – Customer Satisfaction with Autos Dropping
Click to enlarge.
The U.S. automobile market is selling the highest number of vehicles sold in five years. However, given the ongoing Trump Tariff chaos, prices will be rising and lower-priced models are now an endangered species. Thus, affordability has reemerged as a crucial issue. There are risks with drivers operating under various scenarios that mean longer periods of larger payments or hanging onto older vehicles well past their warranties. According to the latest American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI®) Automobile Study 2025,* overall driver satisfaction slipped 1% to a score of 79 (on a 100-point scale). The luxury segment dropped 1% to 80, while the mass-market segment is unchanged at 79. Smaller brands (both mass market and luxury) that comprise the “all others” measure slide 9% to 74.**
“Automakers are navigating a market where innovation and practicality collide,” said Forrest Morgeson, Associate Professor of Marketing at Michigan State University and Director of Research Emeritus at the ACSI. “Customers expect advanced technology and efficiency, but they’re also scrutinizing every dollar spent. The brands that thrive will be those that can deliver meaningful improvements without losing sight of what matters most to drivers right now.”
ACSI Automobile Study 2025 Observations*
“Subaru continues its success by leaning into a reputation for safety and dependability. It has enjoyed strong sales growth in recent years, which could carry over into 2025 with offerings like a redesigned Forester, the availability of a more powerful Crosstrek engine, and new trim options for the Ascent and Outback,” ACSI said
Click to enlarge.
“Most customer experience metrics were unchanged this year. Driving performance remains high at 84, followed by dependability, mobile app quality, and vehicle safety at 83 each. Vehicle safety is one of the three scores that decline 1%, along with exterior at 82 and technology at 79.
“ACSI introduces two new metrics to the survey, and they are the lowest-scoring aspects: driving distance on a full charge or tank of gas at 74 and expected future resale or trade-in value at 72. For mass-market customers, hybrid customers give the highest ratings on both metrics. Driving range scores vary from 77 for hybrids, to 74 for gas, and 64 for electric vehicles (EVs). Resale value scores are somewhat closer at 73 for hybrids, 72 for gas, and 63 for EVs,” ACSI said.
Luxury Competitors
Click to enlarge.
“Lexus is finding success with hybrid customers, as hybrid sales have helped propel the brand to its best ever first-quarter sales in the U.S. for 2025. Five Lexus models were among the top 15 most popular luxury hybrids, according to late 2024 data, including the Lexus RX as the clear market-share leader, with the Lexus NX and Lexus ES both ranking in the top five. The brand’s electrified sales were also up over 13% year over year in Q1 2025,” ACSI said.
“Like mass market, no luxury customer experience benchmarks improve. Driving performance and mobile app quality score the highest at 84 (down 1% and 2%, respectively). Comfort (unchanged), mobile app reliability (down 2%), and website satisfaction (down 1%) are all at 83. The technology score drops 4% to 80, which may indicate shifting consumer expectations,” ACSI said.
“The two new metrics are also the lowest-scoring aspects of the luxury driver experience. Driving distance on a full charge or tank and expected future resale or trade-in value both debut at 73.
“While the share of U.S. light-duty vehicles that are hybrid or electric is up from about 18% in Q1 2024 to ~22% in Q1 2025, driver satisfaction is lower this year. Satisfaction with hybrids retreats 2% to 80; it drops 5% to 73 for EVs. While unchanged, gas vehicles score the same as hybrids,” ACSI said.
The ACSI Automobile Study 2025 is based on 9949 completed surveys. Customers were chosen at random and contacted via email between July 2024 and June 2025.
*About ACSI
The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI®) has been a national economic indicator for more than 25 years. It measures and analyzes customer satisfaction with about 400 companies in about 40 industries and 10 economic sectors, including various services of federal and local government agencies. Reported on a scale of 0 to 100, scores are based on data from interviews with roughly 200,000 customers annually. For more information, visit www.theacsi.org. ACSI and its logo are Registered Marks of American Customer Satisfaction Index LLC
**AutoInformed on
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.