Least Satisfying Car On Sale Today Is A Mazda: Consumer Reports

You may recall a similar feature from Consumer Reports we discussed recently. The annual brand satisfaction survey had Tesla taking top honors in that study with Infiniti finishing at the bottom. Now it's time to look at satisfaction for individual models, and Tesla is once again at the top with a Japanese brand in the basement. This time it's not Infiniti in the basement, but Mazda.

Specifically, Consumer Reports says the Mazda CX-3 scored lowest on owner satisfaction for specific models. It wasn't the only Japanese brand to score low – the Nissan Kicks came second, followed by the Infiniti QX60 and QX50. Rounding out the bottom five is the Jeep Compass. On the other end, Tesla vehicle owners continue to absolutely love their cars, with the Model 3 checking in as the most satisfying. Additionally, the Model S and Model Y claim third and fourth spots. Runner-up to the Model 3 is the Kia Telluride, and Mazda redeems itself by taking fifth in the top category with the MX-5 Miata.

The survey covers cars one to three years old, and it encompasses a variety of ownership aspects including comfort, electronics, and driving. It should be noted that satisfaction scores aren't necessarily related to reliability; as mentioned in the previous Consumer Reports satisfaction survey, some brands like Tesla are known to have quality control issues yet still rank high, while other brands with strong reliability ratings like Buick can rank low.

As for the Model 3 and CX-3 specifically, Tesla scored nearly perfect on driving experience and styling. Comfort was above average, but value was only middle-of-the-road. For the Mazda, none of its scores were particularly high though driving and styling were in the upper echelon. Comfort was the lowest score, below 50 percent. Curiously, the CX-3 ranked slightly higher than the Model 3 for value.

Other vehicles in the most-satisfying category include Lincoln's handsome SUVs in the form of Aviator and Corsair. The Toyota Prius, Jeep Gladiator, and Tesla Model X complete the top-ten list. On the bottom side, the Nissan Pathfinder follows Jeep in the sixth spot with the Chevy Trax, Infiniti Q50, Ford EcoSport, and Toyota C-HR rounding out the least-liked category.

Full information on the survey and vehicle rankings is available at the source link below.