Would You Buy Your Car Again?

Chevy Volt repeats as the top model in owner satisfaction

Here’s a hot tip

If you want a car that you can really get excited about, choose one that gives you great fuel economy, a fun driving experience, and/or luxurious surroundings. That’s the clear message from our latest owner-satisfaction survey, in which all of the 10 highest-scoring models feature one or more of those traits.

Chevrolet corvette

That list includes the top-scoring Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric car, which gets the equivalent of 99 mpg when running on electric power, can go gas-free for about 35 miles, and earned the highest tally for the second straight year.

Among the 44 models that achieved our top owner-satisfaction rating, 10 were fuel-efficient vehicles, including hybrids, diesels, and electric cars. Another 10 were purebred sports cars. And 13 were luxury or upscale models, with most of them delivering sporty handling, strong engine performance, or both.

Chevrolet Volt

Our annual owner-satisfaction survey, conducted by the Consumer reports National Research Center, asks subscribers a single, revealing question: considering all factors (price, performance, reliability, comfort, enjoyments, etc.), would they get their same vehicle if they had it to do all over again? This year, we received responses on about 350,000 vehicles and more than 240 models, spanning the 2010 through 2013 model years. A model’s score is based on the percentage of respondents who answered “definitely yes”. And to earn our top rating, a model needs to have at least 80 percent of owners say they would definitely get it again.

The Volt’s 92 score edged out the Chevrolet Corvette and Porsche 911 sports cars by 1 point. When the Volt achieved the top score last year, it had only been in showrooms for a few months and was being grabbed up by enthusiastic early adopters. So we were curious to see whether it could hold on to that high level of loyalty. Despite some bad publicity over the past year, including reports of battery fires, this year’s survey shows that the Volt’s high satisfaction score is no fluke.

Porsche 911

Other fuel efficient models that scored among the best were Toyota’s Camry Hybrid, Prius, and Prius C, and the all-electric Nissan Leaf. Fuel-efficient models also account for the highest-scoring models in the small-and family – car categories.

The fun and luxury factors also generate a lot of enthusiasm among owners. Among the top 10 scorers, four are sports cars, including the Corvette, 911, Dodge Challenger, and Ford Mustang. Another four are luxury cars that deliver sporty handling (Audi A7, Lexus GS, and Audi A6) or have a powerful V8 engine (Dodge Charger).

SUVs and crossovers tend to score lower as a group. Only five earned our best rating: the Subaru Outback, Mazda CX-5, V8-powered Jeep Grand Cherokee, Dodge Durango, and Porsche Cayenne. Three of the five pickup models that earned the highest rating are turbo diesel-powered, three-quarter-ton models: the Chevrolet Silverado 2500, GMC Sierra 2500, and Ford F-250. The other two are the Chevrolet Avalanche and Ford F-150 with an EcoBoost engine.

Another new model to earn a top rating is the small Fiat 500 Convertible, which has an appealing, well, cute factor.

At the other extreme, the redesigned subcompact Nissan Versa Sedan came in with the lowest score in our survey, with fewer than half of its owners saying they would definitely buy it again. Other low scorers include the V6 versions of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pick-ups, and the Nissan Amada, Suzuki SX4 and Mitsubishi Outlander SUVs.

Another new model to earn a top rating is the small Fiat 500 Convertible, which has an appealing, well, cute factor.

Brand nationality doesn’t’ seem to have a strong effect on owner satisfaction: the 44 top-rated models include 16 American, 14 Asian, and 14 European vehicles.

Bottom line.

Of course, owner satisfaction shouldn’t be the only thing you consider. Based on our road-test results and reliability-survey data, we’d suggest the following. If you want a great all-around sedan with excellent fuel economy, the 38-mpg Toyota Camry Hybrid is hard to beat. For an efficient economy car, the Honda Fit trumps all.

If you want a great all-around sedan with excellent fuel economy, the 38-mpg Toyota Camry Hybrid is hard to beat.

Among affordable fun-to-drive sports cars, the Mazda MX-5 Miata leads its class. And for a spirited luxury sedan, we suggest the Audi A6 or the less-expensive Infiniti G37. But for a car that provides the best balance of all three factors, we’d pick the BMW 328i, which is fun to drive and well finished, and gets a glass-leading 28 mpg overall.

Owners speak out: The best and worst models

The charts below show the most and least satisfying cars in the major vehicle categories. Models are ranked by their owner-satisfaction score, which is based on responses from owners of 2010 to 2013 models. Scores are based on three years of survey data, when available; models with fewer years of data are indicated with an asterisk. Worst models are shown in the tinted areas.

Small cars

Family cars

Upscale cars

Luxury cars

Wagons & Minivans

Coupes & Conventicles

Large & Luxury SUVs

Midsized SUVs

Small SUVs

*Models with fewer than three years of data