J.D. Power: Tesla No Longer Ranked As Top Brand for Buyer Satisfaction
Despite limiting the data available to polling organizations like J.D. Power (JDP), Tesla has long dominated owner satisfaction studies. That’s changed in the most recent J.D. Power Automotive Performance, Execution, and Layout (APEAL) study, which showed that Tesla’s string of victories has come to an end.
Legacy car brands are making inroads with buyers because they’ve listened to what they want. JDP’s senior director of automotive benchmarking, Frank Hanley, said, “They’re launching enhanced vehicles that are more in line with what customers want, including improved interior storage and higher quality materials, as well as ensuring features have ease of use. For BEVs (battery-electric vehicles), recent launches from traditional manufacturers have surpassed perennial leader Tesla when it comes to owners’ level of emotional attachment and excitement with their new vehicle.”
While legacy automakers have made an effort to meet customers’ needs, the study found that every company has struggled with infotainment satisfaction. Customers ranked the feature five points higher than in 2023, but it’s still one of the study’s lowest-scoring categories. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto remain bright spots in the category, which could complicate things for new GM EVs without the tech.
The study also found that premium brand buyers are more likely to express satisfaction with their purchase. The category ranked significantly higher than mass-market brands with consumers, and the gap has recently widened.
Porsche was the highest-ranking premium brand, followed by Jaguar and Land Rover. Mini was the top mass-market brand, with Ram in second and Kia in third. J.D. Power polled more than 99,000 2024 model-year vehicle owners between July 2023 and May 2024 to calculate its scores.
[Images: Tesla, Mini, Porsche]
Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by subscribing to our newsletter.
Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
More by Chris Teague
Comments
Join the conversation