Electric automaker Rivian makes a tiny lineup of just two vehicles but has the happiest owners of any car company, according to Consumer Reports.
“This year, the EV automaker Rivian, with its R1S and R1T, takes Tesla’s former perch at the top of our brand satisfaction list,” CR explains.
Tesla still did well in the survey, placing fifth. “The biggest move up the list came from Mini, which jumped 11 spots to number 2,” CR reports.
CR’s Unique Approach
Consumer Reports takes a unique approach to studying cars, which can make its results stand out from other studies.
The publication doesn’t try to build a representative sample of cars or buyers. It surveys its subscribers.
This year, CR surveyed more than 330,000 subscribers, averaging data from model years 2021 through 2023, “plus a few 2024 models,” it says.
Related: Consumer Reports Lists 10 Most Reliable Cars
That method has strengths – it gives CR a solid picture of the reliability of the cars its members tend to buy. But it also has weaknesses – it limits CR’s picture to the cars its members tend to buy. Not everyone would pay a subscription fee for access to lists of reliable products. CR readers are a subset of the population, filtered to find the pickiest.
It’s also worth noting that the method rewards automakers that make fewer cars. Chevrolet, for instance, builds a lineup of many vehicles as varied as the sub-$25,000 Trax subcompact SUV and the six-figure mid-engine high-performance Corvette Z06. It’s probably easier for Rivian to build just two things well.
Brands with a strong, limited identity, like Mini (builder of small cars with great handling), may have an advantage over larger brands like Toyota that aim to be all things to all buyers.
Related: Consumer Reports Lists Ten Least Reliable Cars for 2024
“But a handful of manufacturers consistently please buyers across all or most of their lineups,” CR notes. That makes the appearance of mainstream manufacturers like Honda and Subaru in the top half of the list particularly impressive.
2024 Consumer Reports Satisfaction Scores By Brand
| Rank | Brand | Satisfaction Score (1-5 scale) | Owners that would buy again |
| 1 | Rivian | 5 | 86% |
| 2 | Mini | 4 | 77% |
| 3 | BMW | 4 | 76% |
| 4 | Porsche | 4 | 76% |
| 5 | Tesla | 4 | 74% |
| 6 | Genesis | 4 | 73% |
| 7 | Lexus | 4 | 73% |
| 8 | Subaru | 3 | 70% |
| 9 | Ram | 3 | 69% |
| 10 | Honda | 3 | 69% |
| 11 | Chevrolet | 3 | 69% |
| 12 | Toyota | 3 | 69% |
| 13 | Hyundai | 3 | 68% |
| 14 | Acura | 3 | 68% |
| 15 | Ford | 3 | 67% |
| 16 | GMC | 3 | 67% |
| 17 | Mazda | 3 | 66% |
| 18 | Volvo | 3 | 66% |
| 19 | Lincoln | 3 | 65% |
| 20 | Buick | 3 | 64% |
| 21 | Kia | 3 | 63% |
| 22 | Cadillac | 3 | 61% |
| 23 | Chrysler | 2 | 60% |
| 24 | Mercedes-Benz | 2 | 59% |
| 25 | Audi | 2 | 59% |
| 26 | Jeep | 2 | 58% |
| 27 | Nissan | 2 | 55% |
| 28 | Volkswagen | 2 | 51% |
| 29 | Infiniti | 1 | 42% |
Cox Automotive, the parent company of Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader, is a minority investor in Rivian.
