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Tesla and Lexus lead the luxury car segment in the US, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI®) Automobile Study 2022-23. Tesla has increased the overall satisfaction of its customers, while Lexus has decreased.

According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI®) Automobile Study 2022-23, after last year's downturn, overall customer satisfaction with cars has increased. Luxury cars continue to outpace their mass-market counterparts, but the gap is closing. Satisfaction with mass-market cars rose by 3% to 79 points, while luxury cars rose by only 1% to 81 points.

“Satisfaction with the auto industry as a whole has fully rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, and consumer demand is strong despite rising interest rates,” says Forrest Morgeson, Associate Professor of Marketing at Michigan State University and Director of Research Emeritus at the ACSI. “The supply chain kinks that slowed production during the pandemic are starting to wane, and more cars are back in stock. Nearly every aspect of the driver experience — including driving performance, safety, dependability, gas mileage, and warranties — is better. And, despite higher prices, value perceptions have improved as well. These factors bode well for automakers — and their sales figures — in the second half of 2023.”

Toyota leads the mass market after rising 5% to 84 on the ACSI scale. The study found that about 35% of American car buyers are considering purchasing Toyota products—more than any other car brand on the market. Last year's leader, Subaru, climbed 3% to second with a score of 82. Honda (up 5%) and Mazda (up 3%) are not far behind with scores of 81 and 80, respectively. While some are rising, others are falling. Nissan fell 1% to 76, Volkswagen fell 3% to 75, and Jeep (down 3%) and Ram (down 5%) fell to 74. The last place belongs to Chrysler, which fell 1% to 71 on ACSI.

Tesla caught up with Lexus and also took the lead in the luxury car segment. After falling 1% to 83, Lexus is now tied for first place with Tesla. Tesla is up 4% over the past year. They are followed by Cadillac, which is up 3% to 82. Audi (down 2%), BMW (up 4%) and Mercedes-Benz (up 1%) scored 80 points.

The study showed that more and more young buyers are choosing luxury cars. They are far more satisfied than younger buyers who buy or rent mass-market cars. For these young buyers, technology is the driving force. In this area, luxury cars live up to expectations.

The ACSI Automobile Study 2022-2023 is based on interviews with 8,941 customers, chosen at random and contacted via email between July 2022 and June 2023.

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