Car shoppers have more choices than a year ago. The average new car price is falling. And Americans are happier with the car shopping experience than a year ago.
Some things aren’t hard to understand.
J.D. Power’s Sales Satisfaction Index examines the experience of buying a new car from the customer’s perspective. Last year, the cumulative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and a worldwide microchip shortage restricted the supply of new vehicles and drove prices higher. People don’t like overpaying, so shopper satisfaction cratered.
This year, it’s improving. “Overall customer satisfaction with the vehicle purchase experience increases to 793 (on a 1,000-point scale) from 786 a year ago,” J.D. Power says.
We’d love to tell you car dealerships are growing more pleasant to deal with. But, customer satisfaction may be partly out of the dealer’s control. “Vehicle buyers are more satisfied with the inventory choices they now see in dealerships across the country—more than in the past three years. Increased inventory also means fewer buyers are paying more than the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) for their new vehicle,” explains Chris Sutton, vice president of automotive retail at J.D. Power.
Fifteen percent of mass-market buyers paid over MSRP, researchers say. Last year, 25% did. Ten percent of luxury shoppers paid over sticker – down from 19% in 2022.
EV Shoppers Still Have It Rough
Electric vehicle (EV) sales are up nearly 50% from a year ago. But shopping for an EV remains frustrating for many.
Those shopping for an affordable car with a gasoline engine gave their shopping experience an average rating of 848 out of 1,000. Those shopping for an EV from an affordable car brand rated their experience at just 790.
The same pattern showed among luxury shoppers, with luxury dealerships scoring 866 when selling internal-combustion-powered cars and 831 on EVs.
Shoppers said salespeople knew less about the EVs they were selling than about gas-powered cars.
The dealership industry could improve those scores with a bit of training. “More than 30% of EV buyers say they would like additional information on their vehicle’s maintenance schedule, and 7% say they would like additional assistance on setting up their home charging,” researchers wrote. More than 11% said they could have used simple instructions on how to charge.
Porsche and Buick Dealers Score Highest With Shoppers
If you want a pleasant dealership experience, buy a Porsche or a Buick. Porsche took the top spot among premium brands. Alfa Romeo, last year’s winner, took third.
Buick repeated as the winner among mass-market dealers, though General Motors will be disappointed to hear that J.D. Power thinks of it as less than a premium brand.
J.D. Power Sales Satisfaction Index Among Premium Brands
| Brand | Score (out of 1,000 points) |
| Porsche | 840 |
| Infiniti | 832 |
| Alfa Romeo | 824 |
| Lincoln | 820 |
| Volvo | 820 |
| Jaguar | 818 |
| Cadillac | 817 |
| Mercedes-Benz | 816 |
| Land Rover | 815 |
| Acura | 814 |
| BMW | 813 |
| Segment Average | 813 |
| Lexus | 808 |
| Audi | 807 |
| Genesis | 756 |
J.D. Power Sales Satisfaction Index Among Mass-Market Brands
| Brand | Score (out of 1,000 points) |
| Buick | 824 |
| GMC | 821 |
| Chevrolet | 812 |
| Mitsubishi | 812 |
| Subaru | 808 |
| Jeep | 805 |
| Dodge | 802 |
| Mini | 802 |
| Nissan | 799 |
| Ford | 794 |
| Mazda | 793 |
| Ram | 792 |
| Volkswagen | 792 |
| Segment Average | 790 |
| Hyundai | 779 |
| Chrysler | 773 |
| Toyota | 773 |
| Honda | 771 |
| Kia | 766 |
