Survey: Lexus Is Tops In Customer Satisfaction, Fiat Brings Up The Rear

Every few days, it seems like there's another survey about automobiles and how satisfied (or dissatisfied) we are with them. This week's study was carried out by American Customer Satisfaction Index, and it's called the ACSI Automobile Report 2015.

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To gather its data, ACSI  polled 4,294 recent car buyers between April 22 and June 5, 2015. Those people were asked to rate their satisfaction with their new vehicles on a scale of 0 (utterly dissatisfied) to 100 (couldn't be happier). 

ACSI's top performer was Lexus, earning an average score of 84. Acura, Lincoln, and Mercedes-Benz tied for second place, with scores of 83. Subaru, Toyota, and BMW came in third, each averaging 82 points.

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The other end of the scale was dominated by Fiat Chrysler brands. Fiat itself was the survey's worst performer, with a score of 73. It was kept company by Chrysler and Jeep, which earned scores of 74 and 75, respectively. MINI and Dodge tied at 76 points apiece. (You can see how your favorite brand scored here.)

BAD NEWS & WORSE

The bad news is, Americans are increasingly dissatisfied with their vehicles. ACSI's average satisfaction score for 2015 was 79, which was 3.7 percent below last year's average of 82, and a low that has only been surpassed once in ASCI's history, in 1999. ASCI believes that the poor poll numbers for 2015 may be tied to the recent rash of auto recalls in the U.S., which have made consumers more wary of their vehicles. High sticker prices haven't helped matters.

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The worse news -- at least for FCA, Ford, and GM fans -- is that satisfaction continues to run lowest among those who own vehicles from Detroit (although European brands don't fare much better). FCA brands owned the bottom rungs of ASCI's 2015 survey. Ford squeaked in at the industry average of 79, but it was still off 2.5 percent from last year. General Motors' Buick and Cadillac brands poked their heads slightly above water with 80 points each, but honestly, Lincoln was the only domestic success story, with 83 points.

As you can see from the chart above, satisfaction with Asian brands has fallen, too, but those marques have clung to slightly higher ratings than their competitors. Though Lexus landed at the top of this year's heap, Acura nabbed the medal for "most improved", with a score 7.8 percent above 2014.

How would you rate your ride of choice? Whether you've recently purchased a new vehicle or you drive the same car you've had for a decade, let us know your thoughts in the comments below.