Tesla had a rocky year, but owners are still extremely satisfied with their cars
Tesla is currently mired in "production hell," but owners are still extremely satisfied with their brand new all-electric vehicles.
In Consumer Reports' 2017 Annual Owner Satisfaction Survey, the popular review publication found Tesla topped the vehicle satisfaction survey -- for the third straight year.
Consumer Reports says the satisfaction score is "based on whether an owner says he or she would buy the same car again" and "measures whether a car lives up to expectations." Additionally, survey responders rate things like driving experience, comfort, and climate systems. Half a million surveys were collected.
Tesla took first place with a score of 90, followed by Porsche with 85. Other select placings: Subaru took seventh place, Toyota eighth, Ford seventeenth, and Acura dead last, at thirtieth.
Part of Tesla's and Porsche's success, noted Consumer Reports, is "that cars that meet owner expectations consistently score well. Sports cars like the Porsche 911, Chevrolet Corvette, and Mazda MX-5 Miata are hits because they deliver the driving fun that their owners were looking for."
The report took into account the luxury Tesla Model X and Model S -- both of which are high-performance, high-cost vehicles. The Model 3 -- which is Tesla's affordable class sedan (starting at around $35,000) -- was not included in the survey simply because the vehicles are just now being delivered to customers. This fall, the Model 3 hit some well-publicized production delays, and CEO Elon Musk said the company was in "production hell."
For that reason, the small quantity of Model 3s released have mostly been given to Tesla employees or relatives of employees. Even Elon Musk's own mother will have to wait her turn for a Model 3.
The latest Tesla model, then, will figure prominently in next year's satisfaction score. Customers aren't buying the Model 3 for fun and entertainment. They want a car to fulfill the everyday demands of value, safety, and battery economy.
Topics Electric Vehicles Tesla
Mark was the science editor at Mashable. After working as a ranger with the National Park Service, he started a reporting career after seeing the extraordinary value in educating people about the happenings on Earth, and beyond.
He's descended 2,500 feet into the ocean depths in search of the sixgill shark, ventured into the halls of top R&D laboratories, and interviewed some of the most fascinating scientists in the world.
