Mercedes-Benz Tops In J.D. Power Satisfaction Survey
Another day, another customer survey. This time, it’s J.D. Power with its annual Sales Satisfaction Index Study, with those surveyed placing Mercedes-Benz at the top of the podium.
AutoGuide reports the German premium brand scored 726 out of 1,000 points as far as how pleasurable the car-buying experience turned out. Taking the gold among the mainstream brands, MINI scored 727 out of 1,000, marking the fifth straight year the BMW brand took the top spot on the podium.
Infiniti, Jaguar — last year’s top finisher — Lexus and Porsche round out the premium top five, while Buick, Chevrolet, GMC and Fiat did the same among mass-market brands.
As far as the overall car-buying experience is concerned, J.D. Power found an improvement of 12 points among mass-market brands, and a 16-point improvement among premium brands. The main factor for both sides was a knowledgeable sales representative who could understand a customer’s needs, especially with more “tech-heavy” offerings on the lot and in the showroom, per vice president of the automotive retail practice, Chris Sutton.
This year’s survey collected 29,805 responses from those who bought or leased a new vehicle between April and May of this year.
Seattle-based writer, blogger, and photographer for many a publication. Born in Louisville. Raised in Kansas. Where I lay my head is home.
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Nothing says "satisfaction" like appearing wealthier as you empty your bank account.
"...This year’s survey collected 29,805 responses from those who bought or leased a new vehicle between April and May of this year." That's strange, none of my calendars show that there's anything between April and May.
Mercedes is doing something right. I know a few Mercedes owners that never talk about their cars, but they go on and on about the dealer perks. Free espresso, valet service, airport shuttle, car washes, seats and perks at the Mercedes booth at the Auto Show... they feel like special important people and it keeps them buying cars.
Over the past seven years, my best experiences are with Porsche, Audi, Mini. I've owned (never leased) 37 different cars including 7 Benzes. The last Benz experience was to take delivery of the first CLS in a city of 200k. It wasn't bad, but the service experience was so friggin terrible, (just service, not repair) I'll not return to that dealer which also sold the BMW Z4 I purchased with similar poor experience.