Does A NUMBER ONE In Customer Satisfaction Matter AT ALL In Your Decision To Purchase A Vehicle?

You see the ads and articles all over the place.

WE are now ranked NUMBER ONE in customer satisfaction.
WE are now ranked NUMBER ONE in customer satisfaction for the one billionth year in a row!

And the photos with the trophies and logos are plastered all over the ads and at the dealership.

BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.

The question is in 2012 does that ranking even matter anymore?

Maybe in the 80's when a Jaguar or Big 3 experience proved to be just miserable did this award truly mean something.

But nowadays ALL cars are made pretty well becuase if they're not, it's game over.

So, does being number one in customer satisfaction mean anything or sway your decision one way or the other when you're looking for ca vehicle?

And do you believe it is an award that is EARNED or can be bought with marketing dollars?

Maulvader - 3/18/2012 12:16:39 AM

+3 Boost

Since nowadays ALL cars are made pretty well as you correctly point out, being number one now is even more difficult than in th epast. Therefore I have to say yes. To me it does matter.

enthusiastx11 - 3/18/2012 12:58:29 PM

-1 Boost

huh? i agree that ALL cars today are made incredibly well. so now that the difference between #1 and #27 has become tiny, it matters MORE to you? logic would say that this issue is now IRRELEVANT.

MeanVulcan - 3/19/2012 10:31:57 AM

0 Boost

that is an ilogical conclusion. If most carmakers are making good quality cars, then they all must be scoring well, which means the difference between them is more and more irrelevant.

Maybe 10 years ago it would have impacted my decision (slightly), but today, it is absolutely MEANINGLESS (at least for the cars that I shop for).

Maulvader - 3/19/2012 7:00:18 PM

+2 Boost

First of all, I didn't say it matters MORE to me, only that it matters. Secondly, I was careful to include "to me" in there since personal preferences vary.

I know what you're saying but on the flip side, if the differences were really that small, you wouldn't have the same companies topping the list year after year. If I went to the dealer without any preference for a particular brand, I would choose #1 in Customer Satisfaction over whatever is not #1.

WorldofLuxury - 3/18/2012 1:56:33 AM

+5 Boost

It's also why I'm a Lexus fan and why I'm so proud to be a Lexus fan.

enthusiastx11 - 3/19/2012 3:01:20 PM

-2 Boost

you're a fan because the brand does well in an area that has essentially become irrelevant?

Agent00R - 3/18/2012 10:49:32 AM

-2 Boost

Doesn't matter to me.

Having a product that is well-rounded and is satisfying to drive is more important to me.

DuDE - 3/18/2012 12:39:26 PM

+4 Boost

So what happens when the car breaks down?

MeanVulcan - 3/19/2012 10:35:08 AM

-2 Boost

EXACTLY. Considering all top brands have excellent reliability already, the "score" is meaningless. IF a Lexus scores a 95% and a MB a 94%, who gives a cr@p! Performance, style, comfort, power, features count much more heavily than reliability.

Not surprising to read comments which lack any logic whatsoever. Then again, Obama got elected.

enthusiastx11 - 3/18/2012 12:57:04 PM

-1 Boost

no one factor make a car attractive to me. i won't compromise factors like performance and design because a brand has 0.25 problems less per year than another car. i need to enjoy the car EVERY time i get in it.

enthusiastx11 - 3/19/2012 3:03:17 PM

-2 Boost

nope. great product and design are what matter to me. just let me know which cars i should have gotten instead of a 3-series and a 5-series. and why.

Designer1 - 3/18/2012 4:59:38 PM

+2 Boost

I think cars always shared technologies, but that doesn't make them the same. They're still different in a way some are better than others and this will always hold. As the consumer report, I don't consider it, because sometimes they rank cars that don't deserve ranking. The car speaks for itself from it's history.

SSP350 - 3/18/2012 10:05:31 PM

+3 Boost

Since I lease cars pretty often.....customer satisfaction means a lot to me....

skytop - 3/21/2012 8:47:48 PM

+2 Boost

Definitely has some importance and goes into the equation of whether to purchase a certain brand. A brand near the bottom of satisfaction is there for some serious reasons. Steer clear of it.