Americans who keep luxury vehicles in their garages are less satisfied with the experience, according to a new customer satisfaction survey. In 2025, 2024 and 2023, luxury car brands are expected to top the list when it comes to customer satisfaction compared to their mass market counterparts. This year was different, the 2026 American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) study found a 3% decline in overall luxury satisfaction, compared to a 1% decline for mass market nameplates.
The changing of the guard this year is enough to tie things between premium brands and high-volume mass-market badges at 78 on the index’s scale, which is rated from one to 100. Several high-end badges dropped their year-over-year scores in the 2026 ACSI study, including Lexus and Cadillac.
Interestingly, the decline in satisfaction rates has left the auto industry lagging behind some unexpected market parameters. The total score of 78 means that consumer satisfaction with automobiles is one point lower than the cell phone market, fast-food establishments, and vacuum cleaners. At least cars outnumbered airlines, which landed at 76. It’s a very real possibility that your worst experiences on a budget airline are more severe than your luxury car troubles. Either way, this year’s decline in ACSI satisfaction for the luxury segment is a bit disappointing.
Owner satisfaction survey is bad news for big luxury brands
Last year, Lexus held the top luxury spot with a score of 87 out of 100, establishing a commanding lead over Mercedes-Benz’s 82. Since 2025, Lexus has dropped by a massive 10% to 78, leaving it third behind Mercedes-Benz and Audi, which had scores of 81 and 80 respectively.
Although Lexus’ satisfaction scores dropped by 10%, the brand’s parent company, Toyota, managed to gain one percentage point in 2026. Buick, another General Motors automaker, along with Cadillac, were the biggest losers with 16%. Luxury brands like Lexus also performed far better than competitors like Cadillac. No one built luxury land yachts like Cadillac during decades like the 1970s, but fans of the brand aren’t so enamored these days. Cadillac dropped its customer satisfaction score by 15% from 2025 to 2026, dropping it to last place at 69 out of 100.
Audi and BMW enjoyed slight increases in overall satisfaction, 4% and 1% respectively, but Tesla didn’t fare so well. The EV maker projected a 4% decline in 2026, putting it in fourth place with a score of 78, ahead of BMW, Lincoln, Acura, Infiniti and Cadillac. Of course, Elon Musk and company damaged some of the brand’s reputation in the luxury car market by eliminating two of its original flagships, the Model S and Model X, to make room for the robot. In terms of individual customer experience metrics, the luxury segment falters in every category, from fuel economy to mobile app quality. Even overall comfort falls 1% from 2025 to 2026.
