Consumer Reports has released the results of their annual Customer Satisfaction Survey, which is a subjective measure of how happy (or not) car buyers are with their cars based on the result of some half million surveys. There was a bit of an upset at the top of the list, as the Tesla Model 3 knocked the perennial favorite Porsche 911 from the top spot of cars that bring the most joy and satisfaction to their owners.
Here’s the full list of the most-loved cars,
- Tesla Model 3
- Porsche 911
- Genesis G90
- Chevrolet Corvette
- Tesla Model S
- Toyota Avalon
- Kia Stinger
- Chevrolet Bolt
- Toyota Prius
- Dodge Challenger
And the least loved, starting with the most disappointing:
- Acura ILX
- Nissan Sentra
- Dodge Journey
- Lexus IS
- Nissan Versa Note
- Cadillac ATS
- Nissan Pathfinder
- Chevrolet Trax
- Toyota C-HR
- Jeep Renagade
hardly surprising. Model 3 buyers have “buy a Tesla” as one of their life’s goals, so why wouldn’t they be satisfied once they have one?
Jeeps fascinate me. They are the Harley Davidson of the automotive world. That is, they are objectively speaking, poorly built old designs that don’t work well in daily life. They trade on a romantic image which apparently obscures their flaws behind a mist of promised glory. In both cases there are much better alternatives available, but …. they just ain’t cool like the real thing.
Finally, most people who buy a Jeep, like those who buy Harleys, would be happiest if they could buy a knock-down-kit with about half the pieces left off, since they’re going to customize it anyway.
As a side note – I am, like all of us here, a car- guy. However, I have no idea what an Acura ILX is. I am pretty sure it’s not a Legend or an Integra, but beyond that: ?
“Jeeps fascinate me. They are the Harley Davidson of the automotive world. That is, they are objectively speaking, poorly built old designs ”
huh?
Well, maybe Jeep’s reliability has gotten better since March 2018 when this article came out, and I just didn’t notice.
“If you go segment by segment, you’ll find Jeep models popping up at the bottom of every dependability list. Cherokee (compact SUV) joined Compass (small SUV) in dead-last, while Wrangler, Grand Cherokee, and Patriot barely scored better.
When J.D. Power rounded up the complaints, they counted 188 problems per 100 vehicles. Powertrain and body/interior issues came up the most.”
https://www.cheatsheet.com/money-career/the-least-dependable-car-brands-according-to-jd-powers-2018-rankings.html/
EDIT:
Apparently things have NOT gotten a lot better since March 2018.
”If you own a 2018 or 2019 Jeep Wrangler, get ready for a recall. According to documents posted to the JL Wrangler Forum, Fiat-Chrysler will soon be launching a recall that covers “certain” 2018-19 Wranglers because a faulty weld in the frame can cause a sudden crash….Although official word of the recall is yet to come, the 2018 Jeep Wrangler page on the NHTSA’s website has numerous complaints regarding steering problems. The page also has five other recalls listed for the 2018 model, including issues with the voltage regulator, steering shaft and cruise control. There is also a recall involving incorrect installation of transmission park rods and possible corrosion of the left rear frame section. All five recalls state increased risk of a crash.
https://www.abc15.com/news/national/2018-19-jeep-wranglers-to-be-recalled-for-problem-with-frame-reports-say
“Finally, most people who buy a Jeep, like those who buy Harleys, would be happiest if they could buy a knock-down-kit with about half the pieces left off, since they’re going to customize it anyway.”
This is actually brilliant. Subaru tried something similar a few years back with the WRX “TR” for Tuner Ready. Unpainted mirrors and sideskirts, no spoiler, basic stereo, etc.
While I doubt FCA would sign up, since it’d be such a low margin vehicle, but a Wrangler with steel wheels, cheap bumpers, no top and no back seat would probably sell well with enough of a discount.
Wrangler Sport (base model) is halfway there. Steel wheels, cheap bumpers, hand crank windows.
Yeah, you’re right, kind of forgot they made the no-AC, steel wheeled Sport. I almost said because I never see any, but who knows, maybe they’re all the ones with “Angry” grilles and lift kits.
A Wrangler is kind of a hard vehicle to make more basic, even if the owners of older ones decry all the new ones’ “luxuries”…
The only things that could really be cut from the current Sport, to be added by customizers, are probably almost all required by law, or lessen insurance costs. Spare tire, roof, rear seat, doors, fender flares etc.
@Lokki: The Acura ILX is a 9th Generation Civic. The weird thing is, the Civic is well into its 10th Generation now. Why Acura is not moving on from this dated platform is beyond me.
My guess is we won’t see a next generation ILX, because, what is the point? The Acura ILX has been getting low ratings from buyers since it debuted. Its original powertrain was deemed to be unrefined and I’m not sure the updated engine has been much better since its mated to an 8 speed dual clutch automatic.
I’ve liked the styling of the Acura ILX since it debuted. I’ve never driven one, but just by sitting in one at the Harrisburg Auto Show a few years ago, I immediately knew that it was overpriced, and not a major step up from a Civic.
Supposedly Acura is readying a new-generation ILX.
Most Jeep owners like the attention they get from people that they want to impress, and couldn’t care less about CR or “quality of interior materials”. Hence, the record sales.
You are only talking about the Wrangler, the one that looks like a descendant of the WWII Jeep. It’s not an old design either though but a new one as of 2018. It does carry on a lot of the traditions of the older designs though, like looking like it’s made of bent metal you wouldn’t care if it got a little rock and bush damage, an interior that looks like you could hose the mud out of, and removable doors and windshield.
All the other Jeep models are modern designs, and generally all rated at the bottom of reliability listings including at CR.
I assume the disappointed Renegade buyers bought an image (Jeep, cheap, funky) and then it turned out to be actually a Fiat in Jeep clothes and things broke.
But there’s something to the Harley Davidson comparison.
What alternatives can you take the doors and roof off of in the summertime without a sawzall?
Harley Davidson on the other hand I cannot tell apart from a Honda or any other motorcycle in the styles they offer. I’m admittedly not a motorcycle guy mind you, but the Wrangler has never had that problem, and right now the romanticized image of the Jeep is what every other booming SUV and crossover aspires to in a softer more family friendly package. The people who want this kind of Jeep want it because it is and has remained a truly unique product on the market, it’s not competing against a RAV4 and despite the Chevy ads, “real people” don’t give a crap about J.D.Power, or even know what it is.
Ah , we are kindred spirits my friend. H-D has been selling the sizzle over the steak for decades. There’s a segment of our society that can’t or won’t stop and think? And then there’s Acura…1st Japanese Mfg. to go up against the likes of those pricey Europeans. IT worked. Then Honda for whatever reason set about to screw it all up , dropped highly respected and recognized model names for alphabet nonsense that no one understands. Then install a truly universally hated beak for a front centerpiece and keep it for a decade. What is wrong at Honda?
Wow, not a single traditional “luxury” car made the top 10. No MB, BMW, Audi, Cadillac. And nothing at all from the Ford Motor Company.
But look: Genesis G90 gets on the podium.
The G90 buyers are happy because they were hoping get something kind of close to a Mercedes S class or BMW 7 series at a savings of tens of thousands of dollars, and it turned out to be true.
I wonder what disappoints Cadillac ATS owners? The chassis tuning has been universally praised. Reviewers have panned the quality of some interior materials, and the cramped interior, but those negatives should have become apparent during the test drive.
It’s not as though those are “lurking” problems that only become apparent 10,000+ miles down the road.
The resale value when they try to get out of it and into something else.
Reliability as well. Maybe those problems have been fixed, but the early models had lots of fit/finish bugs.
https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/cadillac/ats/2013/reliability
I’m surprised a Jeep Wrangler isn’t on the Top 10 favorite list, their owners are pretty dedicated. I am glad to see my Challenger made it though 🙂
Jeep enthusiasts don’t join Consumer Reports or respond to their surveys.
I always amused about the poor reliability reported for jeeps by CR. I have a first generation Grand Cherokee and there seems to still be an awful lot of them on the road. It’s the second 94-95 ZJ that I’ve had with over 200,00 miles.
Reliability after a dozen or more years is a lot different than in the first few years.
CR doesn’t just use the last 3 years of data as JD Power does. Their last survey obtained data from MY 2000 onwards. And if Jeep owners don’t respond to CR surveys, perhaps reliability issues are masked by this? 😉
I’m of two minds on CR. Any effort to honestly quantify reliability for car buyers is admirable, because the only people who truly have a handle on it (auto manufacturers) sure as hell aren’t going to share that with the public. Without independent ratings, all buyers are left with is near-useless anecdote.
My issue with CR is the opaque methodology. Sure, they give a brief narrative about what they do, but to get a true grasp of what their ratings mean, we really need the following:
1. Sample size for each model & year rated
2. Absolute problem rate rather than relative; if model Y has transmission problems at twice the rate of model X, this doesn’t mean much if model Y’s failure rate is 1 in 1000 vehicles.
3. Measure of spread in the data.
Point number 2 is the most important. But if it turns out the problem rate for even the bottom-rung rated models is low, then CR may extinct itself by divulging this.
Jeeps stay on the road because people want them and they’re worth fixing.
Buicks get scrapped because a set of tires and a battery costs more than the car is worth.
It doesn’t matter to me that a high percentage of people surveyed love their Toyota Prius or Dodge Challenger, as I personally would never feel love or satisfaction with either.
Buy the car that you as an individual will love…
Oh, exactly so. If you have to consult surveys to discover your own subjective opinions, then it is possible you should more urgently be checking the existence of your pulse.
Seems pretty useful to me to know that there are
cars that are likely to be disappointing no matter how attractive (or affordable) they seen before you buy. It’s useful information on top of CR’s reliability data; like CR’s reliability data, it’s information that an individual buyer can’t reasonably collect before a purchase.
Also, a list of vehicles that live up to their image seems useful too, esp for specialty cars like sports and EVs.
I was pleased to see the Toyota C-HR on the worst ten list. I find it very unsatisfying, just to have to look at them on the road. It gives me new appreciation for the Nissan Juke.
Yes, the design is self evidently stupid. I guess some people bought one for the Transformer Origami look, and then realized as an actual vehicle it was stupid.
We looked at one last year when new car shopping. The interiors are awful. Reminds me of GMs cost-cutting Rubbermaid phase in the late 90s.
I’d never heard of a Toyota C-HR, certainly never seen one, so I googled it to see what it was.
Really wish I hadn’t.
It’s really not surprising at all.
Every car in the most satisfied list ticks off what the buyer thinks they are getting out of the deal.
Every car in the least satisfied list just ticks off the buyer. They don’t deliver on the premise that the purchase was supposed to ellicit.
Acura ILX – not really luxury, all the cache of a Honda
Nissan Sentra – penalty box
Dodge Journey – when the Jeep on the lot was beyond your budget
Lexus IS – it really is a car for middle aged dentists who think they are hip
Nissan Versa Note – cost more than the Mitsubishi they should have bought
Cadillac ATS – I should have just bought the BMW anyway
Nissan Pathfinder – no, really, it is a 2019!
Chevrolet Trax – I liked the Buick but it cost more…
Toyota C-HR – a copy is just as good as the original, right?
Jeep Renegade – what do you mean it’s really a Fiat?
A buyer who purchases based on what they know they really want and what they are really getting is always satisfied. All the most satisfied cars deliver on that premise. It is not the price, or status, or eco-chicness, but simply that the buyer got what they really wanted.
“Lexus IS – it really is a car for middle aged dentists who think they are hip”
Curious if you could break this one down for me, because I have no idea what that means.
As I read it, Lexus markets the IS as a BMW competitor, but it has more in common with the ES parked on the other side of the Lexus showroom.
So the dentist wants to believe it’s hip, but…
Nor does the guy who buys that Lexus IS. It seems to be what a middle aged non-enthusiast would consider as a hip and sporty car, when it perhaps is neither. Sort of Dad Joke lameness personified. A compact Lexus, or what most would take to be a tarted up Corolla, even though it is not, is the car that is not really hip or cool, nor that sporty, or really special compared to similar models, but is a safe and reliable choice.
If the car is your favorite, no offense meant, but it is on this list because the person buying it that is not an enthusiast of the car quickly realized that they settled for a model that really does not match the excitement or status that another competitor in the same segment offers. That seems to be why it is on the list.
No offense taken. Not my favorite car, or I’d have one. But I do respect it. The IS doesn’t fit or deserve the pejorative Lexus stereotype–it’s a flawed but interesting car.
I’d make the opposite argument of yours. I think it takes an actual enthusiast to appreciate the IS. This car drives nothing like the float-boat ES–it has won comparison tests against the usual suspects in several enthusiast magazines who typically make dismissive Dad Jokes about Lexus. It won those tests because of how it drove, not how roomy the back seat was or how easy the infotainment is.
The base engine probably annoys those who want effortless acceleration, and CR dislikes the thing because it doesn’t fit their non-enthusiast criteria. I’m not too surprised to see their subscribers follow suit.
In my anecdotal experience, (3 people) the IS is bought by young professional females exclusively.
Isn’t the IS the one that started off as a Toyota Altezza? That car was so hip with the tuner crowd – fifteen years and two or three generations ago! Maybe those middle-aged dentists think they’re buying the car they lusted after in med school?
It really wasn’t though, what was popular with the tuner crowd fifteen years ago were Civics, DSMs, Nissan 240s, Lancers and Sentras, and the drivers of those lusted after new WRXs and EVOs, and 90s Mark IV Supras.
The Altezza clear taillight style was what became popular, but exclusively as a style of aftermarket taillight to add to those other aforementioned cars. Once that fad was over any blip the IS had within the tuner crowd hat totally evaporated. I’m not even sure most people who had them or used the term Altezza taillights were aware it was in reference to the Toyota/Lexus model the style originated from.
I consult “Consumer Reports” for ratings and recommendations on vacuum cleaners, televisions, air filters and other household items.
On automobiles I *might* glance at their articles; but usually “go my own way” for that decision.
Ditto. And JD Powers praise normally goes to the highest bidder. Grain of salt.
I trust Consumers Reports quite a bit – for appliances.
Automobiles (and motorcycles) aren’t appliances for me. They’re a visceral part of life. I don’t look at frequency of repair. If the car is interesting and enjoyable enough to me, I’ll put up with a complete POS that has to go in the shop bi-weekly . . . . . . . as long as I am having a wonderful time driving it in between garage stints. Yes, I would be a Ferrari owner, if I could afford the tab.
Consumer’s Reports lost me on cars back in the 80’s once I figured out where their heads were at. The final straw was the test of a Mercedes sedan, which got really good ratings from them. Which they happily admitted to.
And then promptly suggested you buy a Camry instead, because the Camry was just as good and reliable a car, for a lot less money. (This was back in the days when the Camry was their answer to any and all transportation needs in their eyes, it was God’s Own Car. Every month’s car reviews would end with their suggesting you buy a Camry instead.)
Yeah, like somebody who can afford and wants a Mercedes-Benz is going to settle for a Camry. If nothing else this showed me just how CR valued car ownership.
Well written, Syke.
In my formative years, CR’s “perfect car” was a 4 door Rambler American. One of the biggest “nothings” that I have ever driven!
If *other* magazine road tests are to be believed, the 2019 Camry is becoming less of an “appliance” and more “fun to drive”.
I sometimes say a given car is good or bad “by Consumer Reports criteria” or “by Road & Track criteria.”
I’ve always taken the Consumer reports surveys with a grain of salt…Yes I know they don’t take advertising dollars, they buy the the cars they test and they try to be as subjective and passionless as they can be….but….Their sample only consists of CR subscribers. That is a limited sample in itself and not indicative of all car buyers.
Makes sense for the most part, the satisfying cars seem to all fit specific desires for discerning buyers, the least satisfying all seem to just be also ranks. Also see an interesting pattern.
Satisfying:
Tesla Model 3 – RWD latest iconic EV from the most interesting company in the business
Porsche 911 – RWD rear engined car with styling straight out of the 40s
Genesis G90 – RWD Mercedes copy without the Mercedes price tag or hideous Lexus styling
Chevrolet Corvette – RWD 2-door V8 sports/supercar icon
Tesla Model S – RWD OG EV luxury/sports sedan
Toyota Avalon – FWD… yeah, I got nothing. Not a dis, just why this and not Camry?
Kia Stinger – RWD bargain performance bargain with cool styling
Chevrolet Bolt – FWD but EV goodness without seeming like an Elon fanboi
Toyota Prius – FWD but the cult hybrid
Dodge Challenger – RWD 2-door with lots of variety and surprising practicality
least satisfying :
Acura ILX – FWD alphabet soup
Nissan Sentra – FWD penalty box
Dodge Journey – FWD “wait, I thought Dodge just made muscle cars?”
Lexus IS – RWD but IS unnecessary
Nissan Versa Note – FWD penalty box
Cadillac ATS – RWD but see Lexus IS above
Nissan Pathfinder – FWD name debasement
Chevrolet Trax – FWD bread roll with dumb GM spelling
Toyota C-HR – FWD… I mean just look at it
Jeep Renagade – FWD cool name on a bleak crossover and cheesy taillights
Tesla S is all-AWD now
Also on the satisfying list: five hatchbacks, and not a single SUV/CUV
Look at your typical Avalon owner for the answer on why not Camry. In my experience, owners of Avalons are FORMER Buick owners who either got tired of GM’s spotty reliability or who decided they wanted something besides pushrod engines and 4 speed automatic transmissions (I’m talking 20th Century Buicks). They also aren’t concerned, well, TOO concerned about fuel economy and V6 Camrys require a special order (maybe?). And while they are closely related, the Camry is a little too ordinary while the Avalon says that I am a discerning person.
Avalon, because the Cadillac you want is too expensive, and the dealer won’t give you anything on your Buick trade-in.
Also former Crown Vic/Town car/ Grand Marquis customers. The Avalon is the defacto oldster car around my way.
Lol, the last car my dad drove was an Avalon that replaced – yep – a Buick Park Avenue
Hi XR7Matt, I agree but only to a point. The satisfying cars do meet the requirements of their buyers, but I really don’t think that the people answering a Consumer Reports survey really care if the car is RWD, FWD, AWD, or simply levitates itself. There is another something at work here:
Tesla Model 3 – a Tesla that leaves me only partially broke
Porsche 911 – iconic and proof I am a connoisseur/poseur
Genesis G90 – understands luxury is not predicated on price alone
Chevrolet Corvette – my Viagra prescription means I am getting some – U?
Tesla Model S – it is what a BMW 7 series was in the 1990s
Toyota Avalon – built for seniors, a Buick built by Toyota
Kia Stinger – an affordable sports sedan
Chevrolet Bolt – a Tesla for those who aren’t so status conscious
Toyota Prius – what middle class greens think is proper
Dodge Challenger – for those too young to be seen in a Vette
I hope the sarcasm is evident, but there is a kernel of truth in the stereotypes, and for good reason. The genius is not the cars, rather the marketing done on the cars. People buy these as proof of their lifestyle, whether it is true or not. They are self-validating, for the most part. Of course, if it tells you and the world what you want to hear, it is satisfying. The other cars don’t pull off that trick.
Yep, same observations with our own wording I think. The simplistic way to put it is people who like these cars WANT to like these cars. RWD stands out to me not because it’s the superior layout, but cars today that are RWD are almost exclusively used in cars that excited buyers world purposely seek out, regardless.
In the inverse, the majority of unsatisfying cars being FWD isn’t because of the layout, it’s merely a reflection conventional mass market models not at the top of their segments, where buyers made uninformed buying decisions.
While I tend to take these surveys with a grain of salt, I do think the overarching theme that emerges is when the vehicle effectively meets the owner’s preconceived notions of what the car offers and reinforces why they bought it, then they are “satisfied.” So, Tesla is tops because it is the dominant luxury EV, while Bolt is a good, affordable “non-Tesla” EV. Prius delivers on its reputation for Hybrid excellence, Porsche on German sports car performance, Corvette on American sports car performance, Challenger on American Muscle Car, Avalon on cushy traditional high value sedan–basically all these provide satisfaction by delivering the desired image. Owners sought out what they were buying, and these “best of breed” examples proved them right–hence happy customers. So how do Genesis and Kia fit with my theory? Easy, these buyers wanted upstart, aggressively priced, high quality products that competed effectively against brands costing far more–in other words, bragging rights for performance/luxury skinflints.
The bottom ranked cars have the opposite problem–they didn’t live up to the brand/product/image that buyers expected. The ILX, ATS, IS, C-HR, Renegade, Trax and Journey hardly embody the best of what their brands/makers typically offer. As for Nissan, I think the brand has slipped overall, and the bottom-ranked products just aren’t meeting anyone’s expectations for anything–there are better choices in each of those competitive sets, and buyers probably feel a bit duped.
So Consumer Reports accidentally stumbles onto emotional perceptions masquerading as rational reactions….
Good summary.
A bit surprised that the Trax is on here, as we’ve had our Encore for almost a year and really couldn’t be happier with it.
Most people who buy jeeps beat the p##s out of them I . E. driving them on a salty beach , launching a boat in the ocean like my boss ,off roading over rough terrain so if consumers union asked if you have anything to wrong with your jeep ,you have to say yes
“Most”? Gonna disagree. Gotta disagree. Lemme disagree. May I disagree?
Jeep’s been selling 150-200K Wranglers annually, there’s no way “most” of them are using them so frequently offroad as to skew the reliability metric. And that doesn’t explain the poor performance of Grand Cherokees, Cherokees, Renegades, etc. that see the same use case as CR-Vs and Escapes.
It also wouldn’t explain why 4Runners, pre-2016 Tacomas, and Xterras are scoring well.
Uhhh…I’m pretty sure that’s wrong, Fordfan. I’m pretty sure most people who buy Jeeps drive them to and from the mall, to and from the office, to and from the kids’ karate practice, and otherwise like that ‘cuz it’s loud with the Shop-Vac™ on.
…same as the equally-fatuous ones from JD Power (“most appealing”, etc), which is why I can’t put any real weight on it beyond saying “Huh, habbout that”. It doesn’t actually say anything about the cars, just about the buyers—as groomed and conditioned by billions and billions of dollars’ worth of applied marketing psychology so refined that most people will swear up and down they’re not influenced by advertising.
There was a Model 3 next to me on the highway today. It’s the first one I’ve ever seen. I had time to really study its looks. I know it’s looks aren’t the main point of it, but it was all I had access to. It was white. I suppose I’m alone in thinking it looks bland. I usually like bland. I roll hard with bland. Bland and I go way back. But it is laptop computer/washing machine bland. No tension in the design and not enough pizzazz to generate an opinion. It only got my attention because in my mirror I thought someone had covered their Accord’s grille with a sheet. It just looks… exactly like you’d imagine it looks.
I love the Model S in white, but there’s something off about the Model 3 proportions that white makes all the more unflattering.
While the Model S is a design that still looks elegant, the 3 isn’t quite right. Too tall, maybe? Not having an arty eye, I’m unable to specify precisely what it is, but all up, it too closely resembles a Generic Car from adland (a subject of at least two CC posts).
The 3 looks like and old slot car body that one could buy in the 70s during the heyday of slot car racing. The lack of even attempting to do something in place of the area normally used as a grille is unsettling to my eyes. It is so generic looking, while the S does have some styling elements that differentiate it.
Most professional reviews of the Mitsubishi Mirage would lead you to believe that this is the car that would give you leprosy. Yet, it does not appear on this least loved list. Hmm. It would appear that the people who actually live with this car and make payments on it, actually are satisfied with it, or is that just an inconvenient truth?
Oh FFS, really? Ten most and least satisfying sounds like some form they’d ask you to fill in as a regular at a brothel (“FFS” literally in that case, but I digress). So my friend tells me.
Interestingly, the first ten also matches the Confirmation Bias Survey results, the last ten the Do You Even Know What Your Car Is? survey (with all in the latter category also ticking the sub-box saying “I don’t, but the thing I did buy is shit”).
As mentioned above, the manufacturers doubtless have the real gin on this stuff, and aren’t about to tell us.
Meanwhile, what a load of subjective tosh.
I would like to elect the re-introduced Renault Alpine A110 to join the ranks of “most satisfying”. It is reasonably priced for what it is ($65,000) and worthy competition to Lotus and the Alfa Romeo 4C. The crisp styling as well is quite something.
A list is not surprising a single bit and not a single entry fascinates me enough to consider these “products” for purchase – even in theory. There’s just too much that’s totally worng with them.
Now, about couple months ago my infinitely better half persuaded me to test-drive a Model3. This self-propelled toaster is pretty deplorable as far as cars go. Just a single-trick circus pony. It can accelerate fast. That’s it. Everything else is negative. And don’t even start me on ergonomics.
As a funny addo, here are a couple of pics of a Tesla X in the showroom of our local Tesla shop. Those familiar with vehicular body repairs and welding will certainly appreciate the quality, fit and finish…
C-pillar welds…
Left-right front corner panel alignment on a $130K CAD product
And right front fender / lip alignment (or the fender stamping is distorted)
There were other wonders of Tesla craftmanship, but I these are all that I bothered to picture, the sales person was looking at me way too intensly.
Hombre,
If you didn’t show pictures, I would think you were exaggerating. They need to at least cover up funky welds like that. It’s not a middle school science project display.
Also, I’m relieved it wasn’t just me thinking the Model 3 was kind of blah looking. It just occurred to me that in white it looks like a soap carving. Or maybe just a bar of soap with no carving.
I want Tesla to succeed. I hope these are only hiccups and not signs of a systemic problem.
In fairness, I’m almost certain that weld is not a weld, it’s seam sealer. Bead welds aren’t common in body construction, just spot welds.
I’m not excusing other build quality complaints, right now prestige EVs are a beggars can’t be choosers market, and being an upstart gives the true believers blinders to such things. Long term with more competition and more customers Tesla definitely needs to address this, but until then it’s kind of like complaining about quality on a Shelby Mustang, it may be a sore spot for an owner or two but they’re not buying anything else because of them.
All you say is true, but it brings to mind the conundrum of Corvettes.
If you want one, you buy it. For the most part, you are a happy camper.
Everyone else notices the flaws, the poor fit and finish, the panel gaps, the parts bin interior trim, and the myriad other issues that have been noted over the years.
It also brings to mind the story of Mizener homes in Palm Beach. These mansions were in high demand, as he was the most famous architect of the day, yet he often “forgot” important items, like putting in stairs to access the second floor, leading to improvisations while building or just after completion. Quality was top level in the mind of the buyer/owner, but from the outside perspective, it was not even close.
We overlook flaws in what we love.
I’ve had about 25-30 cars in my life. You can pick on CR all you want but consistantly, they have all been exactly as CR’s research (from owners) suggested:
87 Golf… medium reliable. Problems exactly as they noted.
97 Volvo 850. I expected reliability from older Volvos I’d had but as they said, it was troublesome in all the ways CR said it would be.
83 Tercel, dull and perfect.
01 Saab 9-5, they said “better than average” and I trusted it to buy three of them in a row. What a treat the 9-5 wagon was with just a few minor issues.
07 Sienna. Duh, perfectly reliable.
02 325it, pretty reliable with a few issues. Just as they said.
03 Mini Cooper. Utter, complete hassle with great handling. Maybe the worst car I ever had but they came out in 02 so the CR data didn’t exist yet.
Sure, they’re falliable to the extent that their surveyed owners might just not take the time to understand an infotainment system but if it’s so unintuitive, CR will tell you that most don’t find it usable (or safe). I appreciate that. Does it mean I’ve only bought Accords and Camrys, nope. But I liked the info I got from them.