Ford and Mazda top for customer satisfaction

Buyers of new Ford and Mazda vehicles are the happiest customers, according to the latest JD Power buyer satisfaction survey.

And for luxury new car buyers? That award goes to Mercedes-Benz, with Audi following close behind.

The study rates overall customer satisfaction with new vehicle purchase experiences, covering a range of criteria from the sales consultant to working out a deal and signing the paperwork.

In equal first were Ford and Mazda with 835 points, closely followed by Toyota (827 points), Subaru (822) and Mitsubishi (818) – all performing above the average market score.

Hyundai (812), Holden (810) and Volkswagen (802) all scored below average, with Kia among the lowest at 799 points.

The results were gathered over eight-month period between February and September 2019 and found that customers dealing with product specialists were likely to be more satisfied at the end of the sale process.

The weightings of each score, in order of importance to consumers include: dealer sales consultant (25 per cent); delivery process (25 per cent); dealership facility (16 per cent); working out the deal (15 per cent); paperwork completion (12 per cent); and dealership website (7 per cent).

According to JD Power, only 20 per cent of mass-market buyers state they interacted with a product specialist while purchasing their new vehicle.

“Dealers should take the opportunity to demonstrate new features, from the moment customers go onto dealership websites to the time they purchase and not just engage at the final delivery stage,” JD Power director Bruce Chellingworth said.

“As vehicle manufacturer offer new technologies and electric vehicles become more affordable to consumers, helping them understand these technological changes will be crucial to maintaining loyalty and trust.”

The study found some consumers experienced a “pushy” sales experience, which led to a lower score, as did short test drives.

According to the study, 56 per cent of customers who experience a test drive do so for less than 20 minutes, while longer test drives result in higher satisfaction.