Every year, Consumer Reports (CR) compiles a list of the most-loved and least-loved car brands. The data comes from owner satisfaction ratings, which themselves are gleaned from survey responses from CR members. Rivian is enjoying the second straight year of its position at the top of the list, but BMW finished right behind it in second place. Much of the German brand’s rivals, however, weren’t so lucky.

BMW Beats Out All Other German Brands

Perhaps even more important than BMW’s position on the list is who it beat out. And, how badly. Tesla sits right behind it at third – 72% of Tesla owners said they’d buy it again, compared to BMW’s 73%. Porsche – a brand long revered as one of the biggest “repeat customer” brands – sits at fourth place, with only 71% of buyers saying they’d do it all again. Subaru, another brand with famously loyal shoppers, finished in eighth place with 68%.

Sans Porsche, though, German automakers had a bit of a rough go in this survey. Audi is all the way down the list in twentieth place – behind brands like Kia, Hyundai, and Genesis. Mercedes-Benz isn’t doing well, either, and would be in dead last were it not for Jeep. Only 53% of Benz owners said they’d buy their car again. Granted, Mercedes-Benz did appear in the top six when it came to comfort ratings – although BMW also beat it there, appearing at number four on the list.

BMW Scored Top Marks in Driving and Comfort

As mentioned, BMW appears in the top six for comfort and – more predictably – the nebulously titled “driving” category, which accounts for handling and “how quickly the vehicle gains speed.” BMW placed third there, only behind Porsche and Tesla. BMW’s fourth-place finish in comfort beats out Cadillac but loses to Volvo, Porsche, and Rivian.

This isn’t the only place on CR’s website where you’ll find glowing reviews for BMW, either. CR’s brand report car – which uses data from their staff writers’ road scores, safety ratings, and projected reliability – elevates BMW, too. The brand sits at number two on that list, only behind Subaru. CR also ranks BMW as the best luxury brand and has it in pole position when it comes to road tests.

The commendations are a deserved feather in BMW’s hat. But it’s worth noting that, despite BMW’s impressive showing, Rivian’s first-place win is a relative landslide. 86% of Rivian owners said they’d buy one again, which is a whopping 13% more than BMW. In fact, it’s by far the largest gap in the rankings in terms of percentage points. Everything else moves in one or two percentage point increments. We’re curious how BMW M would’ve fared if CR separated the scores out from the rest of the brand…

Source: Consumer Reports