Buy enough cars and you’re likely to experience the gut-wrenching feeling of knowing you’ve made a significant, and likely expensive, purchase that you’ve come to regret. Whether it’s a big annoyance you didn’t note in a test drive, realizing you haven’t received good value for the money, you got behind the wheel of something better or are experiencing reliability issues, knowing you’ve made the wrong car purchase hurts. Anecdotally, sometimes it hurts the car, like when your author here purchased a hot hatchback only to realize its front lip was too low to cross the threshold into his garage without terribly scraping its undersides.
To put it gently, the wrong car purchase can leave you feeling unsatisfied. But for those looking for the most satisfaction out of their next purchase, Consumer Reports has released its list of the cars that give buyers the most post-purchase satisfaction has released its list of the cars that give buyers the most post-purchase satisfaction. Including cars, trucks, and SUVS from model years 2020-22, satisfaction scores are based on the percentage of owners who would emphatically purchase the same vehicle again knowing, in effect, what they know now based on reliability, performance, enjoyment, and other crucial factors. So, if your last car purchase has left you with that “not so fresh” feeling, consider these satisfactory alternatives.
10 Toyota RAV4 Prime
No car sells better in the U.S., outside of the Big Three light-duty pickups than the Toyota RAV4. Toyota’s midsize SUV racked up nearly 400,000 units sold in 2022, more than 100,000 more sold than the sales giant that is the Toyota Camry. And among all those sold, no buyers are more pleased with their purchase than those who opted for the RAV4 Prime, the plug-in hybrid model in the RAV4’s ranks.
Eighty-seven percent of Consumer Reports survey takers responded “definitely yes” to the idea of purchasing another RAV4 Prime. That should come as no surprise as the RAV4 Prime offers the same level of comfort, practicality, agreeable driving characteristics, generous features list, and respectable price point of the standard RAV4. The RAV4 Prime simply ups the ante by offering an EPA-rated 40 mpg and all-electric range of 42 miles. The RAV4 doesn’t get much wrong to begin with, and the Prime model simply improves a solid overall formula. Read our our in-depth review of the 2023 Toyota Rav4 Prime.
9 Toyota GR86
Another Toyota cracks CR’s list of most satisfying cars, but in this case, it’s quite the opposite of the RAV4 Prime. While the RAV4 focuses on family and convenience, the No. 9 entry on the list — the GR86 — is all about fun. The GR86 is the little rear-wheel drive sports car that comes with big thrills and a small asking price ($29,495), and its adept handling, driver engagement, and overall presentation have left its buyers satisfied.
A full 88 percent said they would enthusiastically purchase another GR86. With a 2.4-liter engine cranking out 228 horsepower, a six-speed manual, a 0-60 time of 5.4 seconds, crisp steering, and generous feel — not to mention semi-usable rear seats and an intuitively presented cabin — the GR86 is the little sports car that could. Read our in-depth review of the 2023 Toyota GR86 here.
8 Subaru BRZ
Showcasing that it’s perhaps not just the trusted Toyota badge that has left customers satisfied with the GR86, the Subaru BRZ, its corporate cousin, is also revered for the warm and fuzzy feeling it gives buyers. Just like its Toyota counterpart, 88 percent of survey respondents said “definitely yes” to the idea of putting another BRZ in their garage.
Riding on essentially the same underpinnings with the same 2.4-liter flat-four as the GR86, both the BRZ and GR86 deliver the same fun without breaking the bank, and as CR’s survey shows, both will leave buyers plenty happy with their purchase. The only real decision is which styling better suits your tastes.
7 Polestar 2
The Polestar 2 is a bit smaller than some of its competitors and its max driving range of 270 miles is behind segment leaders, but those downsides haven’t dampened the compact EV crossover’s reception among buyers. Like our two previous entries, CR’s survey showed 88 percent of buyers wouldn’t hesitate to spring for their No. 2 Polestar 2. The handsomely styled EV offers reasonable pragmaticism, attractive styling, a composed ride, a spacious cabin, an agreeable starting price, and delivers a long list of trims and drivetrains.
You can opt for the more sober single-motor setup with 228 horsepower, or the all-wheel drive model that delivers 402 horsepower and will scoot from 0-60 in 4.1 seconds. There’s even a Performance version more attuned for zero-emissions track attacking. The Polestar 2 may be a newcomer, but it’s already left a good impression among buyers.
6 Hyundai Ioniq 5
Automotive experts have been enamored with Ioniq 5 in just the two model years it has been in production. TopSpeed is no exception, as we named its corporate cousin, the Kia EV6, our Best Electric Car of 2022 (despite this author’s protests it should be the Hyundai). No matter, it’s not just us who have fallen in love with this wildly styled, comfortable, tech-rich, spacious, and joyful to drive EV — its buyers agree. A full 88 percent of Ioniq 5 buyers said they would gladly purchase another.
The Ioniq 5 blends all that’s appreciated in a midsize SUV while delivering a plethora of technology and features, up to 320 horsepower, agility and comfort on the road, quick charging times, and a range of up to 303 miles. That’s obviously good enough to leave its buyers willing to come back to the model when the time comes.
5 Ford Maverick Hybrid
The Ford Maverick may not compete in the same realm as its bigger brother, the F-150, in terms of sales or capabilities, but those who have put the Blue Oval’s compact pickup in their driveways apparently don’t mind one at all. Among Maverick Hybrid owners, 88 percent (yes, we’re sensing a theme here, too) said they would gladly purchase another. It should be noted the Maverick is also available with a 250-horsepower, 2.0-liter engine, but the standard hybrid unit, a 2.5-liter four-cylinder paired with an electric motor, is apparently the most satisfying choice.
Perhaps it was the lack of smaller pickups on the market before the Maverick came along that has spurred its devotion. But more likely, it’s the fact the little pickup is still plenty capable for many truck buyers, a starting price tag of under $24,000, and a cabin that can still haul the whole family when its not being used as work truck.
4 Rivian R1T
Spoiler alert, the Rivian R1T is the highest-ranked pickup on CR’s list of cars buyers love most. That’s particularly impressive given the model comes from an unproven marquee, and truck buyers aren’t exactly synonymous with wanting to go all-electric. Yet, a full 88 percent (there’s that figure again) of R1T buyers would purchase another.
It could be assumed buyers love their R1T because it’s the vogue choice among pickups, but that belittles the Rivian’s overall competency. It has legitimate all-terrain capability, can haul up to 11,000 pounds, delivers up to 835 horsepower, comes with a tech-rich cabin, and if you aren’t towing, a range between 314-400 miles, making it a benchmark for all-electric trucks.
3 Kia Telluride
The Kia Telluride hit the market in 2019, and seemingly not a single month goes by without the three-row SUV earning some kind of accolade. It was recently named our Best Three-Row SUV of 2023, for instance. Well, its streak continues with the Telluride being named in the top three of CR’s most satisfying-to-own cars. Again, 88 percent of buyers said they would gladly have another.
We can understand why Telluride purchasers are pleased — it gets just about everything right. It has entry-level pricing for luxe-level features, fit and finish, and presentation, it’s extremely spacious without being bulky, it has a beefy V-6 engine with a max tow rating of up to 5,000 pounds, and is offered in a wide range of trims so buyers can find a model to best suit their needs. For family hauling, there’s simply no better complete package, and buyers obviously agree. Read our in-depth review of the 2023 Kia Telluride here.
2 Porsche 911
Drive a Porsche and you’re likely in for a good time, but buy a 911, and you’re a Porsche guy or gal for life. Okay, that may not be a real idiom, but it seems to apply given that 90 percent of 911 owners responded they would absolutely purchase another model in CR’s survey. This figure is particularly impressive given the 911’s range is ridiculously extensive with enough models and special editions to leave the heads of even Porsche-lovers spinning. You’d think there might be a bad apple in a bunch so large, but according to owners, that’s not the case.
It's also understandable the sports car ranks so high for satisfaction given the 911 delivers the pure driving experience all enthusiasts crave no matter which model is in question. But what makes the 911 stand out among sports cars is its everyday livability. It is comfortable and spacious enough for daily driving, and when the feeling takes you, its speed and athleticism will rip your face off. Perhaps that’s what happened to the 10 percent of respondents who said they wouldn’t buy another 911.
1 Chevrolet Corvette C8
For the second year in a row, no other car gave its owners pure satisfaction and the warm-and-fuzzies like the Chevrolet Corvette. A staggering 94 percent of survey takers said they would absolutely purchase another, making the mid-engine sports car a hero of the track day, a mountain road journey, and in the hearts and minds of those who have one in the garage. Of course, the Corvette is also a blue-collar hero.
Show us another dramatically styled, mid-engine, 490 horsepower supreme corner carver that costs as little as $66,000 and we will ask how much sleep you’ve had because such a car does not exist. In addition to being able to outpace cars that cost two or three times more, the Corvette can easily double as a daily driver with surprising comfort and respectable storage spaces. Couple its long list of positive attributes together and the most satisfying to own car you can buy boasts the badge of a ‘Vette.