Mitsubishi has Australia's most satisfied new-car customers according to a new consumer rating survey.
Mitsubishi?claimed top honours ahead of?BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Subaru, Toyota and Volkswagen?in the 2013 Canstar Blue car brand survey, which in its fourth year measured?customer satisfaction levels of more than 2000 Australian motorists for categories including value for money, reliability, performance and after-sales service. (To qualify, brands were required to have received at least 30 responses.)
In the hatchback segment Kia trumped Ford, Hyundai, Mazda, Suzuki, Toyota and Volkswagen in customer satisfaction.
Hyundai took the trophy for most satisfied sedan customers, with Subaru taking out the SUV and 4WD segment.
The key category of after sales service satisfaction was a three-way tie between Kia, Mitsubishi and Toyota, with Mitsubishi again featuring alongside Subaru for reliability.
Honda and Volkswagen shared the limelight when it came to satisfying customers with performance.
Korean sister brands Hyundai and Kia also shared the value for money crown, with the achievement being the former's third time receiving the award. Hyundai also took top honours overall in 2012 and 2010, with Mazda claiming the crown in 2011.
Additional research conducted to coincide with annual car brands satisfaction survey showed that while, on average, drivers spend $46.63 each week on petrol, 37 per cent of respondents said they have decreased their car usage in the past 12 months.
Further, 70 per cent of drivers said they have considered a hybrid or electric vehicle because they think it has better fuel efficiency, though, 47 per cent said they would not buy one because they think they're more expensive than traditional cars.
On a lighter note, according to the research, 30 per cent of Australians talk to their car, with 26 per cent admitting to naming it. Nine per cent of respondents also said they only clean their car either once a year or not at all.
