Best car manufacturers named in 2024 Driver Power survey

The “best car manufacturer in 2024” is Subaru, according to owners who responded to the annual Driver Power customer-satisfaction survey. The Japanese brand, which sells the Solterra electric car, beat more mainstream EV brands Tesla and Kia in this year’s poll. It’s a win for electric car fans no matter how you look at it, since all brands in the top ten are pushing ahead strongly with electric power.

Following Tesla and Kia in second and third respectively was last year’s winner Porsche, while Citroen and Peugeot were fifth and sixth. Mazda grabbed 7th and fellow Japanese brand Toyota took 8th. Jaguar and Land Rover round out the top ten in this year’s Driver Power, which is an annual survey that asks car owners what they think of he cars they drive.

The data collected covers many data points including practicality, safety, reliability and quality among many others. Thousands of owners responded to the poll about their cars, allowing our experts to collate useful insights into which are the best brands to buy cars from. 

The full list shows that Ford, Fiat and MG all have work to do when it comes to keeping their customers satisfied, as those brands came last in the 32-manufacturer list. Subaru took the top spot because the brand excelled in every area of the survey except for fuel economy and acceleration. It’s a brand popular with owners in rural locations who need four-wheel drive, as all the brand’s models have it. 

Paul Barker, editor of Auto Express, said: "It's great to hear the people that have put their own money into buying and owning these cars are so happy with their purchase, and it's interesting that the top five has such a cross-section of brand - with Tesla, Kia, Porsche and Citroen rounding out the top five - showing that satisfaction is far from linked to cost or prestige."