When looking for a new car, most buyers take in consideration price, longevity, and fuel economy. But what about how satisfying they are to drive?
There’s a lot to consider when buying a new car. Test drives and reviews are an essential part of figuring out if a vehicle is right for you, but they can only tell you so much; Even the most favorable first impression — or most positive of reviews — doesn’t guarantee that the vehicle will be great to live with in the long run.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a foolproof solution to this problem. Long-term reviews can offer a more realistic take on a car, but not all outlets have the time to make one. Even the ones that do can’t hope to add every single new vehicle to their fleet. User opinions are great, but it can be a chore to sift through post after post to get an accurate picture of the owners’ satisfaction. The fact that unhappy owners are more likely to share their experiences than happy owners complicates matters further.
And so, what is a prospective car buyer to do? A combination of the above (professional long-term reviews and user sentiment) is likely the best choice, but help is also available from Consumer Reports. The website released its own list of the least satisfying vehicles to own, based on user sentiment, at the end of 2024. The list isn’t the be-all-end-all of long-term worthiness, but it can offer an extra reference point to help you find the perfect vehicle.Audi Q4 e-tron
Audi’s range of e-tron EVs encompasses everything from the refined Q4 e-tron to the bonkers RS e-tron GT performance, and a couple of larger SUVs in between. While all of them have reviewed very well in the hands of testers, the baby of the range, the Q4 e-tron, finds itself on CR’s list of least satisfying vehicles to own.
The 2024 Audi Q4 e-tron was available in two versions: the Q4 40 e-tron and the Q4 50 e-tron. The latter eventually received a mid-year refresh that introduced several notable upgrades and a new name, the Q4 55 e-tron. It had more power, quicker charging, and a revised suspension, earning praise from the automotive media, especially as the improvements came at no extra cost to the buyer. Unfortunately, those models disappointed their owners, and only 48% of polled CR members were willing to buy a Q4 e-tron again.
On paper, it’s not hard to imagine that the Q4 40 e-tron was the one to let down its owners, with less than great charging speed compared to other EV rivals. This likely hurt the value proposition, too, considering the $50,000-plus MSRP. Mechanical and build quality weren’t too hot, either. J.D. Power echoed CR’s opinion with a so-so 67 out of 100 quality and reliability score.Nissan Altima
The Nissan Altima is, by most accounts, a good car for the price. It’s not flashy or exciting but, as we found out during our review of the 2025 Altima, there’s a lot to appreciate about a car that offers something a tier above most of its rivals. The Altima does that well, being a cheap ($27,000 for the Altima S) and eminently sensible purchase for those who want something for basic commuting duties.
Now, if none of that sounds like the recipe for a very satisfying car, you’d be right. «Affordable» and «sensible» are great, but Nissan hasn’t tried to make its recent Altimas stand out; there’s no hybrid, for example, and its design, while not ugly, pales in comparison to the new Honda Accord’s sleek lines. Thus, it shouldn’t be a huge shock that only 48% of CR’s survey respondents indicated that they’d rebuy an Altima.
To be clear, the Altima is a fine car, and it makes a lot of sense for cost-conscious shoppers looking for a new vehicle. That said, it’s probably also a car that most buyers would want to upgrade from. In that sense, its poor performance in CR’s survey perfectly reflects its status as something of a stepping stone.Infiniti QX60
You’d hope that motorists who stumped up the cash for an Infiniti QX60 would be satisfied by their plush seven-seater SUV. The Infiniti started at around $50,000 in 2024, the year CR assembled its list, and climbed as high as $66,100 for the top-end Autograph AWD trim. That’s a pretty high investment, even for an SUV.
In Infiniti’s defense, you do get a pretty luxe interior for that money. We tested the 2024 Infiniti QX60 and appreciated the spacious, high-quality interior of the Autograph trim, with its swathes of leather and top-notch Bose speaker setup. It was a genuinely nice place to be, and it’s an undeniable strength that Infiniti has retained with newer iterations. And while the base-level trims aren’t quite as plush — the 2026 QX60 Luxe uses a synthetic TailorFit material, for example — they’re still decently equipped overall.
So why, then, did only 46% of CR members say they’d stick with a QX60 for their next vehicle? The cost of the higher-end trims was likely one factor, hurting the value proposition somewhat. What’s more damning, however, is that the 2024 Infiniti QX60 was just a Nissan Pathfinder mechanically, complete with the same unrefined V6. The Pathfinder, however, is cheaper, and has room for an extra passenger.
