Home » Cadillac Ranks Low In Consumer Reports’ Overall Brand Satisfaction Study

Cadillac Ranks Low In Consumer Reports’ Overall Brand Satisfaction Study

Cadillac Ranks Low In Consumer Reports’ Overall Brand Satisfaction Study

Cadillac performed poorly in a recent customer feedback study conducted by Consumer Reports.

The publication asked vehicle owners if they would purchase another product from the same manufacturer as their current car, truck, crossover or SUV if given the chance. It then sorted the responses by vehicle brand and ranked each brand accordingly. Additionally, customers were asked to rate their vehicle/vehicle brand based on five separate categories: Driving, Comfort, In-Car Electronics, Cabin Storage and Value.

CR also takes into account other factors when giving a vehicle an owner satisfaction score, including safety, reliability and road test results.

Cadillac finished near the bottom of the ranking, achieving an owner satisfaction score of 59 out of a possible 100 points. Only two brands finished behind Cadillac: Nissan and its luxury division, Infiniti.

While Cadillac fared well in the Driving and Comfort categories, achieving a score of 4 out of 5 in both, it faltered in the In-Car Electronics and Cabin Storage categories, wherein mustered a score of 3 out of 5. It also tanked in the Value category, achieving a score of 1 out of 5.

Making things worse for Cadillac is that its longtime cross-town rival, Lincoln, performed extremely well in the study. Ford’s luxury brand achieved an overall score of 79 out of 100, placing it second in CR’s ranking, just behind Tesla.

CR says that while a brand may rank high in owner satisfaction, it still may struggle to perform well in other areas. For example, while Tesla and Lincoln owners are satisfied with their vehicles, both of these brands rank towards the bottom of the publication’s reliability rankings. Some brands perform poorly with regard to both owner satisfaction and reliability, however, including Cadillac as well as Mercedes-Benz.

It’s worth considering that the least satisfying brands “aren’t necessarily the worst on the market,” according to CR. Instead, it likely means the vehicles didn’t match the customers’ expectations. It’s easy to see why some luxury brands finished toward the bottom of the ranking, as these buyers may have higher expectations for their vehicle based on the purchase price relative to a regular (non-luxury) vehicle.

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16 Comments

  1. CR slams all American companies. I’ve been a CR subscriber for over a decade. Maybe it’s because I’ve never driven a Lexus or Mercedes, or a Kia that I feel that way. I will say that foreign automaker offer more things as standard equipment that Cadillac offers as an option, if they offer it at all.

    Reply
    • Craig,

      You are absolutely correct. Consumer Reports has panned American vehicles for as long as I can remember and I’m 80!

      They should stick with washers, dryers and TVs. They don’t know squat about the auto industry or its products.

      Montana Bob

      Reply
      • I have a 2018 Ct6 with super cruise. Best car I have ever owned. I am 70 and owner my share of new cars.
        This is the smoothest, quietest, and road hugging car I have ever driven. Then there is the Super Cruise. If you ever use it you will never leave home without it.
        Rick in Orlando.

        Reply
    • You are correct. CR has a bias against American companies. I have long believed it is not a reliable source of information

      Reply
  2. “. . . faltered in the In-Car Electronics and Cabin Storage,” seems as if the low ranking relates to the infamous CUE system? Fortunately, Cadillac has been phasing it out and including more buttons as duplicate controls (depending upon a driver’s preference.) Cabin storage should be improving as newer Cadillac models all have wireless phone charging places and still room for other small items. As I follow automobiles with interest, my observation has always been that Consumer Reports has seldom been accurate in their conclusions.

    Reply
    • I bought a used SRX, and shortly after I bought the crossover the CUE system died. The dealership charged me $50.00 to replace it. The price of replacing one of things is around $1,000.00, so I didn’t complain. I think I like dashboard and counsel in my SRX better than that of an XT5 or XT6. But thats just my preference.

      Reply
  3. Their opinion of Cadillac is of no value to me. I once purchased another luxury brand based in part on their recommendation…a mistake that I will not repeat. I love my 2020 Cadillac XT6 Sport which I expect to continue to enjoy for several years, and I expect to buy another Cadillac to replace it.

    Reply
  4. I’m on my 3rd Cadillac in 6 yr. I have been well pleased but also noticed poor ratings from CR.
    My neighbor is on his 2 nd and last Lexus.

    Reply
  5. I’m old enough to recall a time back in the 60’s when Consumers’ Report listed Cadillac as he most desirable and reliable car available. That ended in the late 60’s, and I suspect, as others have commented, that purchasers are far more critical and also, Americans tend to find “foreign makes” much more attractive. It’s sad because Cadillac has produced some amazing automobiles

    Reply
  6. I am the owner of a 2019 CT6 Platinum. Have been driving Cadillac, and only Cadillac, since 1991. Never had any complaint about the overall quality of their automobiles, they are as much ‘avant-garde’ as any other brands and I consider them both safe and reliable as well as value for money. However, occasionally, as now, I am experiencing a service issue with the Cadillac and I find it frustrating and unusual at the sort of laissez-faire attitude and run-around being experienced. After sales service is a major component of one’s continued satisfaction with the original product. On that basis alone, I am reluctant to give Cadillac a full passing grade.

    Reply
  7. Traded my Lexus RX350 for a XT5 2 years ago. The XT5 runs circles around the Lexus. Never looking back. CR has bashed U.S. brands since forever. Since the Lexus drove like an appliance, it was right up CR’s alley

    Reply
  8. I have owned Cadillacs since 1988 and never had an issue with any until 2013 when I bought an XTS. This was the first year of their XTS and two items gave me problems I had by ever experienced before. The CUE system was not user friendly and eventually failed, but Cadillac made it good. No problems with it after that. The glove box, which should have kept their mechanical latch, went electronic and was a mistake. It opened voluntarily when you didn’t need it to and wouldn’t open when you wanted it to.

    Still I plan on continuing with Cadillac as my wife enjoys the lumbar support from their comfortable seats.

    Reply
  9. I traded in my 2015 XTS premium which I loved and bought a 2020 XT6 with the platium package. I agree that the center console storage is very limited and the electronics are just ok. I think the navagation screen should have been larger like other high end cars. After spending almost $70,000 I just expected more luxury.

    Reply
  10. I bought my first Cadillac in 2006 (DTS). Driving about 60,000 per year required a comfortable and functional sled. So were its successors:
    2008 DTS Platinum; it was perfect.
    2010 Escalade Hybrid, another success.
    2013 XTS Platinum. Loud, jarring suspension, but I dealt with it.
    2015 Escalade ESV. Some exterior widow trim plates flew off. Ride was a little rough.
    2017 XT5 Plarinum. Superior car.
    2019 CT6-V. Best car I have ever owned. Super-quiet, handles like a dream in all four settings, with appropriate ride for each setting. The evolving Navi/Infortainment setup works quite well. Powerful, without any lag time in re the turbos. Panaray is a winner.

    I will probably be buried in a Caddy. The division has undergone growing pains but I believe that it now has its target markets figured out and is building great cars.

    The Escalade refresh is right on the mark and future products look to be ahead of the market and will attract new demographic groups to the brand.

    Reply
  11. Consumer Reports is bought and paid for by the imports. Don’t kid yourselves, there is nothing objective about that publication. They just bend things to their own financial benefit. The best thing you can do with it hang it in the bathroom.

    Reply
    • I have a Kitchen Aid coffee grinder. It has a couple of minor flaws that I was able to work around. But it is built like a tank, and it has outlasted the foreign grinders that I’ve owned in the past. CR panned it. The same goes with my BUNN coffee maker, which in my opinion makes the best tasting coffee.

      Reply

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