Brand Websites Get Graded
Hyundai, Mercedes outshine rivals; EV shoppers’ satisfaction up.

Hyundai bested mass-market brands, followed by GMC and Hyundai affiliate Kia, which tied in second place.
IMAGE: Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio
Automakers’ websites overall aren’t wowing consumers, but electric-vehicle shoppers’ satisfaction with them is up, and Hyundai and Mercedes-Benz get the highest marks.
J.D. Power surveyed more than 12,000 consumers this past fall who say they’ll be in the market for a new car in the next 24 months.
It said overall satisfaction with auto manufacturer websites stayed flat since the previous survey last summer. But six brands saw big increases in satisfaction among consumers, and five of those have bigger EV lineups.
Some manufacturers have recently done a better job of presenting details about their EVs online, J.D. Power said in a press release about the survey findings.
“Previously, car manufacturers had difficulties showcasing the technological specifications for their EVs in an easily digestible way for shoppers,” said J.D. Power Director of Digital Solutions Eric McCready. “Now, the tide has turned as the EV shopping experience has been elevated. Looking ahead, manufacturers that evenly distribute the focus and updates across all vehicle types will see higher satisfaction with vehicle shoppers."
Mercedes is top-ranked among premium brands, followed closely by Tesla. Cadillac came in third.
Hyundai bested mass-market brands, followed by GMC and Hyundai affiliate Kia, which tied for second place.
The semiannual website satisfaction study, introduced in 1999, is conducted twice a year.
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