10 Of The Most Satisfying Cars & SUVs Available Today (According To Consumer Reports)

When it comes to cars, reviews can only say so much. Sure, journalists can talk about how a car handles, its straight-line performance, and the quality of its creature comforts — all of which are undeniably important — but they often struggle to paint a complete picture of whether the car or SUV is great to live with. After all, the thrill of high speeds and tight cornering matters little if the vehicle in question just isn't satisfying to own. Even a test drive, as useful as it is, may not be able to fully give you an insight into this crucial factor of car ownership.

That's where Consumer Reports' owner satisfaction survey comes into the picture. Consumer Reports polls its members every year, asking car owners whether they would buy or lease the same vehicle again if given the chance. The higher the percentage of owners that would do so, the more satisfying the car.

So, without further ado, here are 10 of the most satisfying cars and SUVs you can buy now, ranked according to a recent Consumer Reports' member survey (as released in late 2024).

83% of polled Consumer Reports members express their satisfaction with the BMW i4. The electric luxury sedan debuted in 2021 in two guises: the sensible rear-wheel drive i4 eDrive40 with 340 hp, and the high-performance i4 M50, whose electric motors delivered 544 hp to all four wheels — and which was the M division's first all-electric car.

BMW later introduced the i4 eDrive35 in 2022, a more affordable version of the vehicle with a smaller 66 kWh battery and 281 hp from the single electric motor. The most recent addition to the i4 family is the xDrive40, a four-wheel-drive version of the i4 boasting 401 hp from its electric motors, which debuted in 2024.

The i4 range performed well in Consumer Reports' testing, earning a CR Recommended award; the outlet was particularly keen on the car's performance and predicted reliability. Our own Chris Davies reviewed the BMW i4 M50 and enjoyed it greatly, appreciating the combination of great performance and practicality — even if the M tax is fully evident in the price tag and reduced (sub-300-mile) range. The base BMW i4 also impressed us during our first drive back in 2022; all in all, it's not a huge surprise that the i4 manages to make its way into Consumer Reports' 10 most satisfying vehicles.

Toyota's RAV4 managed to outsell every other car — aside from full-size pickups — in the U.S. in 2023. It's not just America's favorite small SUV, either: Australians love the RAV4, too, with the 2024 model setting monthly sales records Down Under. With that much love for the RAV4, it shouldn't be too much of a surprise that one of its many versions ranks as one of Consumer Reports' most satisfying vehicles to own.

Toyota sells gas and hybrid versions of the RAV4, and owners are particularly smitten with the latter version — with 83% of those polled indicating that they would buy or lease one again if they had to. And it's not hard to see why. While it's probably not the most exciting vehicle you can buy, reviews often highlight its practicality, with its good fuel economy, all-wheel-drive, great versatility, and multiple trim levels working together to create an undeniably sensible vehicle to own.

While we haven't tested the PHEV version of the RAV4 — formerly known as the RAV4 Prime — we reviewed the 2024 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid XLE, and our own Adam Doud found it to be an eminently practical and good-value SUV. The RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid is a step up in terms of power, with its combined 302 hp output dwarfing the RAV4 Hybrid's 219 hp, but the core strengths — and general appeal — of the RAV4 should be much the same, no matter the version you go for.

BMW's second entry on the list is the BMW X5, the company's long-running mid-sized luxury SUV. As of the most recent fourth generation, it's also one of a handful of BMW vehicles built in the U.S. — alongside its smaller brothers in the X3 and X4.

Like the BMW i4, Consumer Reports is a big fan of the X5, with BMW's premium SUV outperforming other luxury-minded rivals like the Land Rover Defender and Lincoln Nautilus and coming in first place amongst all the luxury mid-sized SUVs the site has tested thus far — although it has to be said, Lincoln owners seem to love their Nautiluses a little bit more (more on this later, though). Regardless, a healthy 83% of X5 owners polled say they'd buy one again.

Another point of similarity between the X5 and the i4 is the handful of trim levels on offer, ranging from the relatively entry-level sDrive40i and xDrive40i up to the intimidatingly expensive $127,000 X5 M Competition. While the powerful M versions of the X5 — the X5 M60i and X5 M Competition make 523 and 617 hp, respectively — certainly have their appeal, we're quite sure that most owners polled own one of the two standard X5s, which are practical vehicles with great power and handling. That said, those who can afford to pony up nearly $100,000 for the X5 M60i will probably love its V8-powered performance, if the Editor's Choice award we gave it in our review of the car is anything to go by.

The past three vehicles all performed identically in Consumer Reports' survey, with 83% of owners expressing their satisfaction with the vehicle in question. Lexus' ES 300h is a step up from the past three, though admittedly only very slightly: 84% of ES 300h owners responded that they would buy one again, good enough for seventh place.

Lexus' mid-sized sedan is another top performer in Consumer Reports' ratings, with the hybrid version of the company's long-running, and extremely successful four-door topping Consumer Reports' list of luxury midsized cars and earning a recommendation from the outlet. The ES 300h stands out from the pack for its excellent fuel economy, with Lexus estimating a 44 combined mpg from the hybrid powertrain for the 2025 model. The fuel economy is one of the ES 300h's strengths, given the lack of hybrid competition in the segment, but reviews have also noted the 300h's comfortable, effortless ride and comfortable interior as being major plus points for the Japanese luxury sedan.

In our review of the gas-powered 2025 Lexus ES, we weren't quite as impressed — reviewer Chris Davies found the boring driving experience held the car back significantly. That said, he cite the ES' comfy ride, infotainment system, and roomy interior as notable positives. It seems that combination works for quite a few owners, given its place on this list. And if it appeals to you, then the ES 300h may be your best bet.

The first of two Rivian trucks comes in at sixth place, sharing an identical 84% owner satisfaction rating with the car before and after it. The R1S is only the second all-electric vehicle on this list thus far. The R1S is a wholly different beast to the BMW i4, though, being an electric three-row SUV that first launched in 2022.

Unlike most of the vehicles thus far, Consumer Reports isn't all that keen on the R1S: The electric SUV comes in fourth place amongst the three-row electric SUVs the site has tested — and missing out on a CR Recommended award. That said, it's worth noting that Consumer Reports seems to be the outlier: The general consensus is that the R1S' great range, impressive power output, and overall practicality make it an excellent choice for those who want an all-electric seven-seater.

Chris Davies loved the R1S when he reviewed it in 2023. The great looks, beefy power, great battery life, and high-quality interior came together to make the R1S a car that felt "special" and was "more than capable of holding up to traditional luxury players." 

Lexus' NX 450h shares an 84% satisfaction rating with its electrified brethren in the Lexus ES 300h and all-electric Rivian R1S. However, this is a higher-end plug-in hybrid than the ES 300h, with a not-insignificant starting price of $62,000 and a healthy 304 hp from its hybrid powertrain.

The Lexus NX 450h is available in standard AWD guise and a slightly pricer F Sport Handling version. It's the Japanese manufacturer's entry into the luxury compact SUV market, and a good one at that. It was placed in second in Consumer Reports' overall ranking of luxury compact SUVs in late 2024. The site particularly liked the driving experience and predicting good things for owner satisfaction.

We tested the F Sport Handling version in mid-2024 and found that the top-of-the-line version had good handling and comfort, combined with excellent electric range, overall fuel economy, and cargo space — all essential factors for anyone in the market for a PHEV SUV. That said, the north-of-$60,000 MSRP was a bit on the high side for us, and modern Lexus' reputation for being a little bit dull did rear its ugly head again. Lexus also sells a mild hybrid NX 350h, which we liked enough to award the SlashGear Select award in January of 2024. However, it's the plug-in 450h that Consumer Reports members particularly like.

Sitting in fourth place with 86% owner satisfaction is another luxury SUV, the Lincoln Nautilus. The Nautilus is the company's premium mid-sized SUV, with room for five and an options list that can push the price over $70,000. Available with gas-powered or hybrid 2.0-liter inline-four engines since 2023 (when Lincoln moved production to China), the Nautilus is another one of the — admittedly few — vehicles on this list that Consumer Reports likes much less than its members.

Consumer Reports ranks the 2025 Nautilus the eighth-best luxury mid-sized SUV it tested. But it did enjoy the general road-going performance, an aspect that Lincoln has only recently improved: reviewers praised the 2024 Nautilus' engine, handling, and ride quality, all of which are much better than the older models. Journalists have also pointed out the new styling as a particular highlight, and we're inclined to agree there: it's possibly the best-looking SUV on this list.

We drove the 2024 Lincoln Nautilus in March of 2024, with our own Stephen Edelstein's general impression echoing that of other reviews. He found that the 2024 Nautilus looks great, offers a great driving experience, and has a high-quality infotainment system that wouldn't be out of place on a much more expensive SUV. While we're not sure how many of the 86% of satisfied owners have the 2024 model, it looks like the Nautilus is now a bona fide contender in the luxury SUV stakes.

The top three kicks off with one of the many electrified SUVs in Chevrolet's lineup, the Equinox EV. One of the newest vehicles on this list, the Equinox EV debuted in 2024 with two Tesla Model 3-beating features in its cap: an affordable $35,000 starting price, and an impressive 319-mile range — all while being a five-passenger SUV.

Consumer Reports is still putting the Equinox EV through its paces at the time of writing, but the broader automotive world seems to have taken well to Chevy's new EV, with reviews praising the overall quality and competitive pricing. It's admittedly not won any plaudits for driving thrill or outright performance, but that's arguably not the point of the Equinox EV: it's a mainstream crossover, just with electric motors instead of a gasoline-burning engine.

SlashGear's Michael Teo Van Runkle got behind the wheel of an Equinox EV earlier in 2024 and appreciated the electric SUV's range, interior room, and touchscreen-heavy infotainment system. Chevy seems to have hit the nail on the head with the Equinox EV's all-around quality and great price, and Consumer Reports members back it up: 88% of polled Consumer Reports members expressing that they would buy it again. As far as we know, it's also the most affordable electric car with a 300-plus-mile range you can buy in the U.S., a fact that Chevy also proudly proclaims.

The second Rivian offering to make it onto Consumer Reports' list of the 10 most satisfying cars — and the only truck — is the Rivian R1T. First rolling off the assembly line in September 2021, the R1T preceded the R1S by a few months and earned Rivian bragging rights for being the first manufacturer to bring an all-electric pickup truck to market.

Like its seven-seater sibling, the Rivian R1T isn't exactly a glowing success in Consumer Reports' eyes, with the major downside being poor expected reliability — not a good look when prices start at $70,000 for the dual-motor version and climb to around $100,000 for the higher trim levels. Not that Consumer Reports' misgivings have had much of an impact on owners: the majority of R1T owners reported to Consumer Reports being very satisfied with their pickups (in late 2024) — on a level similar to that of the Chevrolet Equinox EV.

When we reviewed the 2024 Rivian R1T Dual-Motor, we gave it an Editor's Choice award, highlighting the pickup's practicality, high-quality cabin, and impressive performance (compared to the quad-motor version). Keep the extra-cost options to a minimum, and the dual-motor R1T even qualifies for U.S. federal tax credits; a nice bonus that may help ease pains like the ever-present EV range anxiety and worries about the charging network in a still-developing EV ecosystem.

Most of the vehicles on this list have been sensible, comfortable, and eminently reasonable choices, with the main differences lying in the sort of buyer they appeal to. But our top performer, and Consumer Reports members' most-loved vehicle, arguably flies in the face of all of that. This is a mid-engined, high-performance sports car. Yes, you're reading it right: Consumer Reports members simply love the Chevrolet Corvette.

It's not a close race, either: the Corvette is the only car that manages to break past the 90% barrier, with 92% of owners willing to buy or lease one again. This one's a genuine supercar killer, with 490 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque available in the Corvette Stingray — climbing to 495 and 470, respectively, with the Z51 package. That's good enough for a 0-60 mph time of 2.9 seconds, all for under $80,000. In that sense, the new Corvette C8 is a bargain, with price-per-horsepower far exceeding mid-engined exotics from brands like Lamborghini. No wonder Consumer Reports members love their Corvettes.

And while the 0-60 mph time may leap off the page, the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray also handles brilliantly, as our own Cameron Aubernon found out when he reviewed it earlier in 2024 — though you'll probably want to pony up for Chevrolet's optional trick magnetic suspension to get the best out of the Corvette in the turns. Not the most obvious winner, then, but well deserved.