Fact Checked
How we rate luxury cars
Our review compares luxury cars on customer satisfaction, so you can find out what other Aussies think about the compared brands before you go ahead with a purchase. Think of it as like asking hundreds of your closest mates which luxury car they think is best!
How many Australians do we survey for our ratings?
Canstar Blue surveyed 156 Australians for their feedback on the new luxury car(s) they’ve purchased in the last five years.
- The outcomes reported in these ratings are measured via accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics.
What criteria are used to rate luxury car brands?
Respondents rate their satisfaction with their luxury car brand(s) from zero to ten, where zero is extremely dissatisfied and ten is extremely satisfied. Brand satisfaction was rated by respondents on the following criteria:
- Overall satisfaction: measures consumer satisfaction with a luxury car brand as an individual score NOT a combined total of all criteria.
- Reliability: the luxury car operates consistently and as expected.
- Value for money: the cost is reasonable for the quality and performance of the luxury car.
- Driving experience: the luxury car responds well to actions, including acceleration and handling, and is comfortable to be behind the wheel of.
- Appearance: the luxury car brand looks appealing externally and internally.
- Upgrades & extras: the luxury car brand has a range of additional upgrades and extras available to purchase.
- Customer service: the luxury car brand’s staff were readily available to contact, and help with questions or solve issues that arose.
- Features: the luxury car brand includes a range of useful elements covering performance and comfort.
How do we determine the winner?
The winning brand is the one that receives the highest Overall satisfaction rating once all the scores from the Overall satisfaction criteria are combined and averaged.
- Overall satisfaction is asked as a specific question and represents an individual measure, not a combined total of all criteria.
- When we cannot determine a clear winner from the criteria for the Overall satisfaction rating, we will then look at the other criteria measured in the rating.
- The brand with the highest number of five-star ratings within the supporting criteria will become the five-star recipient in overall satisfaction, and thus win the award. If a clear leader still cannot be determined from the supporting criteria, joint winners will be declared.
Which luxury car brands do we rate?
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included, so not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The brands rated in this survey are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.
- Mercedes
- BMW
- Audi
Find more detailed information on our Most Satisfied Customer methodology.
Top Luxury Car Brand – Mercedes
Arguably one of the most well-known car brands in the world, German brand Mercedes-Benz was founded in 1926, but has a heritage that dates back to 1883, with the brand today offering a wide range of small cars, sedans, SUVs, coupes and the AMG sports models. The Mercedes S-Class Saloon is arguably the most luxurious of the luxury car brand’s line-up, and features retractable door handles, ambient lighting, Head-Up Display, 15-speaker audio system, climatised front seats, Active Lane Keeping Assist, AIRMATIC suspension for a more comfortable ride, rear-axle steering for improve control, and a petrol engine capable of 280kW output, giving you equals part luxury, and equal parts thrill ride.
- Mercedes was rated five stars for reliability, value for money, driving experience, upgrades & extras, customer service, features and overall satisfaction, with four stars for appearance.
Compare more products featured in our Most Satisfied Customers Awards
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About our consumer experts
Dean Heckscher: Site Editor
This report was written by Canstar Blue’s Site Editor, Dean Heckscher. He’s our resident expert on all things automotive, health & fitness, streaming and more. Dean is also one of Canstar Blue’s customer research report producers, helping to turn complicated subjects into easily-digestible information for our readers. He’s passionate about helping consumers make better-informed purchase decisions on all manner of consumer goods and services.
Meet the Editorial Team
Samantha Howse: Consumer Research Specialist
Samantha Howse is Canstar Blue’s Consumer Research Specialist, coordinating the consumer research program behind our customer satisfaction awards across Canstar and Canstar Blue in Australia and New Zealand. Sam has earned a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from Griffith University and, with seven years in market research and 2 years in marketing, she is experienced in survey design, implementation and analysis, coupled with an understanding of marketing principles and best practice.
Meet the Research Team
Past Winners
Which brands have previously won Canstar Blue’s Customer Satisfaction Award?
Here are the past winners from Canstar Blue’s luxury car ratings:
- 2022: Mercedes
- 2021: Mercedes
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