There’s Only 1 Excellent Entry-Level Luxury SUV Consumer Reports Predicts Owners Will Love
The entry-level luxury SUV segment abounds with 2022 models that have earned decent or high scores in Consumer Reports road testing, such as the Mini Cooper Countryman, Audi Q3, and BMW X2. However, none of those vehicles received a good or high mark for predicted owner satisfaction. The only SUV in that category to do so is the Volvo XC40. What does Consumer Reports’ predicted owner satisfaction rating mean, and why is the 2022 Volvo XC40 the lone entry-level luxury SUV likely to make drivers happy?
What is Consumer Reports’ predicted owner satisfaction rating?
Consumer Reports collects numerous data points from car owners to create ratings and predictions for cars, trucks, SUVs, and other vehicles. One of the consumer site’s major categories is predicted owner satisfaction. It reflects how current owners view a specific model and whether they would buy it again if given a do-over.
CR’s predicted owner satisfaction rating often aligns with expert reviews of the same vehicles, but exceptions exist. Some vehicles with low predicted owner satisfaction ratings, due to issues such as poor performance in road testing or low predicted reliability ratings from CR, end up with high marks from automotive critics because these models are still a blast to drive or have new features that make them a compelling pick.
In other cases, CR’s predicted owner satisfaction ratings are high, but experts end up disappointed in the vehicle and give it low marks. Either way, it’s all just data, and the only way to know for sure if a consumer will be satisfied with their purchase is to buy the vehicle and drive it for a while.
Here’s the only 2022 entry-level luxury SUV to earn a Consumer Reports recommendation and a high predicted owner satisfaction rating
Of all of the new entry-level luxury SUV options on the market, only one received a good rating for predicted owner satisfaction from Consumer Reports: the 2022 Volvo XC40. That’s interesting because it ranks fourth out of 13 in its segment, with three other models receiving higher marks in CR road testing: the 2022 Mini Cooper Countryman, 2022 Buick Encore, and 2022 Lexus UX.
Unfortunately for them, all the other vehicles received only an average mark or lower for predicted owner satisfaction, though the Countryman and Encore earned excellent marks for predicted reliability. That could mean the Countryman and Encore are good, practical choices overall, but they don’t provide that special something that other vehicles do when drivers get behind the wheel.
The 2022 Volvo XC40 offers a stylish design, which might have been enough to push it above the others in predicted owner satisfaction.
Pros and cons of the 2022 Volvo XC40
Consumer Reports praises the 2022 Volvo XC40 for its interior comfort. The front seats are exceptionally cozy, and the entire cabin exudes a relaxing ambiance. It’s also helpful that the interior remains relatively quiet when this luxury SUV is in motion.
However, CR mentions some notable drawbacks to the Volvo XC40, including its handling. It packs a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine but still struggles to accelerate satisfyingly. The reviewers also note it sometimes makes an unpleasant grinding sound, and it isn’t the slickest when changing gears. In addition, they mention the bumpy ride and annoying infotainment controls.
Overall, the 2022 Volvo XC40 is a good entry-level luxury SUV, especially given its modest starting price of $35,100. But you might be better off choosing a highly rated model even if its predicted owner satisfaction score isn’t as great as the XC40’s.
