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Every year, Consumer Reports polls the owners of three-year-old cars. It asks them how many complaints they have, how many repairs they’ve completed, and for ratings in categories such as comfort, driving experience, usability, and ownership costs. This year, Infiniti came in dead-last. Nissan’s luxury badge had the distinction of being the only brand with an approval rating below 50% when 57% of owners told CR they wouldn’t buy their Infiniti again if given the chance.

Nissan is a Japanese automaker that started as Datsun in 1914. It was part of a larger corporation which started using the stock exchange abbreviation “Nissan” in the 1930s. In a bid to compete with Cadillac and Lincoln, the Nissan corporation introduced luxury cars with the “Infiniti” badge to the North American market in 1989.

Infiniti car sign hanging above an automotive dealership.
Infiniti dealership | P L via Unsplash

Nissan has won many devoted fans. The Datsun 240Z debuted in 1970 and quickly earned a reputation as a muscle car alternative with Japanese reliability. Nissan still builds “Z” cars today. Nissan also offers midsize and full-size pickups and SUVs. And in many parts of the world, Nissan 4x4s are as popular among die-hard off-roaders as Toyotas.

That said, U.S. owners of three-year-old cars polled by Consumer Reports are not too happy with their Nissans or their Infinitis. CR collected data on 29 brands. Nissan ranked 27th, with 45% of owners saying they would not buy their car again. Volkswagen came in below Nissan, with 49% of the owners reporting buyers’ remorse. Then, as mentioned, Infiniti came in dead last with 57% of buyers saying they’d do it all differently if they could.

The Infiniti logo on the grille of a luxury automobile.
Infiniti grille | Giorgio Trovato via Unsplash

The only category where Infiniti came in dead last was comfort. Volkswagen had the worst ranking in both driving experience and usability. I expect Infiniti’s last-place finish is due, in part, to these vehicles being more expensive. When owners were asked if they would buy their Infiniti again, they may have decided that they’d be better off with something cheaper.

So which brands got the best rankings? All told, 86% of Rivian drivers would buy their EV again. In addition, 77% of Mini buyers are happy with their purchase, 76% of both Porsche and BMW owners have no regrets, and 74% of Tesla owners say their EV was a good buy. Hyundai’s luxury brand (Genesis) and Toyota’s luxury brand (Lexus) tied with 73%.

Next, find out how Tesla is no longer the “most loved” car brand, or see whether a used Infiniti is worth its cheap price in the video below:

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Staff Writer

Henry Cesari

Henry Cesari joined MotorBiscuit in 2021 and brings his deep interest in vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles to the site. Having restored his first classic car at just 16 years old, Henry has wrenched on everything from overland campers to Japanese motorcycles and even pre-war Bugattis. Henry is also an avid attendee at local car shows and genuinely enjoys connecting with fellow auto enthusiasts.

Henry earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and English from the University of Vermont. He has since incorporated his love of the written word with his admiration of classic cars. While Henry is interested in vintage cars, he believes the golden age of cars is yet to come. He is confident journalists will play an important role in this revolution by exposing the industry as it is now and envisioning its possible future.