Every year, Consumer Reports looks at drivers’ perception of the various car brands, and then ranks them from best to worst. The most recent report looks at data collected over the past year concerning consumers’ opinions on seven categories for each brand – quality, safety, value, performance, technology/innovation, environmentally-friendly/green and design/style. Toyota, Ford and Honda were ranked the highest in terms of customer satisfaction. Toyota and Honda both saw improvements over last year’s scores, while Ford’s high score remained unchanged. Other brands did not fare as well. Scion, Mitsubishi and Ram were at the bottom of the barrel with the worst overall scores.

“This past year brought stability and increased sales to much of the automotive industry. Yet, the brand awareness scores for some like BMW, Buick and Hyundai have declined,” said Jeff Bartlett, deputy auto editor online for Consumer Reports. “The data shows that is has become harder for companies to compete for share of mind. Consumers are not seeing as much differentiation between brands as they have in the past.”

It is important to note that this ranking is not demonstrative of the actual quality and level of safety of cars. Rather, it reflects how drivers feel about the vehicles they own and have driven. The report can prove to be a useful tool for car shoppers, as it may help them decide between two vehicles, if one brand was ranked well below another.

However, a brand that ranks lower on this list does not necessarily produce low-quality vehicles. A car that was not right for some may still be a perfect fit for you. You can find a wide selection of makes and models at NJ State Auto Auction. No matter which brand you prefer, you can drive off the lot with confidence, as every model is CARFAX certified.