What makes a car satisfying to drive? It may seem like a complex, subjective topic, but Consumer Reports essentially boils it down to one question: “Based on price, performance, reliability, comfort, enjoyment, etc., would you buy the same vehicle if you had the chance to do it again?” Consumer Reports’ overall satisfaction score is the percentage of people who answered “yes” to this question in a CR member survey. (The data does provide a more detailed breakdown, which we discuss below.)
It looks like Rivian is doing a really good job at attracting repeat customers: It was the No. 1 brand in the latest Consumer Reports ownership satisfaction ratings. This is the third year in a row that Rivian has held this position (BMW has finished second three times), despite Rivian historically scoring last in reliability. Did it again this year. Rounding out the top 10 in descending order are Subaru, Tesla, Ford, Genesis, Lexus, Toyota, Honda and Chevrolet. Interestingly, Genesis and Chevrolet also join Rivian in the bottom 10 of CR’s 26-brand reliability ranking.
But keep in mind that only brands with at least two models with a “statistically valid” number of survey responses will be considered, which leaves Alfa Romeo, Dodge, Fiat, Infiniti, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lucid, Maserati, Mini, Mitsubishi, Polestar and Porsche excluded from the satisfaction rankings. Rivian has put its R1S SUV and R1T pickup truck through full CR testing, while the smaller R2 SUV has undergone a quick test.
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Rivian dominates in comfort and usability
Rivian R1S Road Trip – Rivian
CR dug deeper, providing rankings in categories such as comfort, ride, in-car storage, usability and cost of ownership, and Rivian bolstered its overall No. 1 spot by leading in both categories. The first refers to the combination of in-car creature comforts and driving experience, and the second refers to the ease of use of the controls.
So it’s no surprise to learn that CR thinks the 2026 Rivian R1S and R1T’s cabins display “high attention to detail” and a “premium, high-tech look.” In fact, when we checked out the premium 2026 Rivian R1T and R1S quad-motor models, our own Collin Woodard raved about the “ridiculously beautiful” interiors, noting, for example, that “even in a lot of luxury cars, a lot of the lower sections were exposed plastic, but now it’s covered.” [vegan] leather. “
The usability results are a bit surprising, since many of the Rivian’s controls must be accessed via the touchscreen, which, as people are starting to realize, is the wrong vehicle interface technology. Additionally, CR’s experts gave the R1S and R1T the lowest usability ratings — remember, satisfaction scores are based on driver input.
For what it’s worth, Rivian seems to be one of the brands rethinking touchscreens and returning to buttons. A recent patent filing shows an unnamed Rivian dashboard that would actually let drivers use not just buttons for key functions, but also dials and sliders.
Rivian also ranked in the top five for results in driving, cabin storage and cost of ownership
Rivian R1T in the parking lot – Rivian
The Rivian placed second in the Driving category, which looks at performance and handling, but the other result was a bit odd. The number one brand here is one that many owners don’t seem to like about their business. Yes, Tesla’s so-called self-driving technology doesn’t stop it from overtaking the Rivian. The leader in cabin storage is Ram, with Rivian in fifth place, and Tesla and Rivian are split 1-2 on cost of ownership (including fuel, maintenance, etc.). This ownership ranking is even more surprising when you recall that Rivian ranks last in reliability.
Ultimately, this means Rivian is the only brand to make the top six in all five personal satisfaction categories. In contrast, BMW ranked highly only in the areas of driving and comfort, despite ranking second overall. Tesla, meanwhile, performed well in every category except comfort, finishing fourth overall.
This brings us to one final data point that CR didn’t mention when explaining its satisfaction rankings—although it’s one that shoppers should definitely know about. It turns out that if you look into individual CR reviews for the Rivian R1S and R1T (the only two vehicles currently fully tested by Consumer Reports), you’ll find that their predicted values (based on whether drivers feel they’re getting what they expected for the price they paid) are considered “fair.” The R1S ranked sixth overall among the eight three-row electric SUVs CR tested, while the R1T ranked fourth among the four all-electric pickup trucks. Like the range on these vehicles, your mileage will undoubtedly vary based on real-world satisfaction.
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