Consumers’ satisfaction with new vehicles’ design and performance is showing marked improvement after a bad run, though one aspect still exasperates them.

A newly released J.D. Power study found overall satisfaction up two points year-over-year to 847 on a 1,000-point scale after two straight years of declines.

Respondents to the survey, which J.D. Power conducted between July 2023 and this past May of those who'd owned their cars 90 days, particularly like non-Tesla electric vehicles, indicating the most satisfaction in that category ever, or 877 points.

“Traditional manufacturers have listened to the voice of the customer,” Senior Director of Auto Benchmarking Frank Hanley. “They’re launching enhanced vehicles that are more in line with what customers want, including improved interior storage and higher quality materials, as well as ensuring features have ease of use.”

Automakers still have many miles to go on one part of the new-vehicle experience: infotainment, which has consistently drawn low marks on the survey.

The category did improve in poll results by five points to 823, though still a low score compared to other vehicle aspects. Satisfaction proved greater for users of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, suggesting owners prefer the simplicity of using their phones for infotainment purposes over automaker-provided systems, said J.D. Power, which pointed too unnecessary complexity as a key factor.

Brands topping overall rankings are Porsche among premium models and MINI in the mass-market segment.