Total buyer satisfaction with the acquisition expertise amongst inner combustion engine (ICE) automobile consumers has declined for the primary time since 2017 with an industry-wide satisfaction rating of 758 (on a 1,000-point scale), down 3 factors from 2024, in line with the J.D. Energy 2025 China Gross sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Examine,SM launched at this time. Moreover, premium and mass market manufacturers rating 762 and 757 factors, respectively, declining 5 and a pair of factors yr over yr. The hole between the 2 segments has additional narrowed to five factors in 2025 from 8 factors in 2024.
The examine measures buyer satisfaction with the acquisition expertise amongst new-vehicle consumers and rejectors, outlined as those that severely take into account a model however in the end buy one other model.
The examine finds that the net procuring expertise scores the bottom amongst all elements (780 for premium and 782 for mass market manufacturers). In the meantime, satisfaction amongst rejectors drops. The common satisfaction rating amongst rejectors has decreased 24 factors, in contrast with a 5-point drop a yr in the past. Amongst rejectors of mass market manufacturers, the decline is 26 factors. In contrast with 2024, the biggest declines in satisfaction amongst rejectors are seen within the communication earlier than go to and reception elements (down 23 and 24 factors, respectively, for premium manufacturers and 32 factors every, respectively, for mass market manufacturers).
“Conventional gross sales service fashions are being restructured as automobile buyers achieve extra entry to data on model APPs, automotive media and neighborhood software. All these channels speed up their decision-making processes” mentioned Ann Xie, common supervisor of the digital retail consulting apply at J.D. Energy China. “Manufacturers and dealerships have to reconstruct a seamless end-to-end service expertise that integrates on-line and offline channels to enhance satisfaction. For instance, by gathering buyers’ preferences as they browse automobiles on-line by way of model apps, predicting their wants, and promptly synchronizing this information with in-store gross sales groups, manufacturers can create a seamless data circulation from on-line inquiries to offline take a look at drives—in the end elevating the expertise throughout your entire buy journey. Following in-store take a look at drives, manufacturers can leverage digital instruments like post-test-drive satisfaction check-ins to develop agile service responses based mostly on real-time suggestions information, additional boosting satisfaction with the car-buying course of.”
Following are some key findings of the 2025 examine:
- Extra outlined buy choices and shorter choice cycles: The automobile buy course of is accelerating as buyers develop into extra knowledgeable. In 2025, 76.4% of buyers already had a transparent model/mannequin in thoughts when procuring, up 7 proportion factors from 2024. Moreover, 52% of consumers reached a purchase order settlement inside every week with the primary dealership they visited, in contrast with solely 40% in 2024.
- Take a look at drives and professionalism of gross sales employees are key elements: The proportion of consumers this yr who say the take a look at drive was the decisive issue has risen 4.6 proportion factors in comparison with 2024. The salesperson’s capacity to elucidate options and supply skilled insights throughout the take a look at drive turns into extra vital—40% of consumers say the professionalism of the salesperson throughout the take a look at drive had the best influence on their choice, up 4.5 proportion factors from 2024.
- Extra ICE house owners take into account NEVs however reject earlier than dealership go to: The proportion of ICE automobile house owners contemplating new vitality automobiles (NEVs) has risen to 21.4% this yr from 15.7% in 2024. Nevertheless, 50.2% of them rejected the acquisition earlier than the static in-store viewing part—up from 42.2% in 2024. Notably, causes associated to salespeople and dealerships (e.g., sluggish response, poor understanding of wants, lack of accessible automobiles) account for a rising proportion of rejection, growing 3.8 proportion factors yr over yr.
Examine Rankings
Land Rover ranks highest amongst premium manufacturers with a rating of 775. Audi (772) ranks second. Porsche (767) ranks third.
GAC Honda ranks highest amongst mass market manufacturers with a rating of 779. Dongfeng Honda and GAC Toyota rank second in a tie, every with a rating of 776.
Chery ranks highest amongst Chinese language home manufacturers with a rating of 766. GAC Trumpchi (765) ranks second. CHANGAN and Haval rank third in a tie, every with a rating of 760.
The China Gross sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Examine measures gross sales satisfaction amongst new-vehicle consumers and rejectors. Purchaser satisfaction is predicated on seven measures: supply course of (19%); deal (17%); showroom go to (15%); on-line expertise (14%); reception (14%); take a look at drive (11%) and communication earlier than go to (11%). Rejector satisfaction is predicated on six measures: on-line expertise (24%); reception (19%); communication earlier than go to (21%); showroom go to (15%); take a look at drive (11%) and negotiation (10%).[1]
The 2025 examine is predicated on responses from 9,773 automobile house owners in 81 main cities who bought their new automobile between July 2024 and March 2025. The examine was fielded from January 2025 by way of Might 2025. The 2025 examine Contains 36 purchaser manufacturers and 74 rejector manufacturers; amongst them, 33 manufacturers achieved ample samples in each the client and rejector elements.
[1] The weights are introduced in rounded kind, and the precise calculation is predicated on decimal locations.
SOURCE: J.D. Energy
