Skip to main content

Tesla scores auto industry best ‘consumer experience’ in global study

Tesla just scored a win in consumer experience rankings. Group XP, an international brand and marketing strategy research network, released its study of 43,000 brands in 46 industries worldwide. The goal of the study was to recognize brand leaders based on customer experience. Tesla ranked No. 1 for the auto industry and No. 20 overall, according to Electrek.

The research group evaluated companies on four factors: “Impression: Stand for something unique; Interaction: Deliver on your most important needs; Responsiveness: Have better online services and engaging content; [and] Resilience: Strive to make people’s future lives better through higher brand purpose.”

Recommended Videos

With those four criteria, Tesla scored 116.79. The next-best score in the automotive category was BMW at 114.19. Mercedes-Benz scored 111.98 and Ferrari 111,70. The three top brands for 2016 were Pampers (149.99), Disney (134.22), and PayPal (129.91).

Tesla’s energy products and Supercharger network contributed to Group XP’s extremely positive impression of the company. Here’s the study’s somewhat breathless description about Tesla:

“Who else but Tesla could take on a heavily entrenched industry like automotive and turn it on its head? Having launched highly rated, luxury-valued electric cars, Tesla has gone on to inspire and expand a roadside recharging network and build the world’s biggest Giga battery factory while also advancing the concept of driverless autos from science fiction fantasy to widely anticipated reality.

“The breathtaking completeness of Tesla’s vision and ability to execute matches other, more established breakthrough leaders like Ikea and Amazon.”

Group XP also commented on customer engagement and loyalty, which Electrek noted is easily seen in Tesla owner forums. “They lead their category, have devoted fans and are extremely difficult to copy or compete against.”

To read more about the Group XP 2016 Experience Index, the top 30 winners, how it was compiled, and consumer experience profile themes and specifics among the top scoring companies, you can see the full study at this link.

Bruce Brown
Bruce Brown Contributing Editor   As a Contributing Editor to the Auto teams at Digital Trends and TheManual.com, Bruce…
I tried an e-bike for the first time and now I’m hooked
It’s not about being a 'bike person', it’s about finding small upgrades to everyday life
A woman sitting on the Aventon Pace 4

Before this year, I’d never even touched an e-bike before, and the thought of riding one was never on my radar. With life already in constant motion thanks to two toddlers, biking wasn’t something I ever considered adding to the mix.

I’d always assumed e-bikes were for hardcore commuters or serious cyclists, not someone like me. I wasn’t looking for a big lifestyle change. I just wanted a quicker way to get to the park so we’d have more time to play before dinner.

Read more
This week in EV tech: Audi exemplifies auto industry’s EV holding pattern
Close-up of 2025 Audi SQ5 grille, headlight, and badge.

The road to the future runs through the present, and it’s not a straight line. This week, we’re focusing on how Audi is negotiating the twists and turns on the way to an electrified future. EVs are here to stay at Audi, but a gasoline crossover SUV is still the automaker’s bestselling model, and it’s not ready to risk those sales just yet. That’s why the 2025 Audi Q5 received a top-to-bottom overhaul for this model year, bringing its tech features and styling up to date without altering the what has proven to be a very popular package. By maintaining parallel lineups of electric and internal-combustion cars, Audi hopes to give customers more choices. But that doesn’t completely level the playing field. The new Q5 may have yesterday’s powertrain, but Audi isn’t holding back on tech. It features the same electrical architecture, operating system, and three-screen dashboard display as the latest Audi EVs, like the Q6 e-tron. So aside from a little engine noise, there’s little difference in what you can see and interact with from the driver’s seat. It’s not just the infotainment systems. The Q5 and Q6 e-tron are close in size, with similar space for passengers across their two rows of seats. The Q6 e-tron has a bit more cargo space, but not as much as you’d think given the lack of a bulky engine, transmission, and driveshafts. The two SUVs also have similar styling but, having now driven both, we can say that the Q5 is the more pleasant of the two.

More than a difference of powertrain tech

Read more
Take a peek inside the factory making tomorrow’s ride
A Zoox robotaxi.

Amazon-owned Zoox has opened its first facility producing fully autonomous robotaxis. 

A video (above) released by the California-based company offers a peek inside the factory, which, when it reaches full capacity, could roll out as many as 10,000 autonomous vehicles per year.

Read more