Best Car Brands of 2016

Taking a tumble from the 2nd highest in customer satisfaction in 2015, Acura checks in dead last on our best car brands of 2016 countdown. Not just the lowest scoring Japanese brand in the US, Acura checked in with an overall American Customer Satisfaction Index score of just 76. This represents a 8 percent tumble from the 2015 score of 83. The Acura NSX might not even garner enough excitement to save this car brand from a disgraceful showing in 2016.

Diesel Emissions scandal not withstanding, Volkswagen has seen better days. Dropping two points from a year ago, VW checks in with an overall score of 78 on the ACSI. This makes it the second worst ranked in our best car brands countdown of 2016. They have been working hard to reverse their image and restore consumer faith however, but as this best car brands countdown shows there's still a lot of work ahead.

Jeep has been hard at work, with quite a few additions to the new vehicle lineup. However issues with several recalls centered around the confusing and clumsy shift mechanism caused Jeep to dip 3 points. Jeep scored a 78 on the overall score in the American Customer Satisfaction Index of 2016.

Checking in with an overall score of 78 for 2016, Dodge has done well to revamp their vehicle line. However with the demise of the Viper and a continuing downward trend in customer satisfaction from a year ago, Dodge could be in trouble. What's worse, Dodge is no longer the best selling Fiat-Chrysler brand which makes it's poor showing in 2016 harder to stomach.

Suffering through another dismal year, Mitsubishi has struggled to regain footing in the United States. It got so bad this year that Nissan had to buy them out, basically saving all of Mitsubishi North American operations at the same time. What's worse they've been connected to yet another fuel scandal, resulting in their president stepping down.

The Evolution is dead, and Mitsubishi's leading seller is the Outlander, leaving much of the Japanese lineup in question.

Steadily climbing up the consumer satisfaction ladder, Kia scored a 79 this year in the 2016 American Consumer Satisfaction Index. There's still quite a ways to go before catching up to their South Korean counterpart in Hyundai however.

Chrysler checks in as one of the best car brands of 2016, improving their score of 74 from a year ago. In the 2016 American Customer Satisfaction Index, Chrysler scored a 79 giving it higher marks than some of the other vehicles in it's class. Chrysler has done well in the mid-size and full size sedan market, and we've featured it as one of the best car brands for this category.

Once known as "The Standard of the World" Cadillac has slipped in the last few years. Despite their aggressive redesigned sedans, Cadillac dropped a point in the ACSI in 2016. Checking in on our best car brands list with a 79 score, Cadillac scores below average at best.

Scoring a 17th place finish in 2016, Buick underperformed in the American Customer Satisfaction Index. Checking in on our list of best car brands with just a 79 score, Buick will look to rebound in 2017.

Rebounding from a poor 2015 rating in the ACSI, Nissan picked up 3 more points to put up a score of 80 in consumer satisfaction. Nissan's strong year also extends into their product line, and their recent acquisition of Mitsubishi.

Mazda has done exceptionally well with consumers in 2016, with a score of 80. Although this is still average for our best car brands of 2016 countdown, it's a huge turnaround from 5 years ago for the Japanese manufacturer.

The German luxury brand has been on a steady decline in the ACSI rankings for the past 3 years, and it's downward trend continues in 2016. Still an excellent overall brand and great choice for the discerning luxury sedan shopper, Mercedes scored just a 81, representing an overall 6 percent decline over the past 3 years.

The South Korean car maker has been a story of success, with a steady ACSI score over the past 3 years. Hyundai checks in with a overall score of 81 which shows a lasting power for Hyundai among consumers.

The Blue Oval has been a steady entry on the best car brands ranking in the American Consumer Satisfaction Index, but they couldn't overcome Chevy in 2016. Scoring an overall score of 81 on the ranking, Ford has been extremely aggressive with the new Fusion sedan.

They've even built a AWD, 365 horsepower version that could change many opinions. Check it out at my.prostreetonline.com.

After years of lagging behind Ford, Chevy broke through in consumer satisfaction in 2016. With a score of 83, the Bowtie surged ahead of the competition. In fact Chevy is the second highest scoring GM brand on this list of best car brands of 2016 countdown

Making the leap from 18th place in 2015, Audi rebounded strong in 2016 to the 9th best auto manufacturer. Checking in with an overall score of 83, the German luxury brand has improved their consumer relations tremendously this past year.

Having enjoyed tremendous success since it's launch in the US, Subaru suffered a slight dip in 2016. Ranking 8th however is no shame, despite the combined score of 84. However Subaru was ranked in the top five just a year ago, a sign that the competition may be catching up.

Toyota has been hard at work, expanding their luxury brand and Lexus is starting to truly take on a new image. New Lexus vehicles like the GS F and the LC500 are making their mark in the luxury segment. Their Global projects include such incredible inventions like a cardboard IS or the Lexus hoverboard.

Infiniti made huge strides from a year ago, where they were ranked the lowest Japanese auto maker. Leaping to the 6th best in our best car brands countdown of 2016, Infiniti has also expanded their product offering. Along with Lexus / Toyota, Infiniti is truly setting a clear line between Japanese auto makers in the US.

Jumping up 6 points from a year ago, GMC opens the top 5 best car brands in the United States in 2016. GMC is also the most well received brand among all of their sub-brands. It's an extremely good sign of progress by GMC over the past 10 years.

After saying Scion-ara to their popular sub-brand, Toyota is looking to the future after a great 2016 from a consumer satisfaction perspective. With an overall score of 85 in the ACSI, the fourth largest auto maker is well represented in the United States.

Tied with Toyota for the third spot, BMW scored a 85 in the American Customer Satisfaction Index. This represents the second year in a row that both car makers were tied in a final overall score.

It's been a great year for Honda, with the release of the all new Honda Civic and Civic Sedan. What's more Honda enthusiasts are extremely excited about the return of the Civic hatchback, and the Civic Type R. Powered by the robust VTEC turbo Earth Dreams engine, Honda is taking aim at 2017 with an eye at being the top rated car manufacturer.

Barely edging out Honda for the top spot in our best car brands of 2016 countdown, Lincoln vastly outperformed it's parent company in Ford. It's a positive sign for the American car maker, who just a few years ago was struggling to regain footing. Through a careful and well implemented change in design and philosophy, Lincoln has been reborn