- What factors does owner satisfaction cover?
- Drivers will probably hate the Ford EcoSport small SUV
- Consider skipping the Kia Seltos subcompact SUV
- The Jeep Renegade clearly isn’t for everyone
- The Fiat 500X subcompact SUV is the worst of them all
Consumer Reports is frequently at odds with drivers and other automotive critics about the quality of certain vehicles. One car that might have a glowing review from KBB can also fail to impress CR’s testers.
Regardless, Consumer Reports is usually spot-on when determining predicted owner satisfaction. This judges how much drivers will enjoy the vehicle they purchased, then compares that opinion to CR’s stance. Today, we’re looking at four 2022 subcompact SUVs that CR hated: and the site is sure that you’ll feel the same.
What factors does owner satisfaction cover?
Consumer Reports asks each surveyed driver if they felt that the vehicle in question was worth its asking price. Survey participants are also asked for their opinions on the vehicle’s exterior styling and interior details.
A low owner’s satisfaction score indicates that a vehicle probably doesn’t offer the best driving experience. This score is determined by both the car’s speed and routine driving dynamics.
Comfort is another important ranking category determined by a vehicle’s ride and interior seat quality. At the end of the survey, drivers are asked if they would buy the same car in the future.
Drivers will probably hate the Ford EcoSport small SUV
2022 Ford EcoSport | The Ford Motor Company
The 2022 Ford EcoSport subcompact SUV had the lowest amount of repeat buyers compared to any of its peers. It received below-average scores in comfort, overall styling, and performance. Consumer Reports testers also didn’t enjoy their time inside this vehicle, citing a clunky transmission and a noisy ride as the culprits.
The Ford EcoSport also isn’t very fast, needing almost 11 seconds to reach 60 mph. The cargo area has an inconvenient swinging door instead of one that lifts up, and the driver’s seat isn’t very accommodating. The EcoSport’s standard safety offerings include just a backup camera and MyKey, making it a poor value at $22,040.
Consider skipping the Kia Seltos subcompact SUV
The Kia Seltos has a higher overall owner satisfaction rating, but most drivers still didn’t think it was worth the price. While it’s decently fast and gets good mileage, Consumer Reports despised the Seltos subcompact SUV for its jittery ride and near-constant noise levels. CR also awarded it an extremely low reliability rating in a few areas, including the transmission quality.
Still, most drivers were satisfied with this car’s handling and ride quality. It also got high marks in the styling category, and many drivers said they would purchase the Seltos again.
The Jeep Renegade clearly isn’t for everyone
The Jeep Renegade’s styling attracts a lot of fans, but this subcompact SUV falls short in every other category. Consumer Reports warns drivers about the Renegade’s unsteady ride, heavy steering, and sluggish transmission. In real-world fuel economy testing, it only earns 24 mpg combined.
Inside, the seats don’t offer much support, and drivers will encounter a lot of blind spots. Unless you shell out more cash for the Trailhawk trim, you probably won’t get much off-roading fun out of this SUV. Most drivers also didn’t think it was worth the $24,695 entry fee.
The Fiat 500X subcompact SUV is the worst of them all
Barely anyone would buy the Fiat 500X again, likely due to its abundance of performance issues. While Consumer Reports appreciated this subcompact SUV’s small footprint, its ride quality can feel unbearable at times. The Fiat 500X’s engine feels too slow, the brakes are unrefined, and the transmission stalls between gears.
Fuel economy is only 23 mpg combined in real-world driving. None of the Fiat 500X’s seats provide long-term comfort, and there’s very little cargo area to speak of. It has some fancy exterior elements, but the rest of the experience definitely isn’t worth $27,965.
Keyword: 4 Terrible 2022 Subcompact SUVs That Consumer Reports Predicts Owners Will Hate