Mercedes-Benz has taken the top spot in the 2026 American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) Automobile Study, becoming America’s highest-rated luxury automaker for customer satisfaction. The result comes as several major luxury brands saw their scores change, including a sharp decline for 2025 leader Lexus.
Mercedes-Benz Leads the Luxury Rankings
Mercedes-Benz posted an ACSI score of 81 for 2026, enough to lead the luxury rankings despite a one-point decline from its 2025 score of 82.
Audi moved into second place after improving three points, rising from 77 in 2025 to 80 in 2026. Lexus, meanwhile, experienced one of the largest declines among the luxury brands, falling from 87 to 78 and giving up the top position it held in 2025.
Lexus is now tied with Tesla, which dropped from 81 to 78. BMW recorded a modest improvement, increasing one point from 75 to 76.
| Luxury Brand | 2025 Score | 2026 Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes-Benz | 82 | 81 | -1 |
| Audi | 77 | 80 | +3 |
| Lexus | 87 | 78 | -9 |
| Tesla | 81 | 78 | -3 |
| BMW | 75 | 76 | +1 |
| Lincoln | — | 76 | New |
| Acura | 78 | 75 | -3 |
| Infiniti | — | 73 | New |
| Cadillac | 81 | 69 | -12 |
Source: American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) Automobile Study 2025 and 2026.
BMW’s 76-point score placed it ahead of Acura, Lincoln, Infiniti and Cadillac, while remaining behind Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Lexus and Tesla. Lincoln also scored 76, followed by Acura at 75 and Infiniti at 73.
Cadillac recorded the largest decline shown in the rankings, dropping 12 points from 81 in 2025 to 69 in 2026.
What Luxury Car Owners Rated
The ACSI rankings are based on feedback from vehicle owners rather than reviews or dealership awards. For the 2026 study, ACSI collected 6,699 surveys from owners between July 2025 and June 2026.
Owners evaluated multiple aspects of their ownership experience rather than focusing on a single category. The survey covered areas including comfort, performance, safety, reliability, technology, interior and exterior appearance, fuel economy, warranties and resale value.
The study also asked owners about mobile apps, websites and how effectively complaints are handled. These results, along with other factors not disclosed by ACSI, are combined into a single score ranging from 0 to 100.
Customer Satisfaction Shapes Luxury Rankings
The 2026 results show significant movement among luxury automakers. Mercedes-Benz moved into first place with a score of 81, while Audi improved to 80 and Lexus fell to 78 after leading the rankings in 2025.
The study focuses on how owners experience their vehicles in everyday life, including the quality, reliability, technology, service-related elements and overall value they encounter during ownership.
For luxury automakers, the latest ACSI results provide a snapshot of customer satisfaction based on thousands of owner surveys collected across the country between July 2025 and June 2026.
