Revealed: the most (and least) loved cars for 2023

The Toyota RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid has been crowned the most satisfying new car to own, in the 2023 Which? car survey.

The Best Buy large SUV comfortably got the nod over more ‘premium’ rivals from traditional luxury brands in our annual poll, which, this year, took in feedback on 59,921 individual cars.

The RAV4 plug-in hybrid scored well in our own lab and road tests due to its superb practicality and comfort, as well as its excellent real-world fuel economy even when the battery is depleted – not something that can be said of many heavy plug-in hybrid models. Read our full Toyota RAV4 plug-in hybrid review for more.

From the owner responses we received, it's exactly this all-round everyday appeal, rather than any specific aspect of the car, that’s shone through.

Best hybrid cars for 2023: find out how the Toyota RAV4 compares to its closest rivals

What’s the secret to the Toyota RAV4’s appeal?

'It’s got great comfort, it’s great value and has a really good mix of plug-in electric and separate hybrid,' enthused one happy owner we heard from.

Another commented: 'It’s relaxing and comfortable to drive, with very good acceleration, has plenty of room for passengers and luggage, and is exceptionally economical.'

Toyota’s enviable reputation for reliability is likely also a factor and plays no small part in why both it and its luxury brand Lexus – the only manufacturers to offer warranty cover on cars up to 10 years old – perform so well for customer satisfaction.

Gaining equal satisfaction scores with the RAV4 were a brace of older used Lexus models, the RX hybrid luxury SUV (2009-2015) and the IS hybrid saloon (2013-2020).

'I haven't been disappointed even though the car is now 12 years old,' said one of many happy RX hybrid owners.

Find out which other manufacturers are performing well for dependability, in our guide to the most reliable car brands

Racy appeal fails to hit the mark

Confirming that getting the mundane aspect of everyday driving spot on is key, the Alpine A110 sports car sits at the very bottom of our owner satisfaction rankings, for both new and used models.

When it arrived in 2018, the A110 was a breath of fresh air in a shrinking sports car market. We judged it to be a ‘true driver’s car’, for its agility, performance and well-judged ride comfort.

While this focused setup hasn’t been lost on thrill-seeking owners, everyday usability has been severely compromised, with its tiny boot, basic infotainment system and lack of refinement coming in for criticism. 'It’s quite annoying to drive sometimes. The seat can be quite hard to adjust,' was just one of the negative usability comments we received.

Alpine isn’t winning customers over with its shaky reliability, either. 'When there’s a problem, it’s always big,' railed one frustrated owner. 'It breaks down a lot,' surmised another.

The 5 most satisfying new cars

The 5 least satisfying new cars

'There’s no substitute for absolute dependability'

Daljinder Nagra, Which? Cars Expert

It’s no coincidence that the most satisfying new and used cars in our survey come from brands with a consistently high reputation for reliability. A new car can be as high-tech, economical or as exciting to drive as nothing before it, but if it can’t manage everyday life without needing constant attention from a mechanic, owners will quickly become frustrated.

That’s only part of the reason why Toyota and Lexus consistently score highly for customer satisfaction, though. Fastidious build quality, an emphasis on safety and decades of experience with fuel-sipping hybrid tech combine to create an overall ownership experience that’s hard to fault. For similar reasons the Skoda Superb estate and Honda Jazz Crosstar also come up trumps, being the second and third most satisfying new cars to own, respectively.

Alpine’s poor showing in our survey is a shame, as there really is nothing else like it. Eschewing the traditional sports car draws of big power and outright performance, it takes a different path, with its impressive lack of size and mass imparting a unique and exciting driving experience. But only the very committed will be able to put up with its lack of practicality (there’s not even a glove box). When you’re not in the mood to play, its flaws – chiefly a raucously loud cabin and the agility required to get in and out of it – quickly come to the fore.

Small wonder that less exciting more usable sports car rivals, such as the Mazda MX-5 (which also shows the Alpine up for reliability), get a far higher customer satisfaction rating.

Of course, some cars are just well past their sell by date – specifically the Fiat 500, which is only a fraction ahead of the Alpine at the bottom end of our new car satisfaction list. The 500 has sold heavily on its fashionable styling and tiny dimensions, but the game has moved on since its introduction some 15 years ago, and the fact that it’s now so far behind the curve hasn’t been lost on owners.

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