Budget Cars Narrow the Gap with Luxury Brands in Terms of Owner Love

Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg
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Money can’t buy you love, at least when it comes to your daily drive, according to a J.D. Power study of new-car buyers’ emotional attachment to their vehicles. While premium brands rank highest in terms of satisfaction among U.S. car owners, the market research firm said cheaper mass-market nameplates are catching up quickly.

J.D. Power said the study, the results of which were released Wednesday, shows average scores for all brands rose to 823 on a 1,000-point scale, up from 820 in 2018, due mainly to better infotainment and advanced safety systems.