About Canstar's Most Satisfied Customers New Cars Award
Canstar's Most Satisfied Customers New Cars Award reveals the car brand that delivers the best consumer satisfaction to its customers.
We ask Kiwi car buyers to rate their satisfaction with their choice of car brand by Overall Satisfaction, as well as important criteria such as Point of Sale Service, After Sale Service and Value for Money.
Numbers crunched by Canstar's researchers:
- 776 Customers Surveyed
- 18 Brands Assessed
- 11 Brands Shortlisted
- 1 Award Winner
The best new cars in NZ
1. Suzuki
This is the sixth time that Suzuki has taken home Canstar's top award, having achieved back-to-back wins in 2014-15, 2017-18 and now 2024-25.
This year, Suzuki once again dominates our ratings, and is the only car brand to be awarded a top 5-Star rating for Overall Satisfaction from its new car customers.
Suzuki also achieves 5-Star ratings in the fields of After Sale Service, Point of Sale Service and Reliability, plus great 4-Star ratings for Driving Experience and Value for Money.
Over the past decade, Suzuki has won Canstar's New Car Award more than any other car brand, which is a testament to the customer satisfaction the Japanese car brand delivers to Kiwi consumers.
Its current range of vehicles is led by the ever-popular Swift. The fifth highest-selling car in NZ last year, the Swift is an affordable and zippy runaround that is available in three models, including a hybrid and a Sport model.
Also perfect for the city is the super-compact Ignis SUV and the cool Jimny compact 4×4. Those looking for a more family friendly, spacious SUV can choose between the Vitara and S-Cross models.
2. MG
The reborn MG marque has been a hit in NZ over the past few years, due to its competitive pricing, especially for its EVs. The petrol MG ZS and the electric MG ZS EV have regularly been on top-selling car lists.
MG's range includes hybrids, EVs and petrol-engine cars encompassing SUVs and compact city cars, including the ZS, HS MG3 and MG4 models, plus the new Cyberster EV roadster.
3. Ford
Ford's Ranger has been the top-selling ute in New Zealand for the past two years, while its SUV, the Everest, is one of our most popular large SUVs.
While Ford's smaller vehicles, the Escape and Puma are less popular, last year its sporty Mustang Mach-E EV muscled into third position on the year's top-selling EV chart.
4. Toyota
Toyota has long been a favourite on Kiwi roads, thanks to established models such as the Corolla and Camry. Last year the car brand dominated the Top 10 list of best-selling cars: its RAV4 model was the No.1 selling car, while its Corolla and Yaris Cross models sat at No. 8 and No. 9, respectively.
Toyota is best known for its dependable SUVs and 4WDs. These include the mid-range Yaris Cross, C-HR, Corolla Cross and RAV4 models, as well as the high-end Highlander and Land Cruiser.
Toyota's new passenger models are predominantly hybrid vehicles. It does retail one EV, the cryptically named bZ4X.
5. Honda
Honda's range of cars includes the Jazz, a small hatch/SUV, and the HR-V, ZR-V and CR-V SUVs, all of which are available in petrol and hybrid models. And, of course, there's the iconic Civic, which is also available as the sporty Type R.
6. Mazda
Mazda is well known for its Mazda2 (small hatch) and Mazda3 (medium hatch/sedan), plus its iconic CX range of SUVs, which starts with the small CX-3 and expands through the medium CX-5, to the large CX-80 and CX-90 models.
Mazda's range includes hybrid models, the MX-5 roadster, and a ute, the BT-50.
7. Kia
Kia sells a wide variety of vehicles, from the small Picanto and Stonic models, through to the large Carnival people mover, and its flagship EV range, the EV3 to EV6 models and EV9, its top-of-the-range luxury SUV.
However, most of Kia's models are mid-range SUVs that offer true value and come packed with the latest tech and safety features. These vehicles include the Sorento, Niro, Sportage and Seltos models.
8. Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi's SUV range has grown over recent years to include the ASX, Eclipse Cross and Outlander, each of which features in the top-10 list of NZ's best-selling cars for 2024: ASX (No.2), Outlander (No.3), Eclipse Cross (No.6).
Sitting atop Mitsubishi's family of vehicles, alongside the Outlander, the Pajero Sport is a large, luxury 4WD. And Mitsubishi's Triton remains popular with tradies, and the country's No.3 selling ute.
9. Hyundai
Hyundai's range of popular SUVS, the Santa FE, Tucson and Kona, are now all hybrids. Petrol-only models include Hyundai's compact SUV, the Venue, its i20N hot hatch and the Palisade Series 2 luxury SUV. For EV buyers, Hyundai offers the Ioniq 5N.
10. Nissan
Nissan has some quirky cars in its range, including the Juke, a small SUV, and the Z sports car.
But the car brand's popularity lies in its medium to large SUV options. These include the Qashqai, X-Trail, Pathfinder, Patrol and X-Trail models.
And don't forget the Navara, the country's fourth most popular ute, available in single or twin cabs!
11. BMW
A BMW used to be one of the three Bs all Kiwis aspiring for the high life wanted to own, along with a boat and a bach. However, in recent years, BMW has somewhat lost its crown of Teutonic auto excellence to Audi. However, BMW still sells a huge range of cars here in NZ, covering EV, hybrid, petrol and diesel models.
The main range spans the numbers 1 to 8, and covers mainly sedans and coupés. For NZ's favourite type of car, the SUV, you need to look to BMW's X Series. And if you want more speed and handling, BMW's M range of sporty vehicles delivers power and performance … at a price.
For EV buyers, BMW's i Series offers two models, the i5 xDrive Sedan and the i5 Gran Coupé.
Other car brands
Not all brands in the market qualify for our ratings (based on minimum survey sample size), but that doesn't mean they're not worth considering. Here are more popular brands to check out before buying a new car:
- Audi
- BYD
- Mercedes-Benz
- Skoda
- Subaru
- Tesla
- Volkswagen
Audi
Audi retails a wide range of models in New Zealand, including many electric and hybrid vehicles.
The A range includes sedans, sportback models plus performance Avant vehicles, including Audi's RS 6 Avant GT and Avant Performance. Audi's Q range offers spacious, luxurious SUVs.
BYD
In just under three years Chinese car manufacturer BYD has become one of NZ's most popular car companies, and its BYD Atto 3 one of the country's top-selling EVs.
Its newer models include the popular Dolphin, Seal and Sealion 7 EVs. BYD's two hybrid models are the Sealion 6 and its new ute, the Shark 6.
Mercedes-Benz
The Mercedes-Benz range covers sedans, the E- and S-Class; SUVs across electric EQ vehicles and G-Class models; an A-Class hatch; and C-Class coupés and a cabriolet. There are also performance AMG models and luxurious Mercedes-Maybach options.
Needless to say, none are priced to appeal to the budget conscious.
Skoda
Skodas used to be rare sights on NZ roads, but that's all changed, in part due to the Czech automobile manufacturer, which is part of the Volkswagen group, replacing Holden as the NZ police's major car supplier.
Its hatch models include the Fabia and Scala, while its wagons include the Octavia and Superb. It has two smaller SUVs, the Kamiq and Karoq, plus the large Kodiaq.
Subaru
Subaru is famous for its all-wheel-drive vehicles: the compact Crosstrek, the mid-size Forester, and the larger Outback. Also for its iconic sporty models: the Impreza, WRX and new BRZ.
And while the Forester and Crosstrek are already available as hybrids, Subaru has a new EV in its range, the Solterra, which was designed in partnership with Toyota and the bZ4X.
Tesla
Tesla's sales, like those of all EVs, slumped here in 2024, down around 75%. But Tesla is still New Zealand's most-loved EV brand.
The Model Y was the No.1 selling EV last year, and the Model 3 was the second most-purchased EV. And with a refreshed Model Y in its showroom, Tesla is sure to keep its No.1 position in 2025.
Volkswagen
Volkswagen sells a huge range of cars and trucks here in NZ. While its Golf and Polo models are iconic small city cars, its SUV range covers the luxury Touareg, compact T‑Roc, the popular Tiguan, plus the EV ID4 and ID5 SUVs.
Volkswagen also sells a range of people movers, a California campervan and the Amarok ute.
Choosing the right new car for you
There are many things to consider when purchasing a new car, but our research highlights two main factors behind new car buyers' satisfaction levels with their vehicles: how their cars drive, and their reliability.
Most modern cars are pretty reliable. In return for regular servicing, we can expect well over a decade of worry-free motoring from most new cars.
However, driving experiences do differ greatly between vehicles. And, of course, nowadays, how a car drives covers much more than just accelerating, braking and steering. It includes smart safety features, Bluetooth and phone connectivity, as well as high-tech entertainment and navigation systems.
Therefore, it's understandable that Driving Experience is the No.1 concern for the majority of Kiwis in our survey (36%) when rating their new cars, placing higher than Vehicle Reliability (24%) and Value for Money (16%).
Here's the full rundown of what Kiwi drivers say are the main things they consider when rating their new car purchases:
- Driving Experience: 36%
- Reliability of Vehicle: 24%
- Value for Money: 16%
- Point of Sale Service: 12%
- After Sale Service: 12%
