Which car brands provide the best after-sales service to their customers? And, which cars are most likely to be recommended by their owners? These are questions that the Cars.co.za OwnershipSatisfaction Survey answers. Tell us about your car and also have a say in which brands and models will emerge victorious in the next iteration of the #CarsAwards.

Do you own a vehicle that is less than 5 years old and serviced by a franchised dealer? Participate in our survey (even if you have before)

In 2015, Cars.co.za and data specialists Lightstone Consumer launched a comprehensive Ownership Satisfaction Survey for the purpose of gathering real consumer input on local buying, servicing and ownership experiences. Since launch, well over 15 000verified surveys have been completed by South African car owners, resulting in one of the most comprehensive and significant databases of its type.

"When we repositioned the Cars.co.za brand in 2015 as a consumer champion, we realised that we had to find a way to gather real, credible, worthwhile consumer input," explains Cars.co.za Consumer Experience Manager, Hannes Oosthuizen. "Journalists may be able to evaluate a product against its peers, but when it comes to what it's like to live with a vehicle, you simply have to enter into a conversation with the people that live with those cars every day… the owners."

The data gathered during the survey's 2017/2018 harvest period delivered some interesting insights.

Likelihood to Recommend (By Model Type)

Mercedes-Benz's outgoing A-Class is very highly rated by owners.

In terms of the 50-odd vehicle models that achieved sufficient sample size, the following vehicles recorded the highest "Likelihood to recommend" scores of all;

After-sales Service (by Brand)

Based on their after-sales service experience (at a franchised service agent/dealership only), owners were asked to indicate how likely it was that they would recommend the dealership to a friend or family member. Owners of the following brands said they were most likely to recommend the dealerships where they serviced their vehicles…

Mercedes-BenzSuzukiHonda

Suzuki’s overall performance in the 2017/18 Survey (and the previous year's) contributed to it emerging tops in the Cars.co.za Consumer Awards –powered by WesBank, earlier this year. “The Survey results plug into our Awards programme in a very real way,” explains Oosthuizen. “After all, a vehicle is only a great purchase if excellent product qualities are matched by equally great after-sales service.”

Reliability (By Model Type)

Still rated tops for reliability by owners, Toyota's Hilux is also the country's top-selling vehicle.

In terms of the 50-odd vehicle models that achieved sufficient sample size, it is interesting to note that the following cars are rated as most-dependable by their owners;

To reiterate,ongoing public participation in the Cars.co.za OwnershipSatisfaction Surveyenables Cars.co.za to deliver the most relevant and accurate data-driven insights to consumers PLUSthe survey represents a golden opportunity for owners to have a say in the outcome of the #CarsAwards (the findings of the survey have a 50% bearing on which vehicles are named the winners in the 13 respective categories of the Cars.co.za Consumer Awards – powered by WesBank as well as a100% bearing on which manufacturer/importer wins the prestigious Brand of the Year award).

To participate in the survey (even if you have before, you are free to do so again) click the link below.

Do you own a vehicle that is less than 5 years old and serviced by a franchised dealer? Participate in our survey (even if you have before) and stand to win awesome prizes

You may also be interested in:

2017/18 Cars.co.za Consumer Awards – powered by WesBank; Winners

Mid-Year Report: Best-selling cars of 2018