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Car owners getting more irritated with their repair experiences, study says

The J.D. Power U.S. Customer Service Index Study (CSI) is a barometer of a vehicle owner's happiness with the service experience. While it wasn't all bad in the 2023 study, the overall owner satisfaction score dropped. This year's tally of 846 out of 1,000 is two points down from 2022, the 43-year-old study's first decline in more than 28 years, and one point down from 2021. However, the overall score remains well up from the pre-pandemic scores of 821 in 2018 and 837 in 2020. The study claims the stumbling block is the horde of BEV launches. The flood into the new energy space has created a recall rate among EVs that's more than double the rate for ICE vehicles. Furthermore, dealership service department knowledge of EVs isn't on par with internal combustion engine expertise, leaving EV owners less satisfied with service advisors compared to ICE owners. Chris Sutton, VP of automotive retail at J.D. Power, said, "As training programs for service advisors and technicians evolve, EV service quality and customer experience must address both the vehicle and the unique customer needs. The EV segment has the potential to spur massive convenience improvements in how customers service their vehicles — but weÂ’re not seeing the benefits yet." Matters are slightly worse for all owners, though, with labor and parts shortages contributing to longer wait times for service appointments. The CSI study surveys owners and lessees of one- to three-year-old vehicles to gauge their happiness with service at franchised dealer or aftermarket service facilities for maintenance or repair work. The criteria in order of importance are service quality (32%); service advisor (19%); vehicle pick-up (19%); service facility (15%); and service initiation (15%). Lexus retains the top spot for luxury brands, giving it three wins in four years. The Japanese automaker won in 2020 as well, its run interrupted by Porsche in 2021. Cadillac, Infiniti and Acura complete the luxury top 5.  For mass-market cars, Mitsubishi wins again after a victory in 2021 and falling to fourth last year. It's followed by Mazda, Buick, Subaru and Mini.  Considering the different service needs and service experience of different body styles, the study has broken results out by segment for the first time. Lexus earned a second victory thanks to winning the premium SUV segment, and Mitsubishi earned a second victory by winning the mass-market SUV/minivan category.

2019 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid PHEV electric range, according to CARB

Subaru's first plug-in vehicle is coming, and it's coming soon. The end of 2018 is upon us already, and the 2019 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid is almost ready for primetime. This time around, it has a plug, a feature that is notably absent from the car's nomenclature, a la the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. It will also borrow its PHEV technology from Toyota and now, we have California Air Resources Board ( CARB) documents that suggest the Crosstrek Hybrid's all-electric range. According to the document (which can be seen in PDF form here), CARB rates the Crosstrek Hybrid's Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule electric range at 25.650 miles. For what it's worth, the Toyota Prius Prime with which this Subaru shares powertrain tech, has an EPA-estimated all-electric range of 25 miles and a highway electric range of 21.9 miles. The document also lists an "equivalent" all-electric urban range of 26.273 miles and "equivalent" all-electric highway range of 27.381 miles. ("Equivalent" range calculations come into play when PHEVs use a mix of electric and gas power at the same time.) The Crosstrek, which will use Subaru's own 2.0-liter gasoline engine, doesn't appear to suffer a reduction in electric range compared to the Prius Prime despite its size, elevated ride height or all-wheel-drive system, which raises a lot of questions. The reasons are still unclear, as we don't have a lot of details about the underpinnings of the 2019 Crosstrek Hybrid, and we can't help but be skeptical about those figures. Will it have a bigger battery than the Prime's 8.8-kWh pack? Will the electric motor drive all four wheels, or will it only power one axle under all-electric power? What other mitigating factors could add efficiency and, in effect, range to this Subaru? Are these calculations, in fact, indicative of the yet-to-be-announced official figures? Of course, we'll have to see how the EPA's final estimated driving range shakes out before we draw our official comparisons. We'll know a lot more when the 2019 Crosstrek Hybrid gets its official debut before the end of this year, plug and all. Related Video: News Source: California Air Resources BoardImage Credit: Subaru Green Subaru Fuel Efficiency Crossover Electric Hybrid PHEV

2018 Subaru Ascent three-row crossover SUV spotted showing off its shape

These images give us our best look so far at the Subaru Ascent, a new-for-2018 three-row crossover to fill the hole in Subaru's product lineup since the unloved Tribeca was discontinued after 2014. This prototype is lightly coated in a body-hugging camouflage wrap and appears to take its design from the Highlander-on-steroids Viziv-7 Concept that debuted at November's Los Angeles Auto Show. An exec from Subaru's parent company said at the time that "the next three-row from Subaru will be the biggest Subaru vehicle ever." That's for sure: The wheelbase is 117.7 inches and the overall vehicle measures 204.7 inches - a bit longer than a Chevy Tahoe. Subaru may well debut the production Ascent at the New York Auto Show in April. In the meantime, check out the spy shots above. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. View 14 Photos Related Video: