The Most Satisfied Drivers in America Don’t Drive EVs

Drivers Have More Choices Than Ever

If you’re in the market for a new ride, you’ve never had more options. Hybrids, gas guzzlers, full-on EVs – take your pick. Automakers are electrifying everything from tiny sedans to hulking pickups, and EVs have been slowly but surely creeping into more driveways every year. But just because you’ve gone electric doesn’t mean you’re grinning every time you hit the start button.

The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) Automobile Study for 2026 says it loud and clear: hybrid owners are still the happiest bunch on the road. This isn’t just about showroom shine, either – the study digs into what it’s actually like to live with your car, long after the new-car smell fades. It also includes factors like including factors like technology, dependability, driving range or distance, resale value, and overall ownership experience.

The Gap Depends on the Segment

According to the ACSI Automobile Study for 2026, hybrid owners top the charts with an ACSI score of 80 (on a scale of 100). Gas-only drivers aren’t far behind at 78, but EV owners? They’re bringing up the rear at 72.

Interestingly, ACSI also dug into two big worries that stick around long after the honeymoon phase: how far you can actually go on a full tank or charge, and whether your ride will be worth anything when it’s time to trade up. They even split the results between mainstream brands and luxury brands for good measure.

Under mainstream brands, hybrid drivers handed out top marks for both driving distance and resale confidence, while EV owners landed at the bottom in both. ACSI pointed out that these two scores tend to move together – turns out, people figure the farther you can go, the more your car will be worth down the line.

Luxury EVs do a better job keeping up with gas cars in these categories, but even in the high-end world, hybrids still take the crown for range and resale confidence.

So it’s no mystery why hybrids keep winning the satisfaction game. They save you money at the pump, don’t leave you hunting for a charging station, and give you a better shot at getting your money back when it’s time to sell.

How The Study Was Conducted

Unlike reviews, the ACSI study focuses on what real owners think. For the 2026 edition, they surveyed 6,699 drivers from across the country between July 2025 and June 2026, asking them to rate their real-world ownership experience with the big-name brands.

Owners weighed in on everything from comfort and performance to tech, reliability, resale value, and even how good the dealership coffee was – okay, maybe not the coffee, but you get the idea. ACSI crunches those opinions into a single score out of 100, letting it stack brands and fuel types side by side.

EVs might still be playing catch-up in the satisfaction game, but the study also stated that more electric owners are sticking with the tech and telling their friends to jump on board. Satisfaction scores may be lagging, but confidence in EVs is quietly on the rise.