Chinese car buyers now more satisfied with purchases than last year

Chinese customers are more satisfied with their car purchases than they were a year ago, according to a J.D. Power report.

Overall sales satisfaction with luxury brands averages 720 this year, a 14-point increase from 2014, while satisfaction with volume brands averages 682, up 11 points, the 2015 China Sales Satisfaction Index Study indicated.

Sales satisfaction is calculated on a 1,000-point scale in this study. It is based on responses from 15,633 vehicle owners in 57 major cities who purchased their new vehicle between July 2014 and February 2015.

Domestic brands, compared with foreign or joint venture brands, improved the most (+31 points) from 2014, which is the primary driver of the satisfaction increase in the volume brand segment.

Higher levels of sales satisfaction have led to higher repurchase rates among customers whose first vehicle was a domestic brand.

The same-make repurchase rate among domestic brand buyers has risen in each of the past three years — to 11 percent in 2015 from 7 percent in 2013 — while the repurchase rates for all other brand origins have declined year over year.

In terms of rankings, Audi sits atop the list of luxury brands in satisfaction with the sales experience, with a score of 795.

This also marks the sixth consecutive year Audi ranked highest in the study. Infiniti ranks second with a score of 760.

Beijing Hyundai ranks highest among mass market brands for the second consecutive year, with a score of 812. Dongfeng Citroen ranks second (799) and Dongfeng Nissan ranks third (777).