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Prius, Porsche Models Top Most-Satisfied Lists

Pickups, SUVs populate least-satisfied list

June 3, 2008

An overwhelming number of Prius owners, 92 percent, reported they would definitely buy or lease the hybrid again.

The Prius provides the best gasoline mileage available in a car of its size, an average of 44 miles to a gallon and has a cult of fanatically loyal owners.

The Web-site PriusChat.Com is asking drivers of the gasoline and electric powered car to guess when the national average price for a gallon of regular will hit $4. "If so, (guess correctly) and PriusChat will buy you a tank of gas for your Prius," the Web site promised.

The average price of regular gasoline has hovered at $3.975 for the last 2 days.

Sports car owners are just as passionate about their wheels, according to Consumer Reports. Half of the top 12 cars rated in the survey are heavy on performance, including the Porsche Boxster, Cayman, and 911 Carrera; Chevrolet Corvette; Mini Cooper hatchback; and Honda S2000.

Three General Motors minivans -- the Buick Terraza, Chevrolet Uplander, and Saturn Relay -- made up the bottom of the consumer satisfaction list.

Consumer Reports gave a rating of 80 or higher to 39 models. Almost half, 18 were Japanese brands, with 10 of those built by Toyota (including Lexus). European brands account for 12, domestic automakers have 7 models on the list, and for the first time, 2 South Korean models, the Hyundai Azera sedan and Santa Fe SUV, made the list.

Other top models range from the small, $16,000 Honda Fit, which is the magazine's Top Pick for budget cars, to the $76,000 Lexus LS, which earned the highest test score in the ratings, 99 out of 100.

The Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey are the only two minivans on the list.

Pickup trucks and SUVs accounted for more than half of the models on the list of least satisfying vehicles. Only the Honda Ridgeline and V8 Toyota Tundra were still in favor with consumers.

Of the 22 models on the Least Satisfying list, 20 are from American automakers. GM brands account for 15, Chrysler has 3, and Ford has 2.

The remaining two models are Japanese, including the Suzuki Grand Vitara SUV and Mazda B-Series pickup.

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