Owner satisfaction best & worst models.(Cars)(Survey)

For the fourth straight year, the Toyota Prius hybrid is the top car for owner satisfaction. Ninety-two percent of Prius owners who responded to our survey said they would definitely buy or lease one again. The Prius is followed closely by the BMW 335i coupe/convertible and Porsche Boxster, which drew scores of 91 and 90, respectively.

GM's trio of minivans, including the Buick Terraza, Chevrolet Uplander, and Saturn Relay, posted the lowest score of 34.

The scores are based on the percentage of CONSUMER REPORTS subscribers who responded "definitely yes" to the question "Considering all factors (price, performance, reliability, comfort, enjoyment, etc.), would you get this car if you had it to do all over again?"

Our 2007 Annual Car Owner Satisfaction Survey drew responses about more than 415,000 individual vehicles, allowing us to provide scores for more than 300 models. The survey was conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center.

THE PASSION FACTOR

The Prius is clearly benefiting from today's wave of enthusiasm for fuel-sipping hybrid cars. Boasting the best gas mileage of any five-passenger vehicle we've tested--44 mpg overall--the Prius has generated an almost cult-like following among many environmentally conscious consumers. Likewise, the 34-mpg Toyota Camry Hybrid was the top midsized sedan in the survey, with a score of 87.

At the other end of the scale, the survey shows that performance also generates strong passion. Of the top 12 cars, half are sports cars, including the Porsche Boxster, Cayman, and 911 Carrera; Chevrolet Corvette; Mini Cooper hatchback; and Honda S2000. Overall, sporty cars make up almost half of the Most Satisfying models.