Owner satisfaction: Would you buy that car again?

To gauge how much people like their current vehicles, Consumer Reports asks the following question on its Annual Auto Survey: "Considering all factors (price, performance, reliability, comfort, enjoyment, etc.) would you get this car if you had it to do all over again?" Respondents have four choices, from "definitely yes" to "definitely no."

For 3- and 5-year-old models (2004 and 2006 model years), we tallied the percentage of respondents from our 2008 survey who said they would definitely get the same car again. From that list, the vehicles listed below were the most and least satisfying.

• Of the 10 most satisfying 2006 models, brands from German companies dominated the list. The Mini Cooper hatchback (owned by BMW), Porsche Boxster and 911, and Volkswagen Jetta diesel sedan (for the second year in a row) took 5 of the spots. Just two models were from Toyota or its Lexus brand. For the fifth year in a row, the Chevrolet Corvette was the only domestic car in the most satisfying list of newer vehicles. The list was rounded out by sports cars, the Mazda MX-5 Miata and the Honda S2000.

Among the 5-year-olds, Honda and Toyota each placed two vehicles, the Prius and Lexus LS from Toyota, and the Honda S2000 and Accord. Rounding out the list are the Chevrolet Corvette, BMW M3, and Mazda MX-5 Miata.

• The least satisfying vehicles were from just two manufacturers, General Motors and Chrysler. GM products accounted for 3 of the 4 2006 models, the Equinox SUV, Colorado and Canyon pickups, and the Uplander minivan. The Jeep Liberty rounded out the list. General Motors small pickup trucks were also on the 2004 list, with 2 of the 5 models. Chrysler's small pickup truck, the Dakota, and its Stratus sedan held the other three spots.

Note that owner satisfaction and reliability scores are not always in sync. While reliability influences satisfaction, there are other factors such as handling, comfort, features, styling, size, and even image. Therefore, some cars like the Porsche 911 or Corvette get high satisfaction scores yet have some years with below-average reliability.