New car owner satisfaction survey shows the models that delight or disappoint

"Would you get that same car again?" That is the key question we ask subscribers in our annual owner satisfaction survey to discover how happy owners are with their car. And once again, we see a link between excitement and satisfaction.

This year, we found that people who drive cars with great fuel economy, a fun driving experience, and/or luxurious surroundings tend to be very satisfied with their vehicles and would likely purchase them again.

For a second year in a row, the Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric car tops our list of the vehicle owners who said they would definitely buy again. The Volt topped two models that fit the fun driving experience trait: the Chevrolet Corvette and Porsche 911. Other satisfying fuel-efficient models include the Toyota's Camry Hybrid, Prius, Prius C, and Prius V, and the all-electric Nissan Leaf.

At the other extreme, the subcompact Nissan Versa Sedan came in with the lowest score in our survey, with fewer than half of its owners saying they would definitely buy it again. Other low scorers include the V6 versions of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups, Suzuki SX4, and the Nissan Armada and Mitsubishi Outlander SUVs.

Our annual owner-satisfaction survey, conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, asks subscribers a single, revealing question: Considering all factors (price, performance, reliability, comfort, enjoyment, etc.), would they get their same vehicle if they had it to do all over again?

We received responses on about 350,000 vehicles and more than 240 models in our latest survey, spanning the 2010 through 2013 model years. A model's score is based on the percentage of respondents who answered "definitely yes." And to earn our top rating, a model needs to have at least 80 percent of owners say they would definitely get it again.

See our full owner satisfaction report for a list of the best and worst models in 11 vehicle categories. The satisfaction ratings are also available on the car model pages.

—Liza Barth