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Japan's autos keep US consumers most satisfied, poll says

Japanese vehicles continue to reign supreme when it comes to customer satisfaction in the US, according to a survey released yesterday.

Of the 39 vehicles which were rated "most satisfying" because at least 80 percent of current owners said they would buy the vehicle again, 18 were Japanese brands and 10 were built by Toyota Motors.

Their South Korean rivals also made headway this year, making their first appearance on the Consumer Reports "most satisfying" list with Hyundai's luxury sedan the Azera and Sante Fe sports utility vehicle.

While the Big Three US automakers showed some improvement, they also continue to dominate the list of the "least satisfying" vehicles, where less than half of current owners said they would buy the car again.

Among the "least satisfying" cars, US automakers General Motors Corp (GM), Ford Motor Co and Chrysler LLC accounted for 20 of the 22 models, 15 of which are made by GM.

Meanwhile European models dominated the sporty car and roadster categories taking 10 of the top 14 spots.

While many popular European brands such as Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Saab and Volvo did not make the "most satisfying" list, none of the European brands sold in the US were branded "least satisfying," Consumer Reports said.

Toyota's hybrid Prius was rated the most satisfying vehicle for the fourth straight year, with 92 percent of owners indicating they would definitely buy one again.

It was closely followed by BMW's 335i coupe/convertible and the Boxster from Porsche, which drew scores of 91 and 90 respectively.

Minivan owners reported the least amount of satisfaction, with models made by GM's Buick, Chevrolet and Saturn brands tying for the least popular spot with a score of 34 percent.

The Consumer Reports National Research Center surveyed subscribers to the magazine who rated their experience with more than 415,000 vehicles and more than 300 separate models.
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