CARS PEOPLE LOVE

Consumer Reports’ annual owner satisfaction survey, conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, asks, “Considering all factors [price, performance, reliability, comfort, enjoyment, etc.], would you get this car if you had to do it all over again?” Here are the most-loved cars in five popular categories:

Most-loved small car: Volkswagen Golf TDI. Starting price $25,200. The diesel-powered Golf is that rare combo of sporty and fuel-efficient, with 38 mpg overall.

Most-loved family sedan: Mazda6. Starting price $22,695. The new Mazda6 is the sports car of family sedans. But it gets an econo-carlike 32 mpg overall.

Most-loved small SUV: Subaru Forester. Starting price $22,995. What’s not to love about a roomy interior, excellent visibility and impressive fuel economy?

Most-loved midsized SUV: Ford Explorer Sport. Starting price $40,780. Opting for the Sport version gets you a racier-looking vehicle with a punchy, turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 that injects excitement into this mainstream SUV.

Most-loved luxury car: Audi A6 (3.0T). Starting price $55,100. It has an awesome blend of effortless power, a luxurious and quiet interior, a comfortable ride and sporty handling.