With competition in the auto industry at an all time high thanks to the demanding economy, reliability and quality both play important roles in gaining new customers and retaining them. As a result, those seemingly irrelevant automotive quality and satisfaction surveys are becoming more important to today’s car buyers as they strive to find the make and model that will provide the most value. One of the latest of these reports is from California-based AutoPacific, which recently showcased its list of the most satisfying vehicles for 2009.

There was finally good news on this list for General Motors, whose Cadillac division won the Highest Satisfaction Brand for the second year in a role. Despite the negative news surrounding GM lately, the news apparently has not stopped customers from enjoying their Cadillac cars and SUVs. Despite setbacks for GM, Cadillac Philadelphia says that the Cadillac brand remains committed to luxury and innovation.

In other news, Hyundai was able to move up on this list compared with last year’s rankings, which is no surprise to Hyundai Service Chicago. Hyundai’s two shining models were the Genesis, which won the title of most satisfying Aspirational Luxury Car, and the Sonata which won most satisfying Premium Mid-Size. New Jersey Hyundai dealers say customers have continued to be drawn to Hyundai and these two models specifically thanks to their incredible value. Overall, Lexus took the title of highest overall satisfaction.

This survey was given to customers who purchase or leased a vehicle in Q4 of 2008. What’s interested is that it reflects attitudes of car buyers just at the beginning of concern over the economic downturn. Feel free to check out the full list of winners for the most satisfying vehicles below.

Passenger Cars:
Premium Luxury Car – Lexus LS
Aspirational Luxury Car – Hyundai Genesis
Luxury Large Car – Lincoln Town Car
Luxury Mid-Size Car – Lexus ES
Premium Mid-Size Car – Hyundai Sonata
Mid-Size Car – Ford Fusion
Image Compact Car – Toyota Prius
Compact Car – Mitsubishi Lancer
Economy Car – Honda Fit
Sports Car – Porsche 911
Sporty Car – Scion tC

Light trucks:
Large Pickup – Dodge Ram 1500
Compact Pickup – Ford Explorer Sport Trac
Luxury Sport Utility – Cadillac Escalade
Large Sport Utility – Chevrolet Tahoe
Premium Mid-Size Sport Utility – Ford Explorer
Mid-Size Sport Utility – Jeep Liberty
Luxury Crossover SUV – Land Rover LR2
Large Crossover SUV – Mazda CX-9
Premium Mid-Size Crossover SUV – Toyota Venza
Mid-Size Crossover SUV – Volkswagen Tiguan
Compact Crossover SUV – Kia Sportage
Minivan – Toyota Sienna

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Read more auto industry surveys on Car Biz Buzz.