Lexus is the automaker with the most satisfied customers, according to nearly every survey. The company also has the best Web site, says researcher J.D. Power & Associates. On Power's semiannual Manufacturers Web Site Evaluation Survey, Lexus moved from sixth place to first, with a score of 864 out of a possible 1,000. Pontiac and Suzuki tied for second, Hummer was third, and Kia moved from first place to tie with BMW for fifth.

For the survey, Power queried 11,800 Internet users who said they'd be likely to buy a car in the next two years. The Lexus site got good marks for its simple navigation and for being easy to load using broadband or dial-up connections—a nice touch, even though its upscale customers are more likely to be using high-speed Web access.

Although Lexus rated number one in just about everything that can be surveyed, the rest of the top 10 automakers are all over the map on other Power surveys—particularly the influential Initial Quality Survey, which measures problems in the first 90 days of ownership. Only three of the top 10 were also in the top 10 on IQS, and five were in the bottom 10 of 36 brands rated. But Power also said that respondents found even the lowest-ranked sites to be acceptable.

Power says it rates only the parts of a site that a prospective buyer would use. At TechnoRide, we've found most sites more than adequate for the would-be buyer. But unfortunately, the owner sections are almost uniformly weak on useful content.

The list below details the Web site rankings and, for the top 10, their comparative rankings on IQS.

Based on a 1,000-point scale. Sources: J.D. Power & Associates Manufacturer Web Site Evaluation Survey (MWES) and Initial Quality Survey (IQS).