If you've bought a new car this year, chances are you aren't as enamored with it as you were the last time you got one.

At least, that's what the 2008 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) survey by J.D. Power and Associates indicates. It said that for the first time in five years, drivers of new cars were less satisfied with their vehicles. And it all goes back to high gas prices.

"Average prices at the fuel pump have increased by 27 percent in the period between the 2007 and 2008 studies, creating heightened sensitivity to fuel economy among new-vehicle owners," said David Sargent, vice president of automotive research at J.D. Power. "Even though more consumers are now achieving the gas mileage they expect compared with previous years, the increased cost of filling their vehicles still leads to a greater level of dissatisfaction with fuel economy than in the past. Manufacturers that deliver more fuel-efficient vehicles and integrate alternative fuel technology into their designs stand a better chance of delighting their customers and being successful in this rapidly changing marketplace."

The overall APEAL score in 2008 averages 770 on a 1,000-point scale -- a two-point decrease since 2007. A significant decrease in owner delight with fuel economy accounts for more than one-half of the overall decline. Only performance in the area of audio, entertainment and navigation improves slightly.

"Manufacturers are working to increase customer delight by introducing entertainment and navigation technology that owners find particularly appealing," said Sargent. "The key to doing this successfully is to develop technology features with the needs and wants of the user in mind -- most importantly, ensuring that technology is designed to beconsumer-friendly and intuitive to use. Technology that is overly complicated to operate runs the risk of disappointing the customer."

The study also finds that, in a departure from previous years, models that have been mildly "refreshed" achieve higher APEAL scores, on average, than all-new or redesigned models.

"Historically, all-new vehicle models have been more successful in delighting customers than refreshed models, but this year, launching appealing new models has been more difficult for manufacturers," said Sargent. "The long-term success of a model can be predicted partially from how well it launches, which underscores the importance of a strong debut. Those automakers that manage to achieve high levels of both appeal and initial quality in their models can expect to benefit not only from customer acclaim, but also increased profitability."

The good news is U.S. automakers continue to show improvement.

Buick posted the largest improvement, followed by Chrysler, Ford, Mercury and Dodge, respectively. A majority of the most-improved models are also from domestic manufacturers, including the redesigned Ford Focus, Dodge Grand Caravan and Chevrolet Malibu.

Honda captured three model segment awards -- more than any other vehicle nameplate this year -- for the Fit (second consecutive year), Odyssey (fourth consecutive year) and Ridgeline (fourth consecutive year). Porsche, Toyota and Volkswagen each garnered two awards.

Also receiving awards are the BMW 5 Series, Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Avalanche, Dodge Magnum, Land Rover Range Rover, Lexus IS, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, and MINI Cooper.

Porsche is the highest-ranking nameplate in APEAL for a fourth consecutive year. Among the 36 ranked nameplates, 20 experience a decline in index scores since 2007, while 15 improve. Domestic brands comprise the eight most-improved nameplates.