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As always, you get what you pay for. Ward's reports that luxury brands ranked highest in the fourth-annual Prospect Satisfaction Index, an auto-retailing survey conducted by consultancy firm Pied Piper Management. The organization hired 3,600 "mystery shoppers" to visit dealers around the U.S. and record their experiences. Mercedes-Benz topped the list, with other premium marques like Lexus, Land Rover and Acura following closely behind. Detroit improved the most, with both Ford and Chevrolet beating the average score. Overall, the industry's performance improved markedly, with 25 of 34 brands scoring higher this year than last. Good news for car buyers, but this also means six of them fared worse than in 2009. Mitsubishi came in last with Suzuki finishing one-spot higher. It's interesting how surveys like this mirror the troubles facing both companies in the U.S. Hit the link in today's show notes at AutolineDaily.com for more interesting information about the Prospect Satisfaction Index.