Do you think your auto insurer is the best? You can find out if others share your feelings. J.D. Power and Associates has ranked the top auto insurers in the country in terms of customer satisfaction.

Erie Insurance makes top grade with an overall score of 896 out of 1,000. The Hartford, State Farm, Liberty Mututal and American Family round out the top five in customer satisfation. (See chart below.)

"The 2008 Insurance New Buyer Study" measured scores based on people's satisfaction with:

• Distribution channel (50 percent )
• Price (29 percent )
• Policy offerings (21 percent)

The highest total score, 922, actually went to USAA Insurance, but it was not included in the rankings because it offers policies only to members of the military and their families.

The study and comparison of "distribution channel" was an important element of the study — whether customers purchased insurance through an agent or in a "direct channel" from the insurer, such as a Web site or via phone.

It's been a volatile year in that department. Although independent agents managed to retain hold of their advantage by securing 55 percent of new insurance sales, 44 percent of customers purchased their insurance directly from the insurance company — an increase of 3 percent from 2007. Of those customers who switched buying channels, direct channels stole momentum as well, taking 22 percent to agents' 15 percent.

In general, customers were more likely to switch insurers in 2008 than they had been in 2007, jumping ship at a 39 percent clip compared to 33 percent last year.

If you found yourself in that 39 percent, or if you might switch insurers in the next 12 months, the customer-satisfation rankings could certainly be helpful in giving you a place to start looking.