Thanks for the reply, but that still doesn’t completely clarify it for me (what can I say, I’m dense).

わたしのくるま seems to be the subject, and it definitely seems like it is being identified in the question… And again we have a previous question, いぬ が すき ですか, using が with no problem.

Why would the questions use a different particle when they are actually asking the exact same thing, “do you like X” (albeit about two different types of objects)? I don’t think it has anything to do with animate v. inanimate, because we also have みず が すきですか. Doesn’t seem to be possessiveness either, since there’s also あれ は きらいですか.

Could it simply be a matter of the asker choosing to emphasize the “do you like” (or hate) part over the “my car” (or “that over there”) part? Would the difference be:

(は question) “As for my car, DO YOU LIKE IT”
(が question) “Do you like MY CAR (maybe we were talking about someone else’s car before)”?

And for the response, again, I just do not get the が. We know WHAT we’re talking about already (“my car”, “that over there”). No need to specify it again, just like in はい、いぬ は すき です。 Unless it is just a requirement that you must respond with the “opposite” particle, memorize it and move on?

Thanks again!