I would have rather had 6: 3 lose, and 3 win.
1: Reapers win, next cycle is screwed. You did not do anything extra and only played the game to get through it. Very low galactic readiness, no allies, etc.
2: Reapers win, but the next cycle will almost surely defeat them. You did just enough to mess up the Reapers, but not enough to kill them.
3: Reapers lose, but you do to. Everybody's dead. Next cycle, however, is free to develop their own technology and be totally awesome badasses.
4: You win, but everybody barely survives. The current ME3 ending. You did just enough and made just enough good choices to beat them. Opinion below*
5: You win, survive, no Deus Ex Machina but at a heavy price. Most governments are relatively structured, but now it's a standoff between surviving nations (depending on choices throughout game). Basically a galactic reset button.
6: You completely destroy the Reapers, no Deus Ex Machina, with surviving civilizations (depending on choices throughout game) relatively intact. I get to have my ride off into the sunset with Tali.
*Here's my opinion on this ending: it was beautiful. That piano piece during the ending cinematic brought me to tears. However, this is Mass Effect. If that was how I said, it would be great. If this was just some generic but popular 3rd person shooter where you didn't make choices, it would be great. However, it makes the choices not matter at all. Peace with Quarians and Geth? Pick your choice of laser. Genophage cured? Pick your choice of laser. Anything else hard as balls to pull off or otherwise something that should matter? Pick your choice of laser. And as mentioned before, plotholes. Ask others if you want a list.
Side note: Sequel: Mass Effect 4... 0,000. In the grim darkness of the somewhat far future, there is only war... Basically, a bunch of human colonies cut off from each other, hostile(?) alien races, technological reset, you get the idea. I'm just waiting for Shepard to come back as the God Emperor and lead the Great Crusade to reunite humanity...