Brand loyalty has slipped among new vehicle owners in the United States thanks to a boost in vehicle availability and greater choice, according to J.D. Power’s recently released 2023 U.S. Automotive Brand Loyalty Study.
“Now that some of those (pandemic/post-pandemic) issues have eased, consumers are looking to get behind the wheel of something different and are no longer remaining as loyal to a brand,” said Tyson Jominy, Vice President of Data & Analytics at J.D. Power, in a statement. “However, many of the highest-ranking brands perform similarly year after year.”
Brands that offer an experience that meets owner expectations, such as excellent build quality, will benefit from customer loyalty. The highest ranking brand among premium car owners is Porsche (for a second consecutive year), which managed a 56.8 per cent loyalty rate. Mercedes received 50.5 per cent and ranked second.
Among premium brand SUV owners, Volvo ranks highest with a 56.5 per cent loyalty rate, and BMW comes in second with 56.1 per cent. For mass market brand car owners, Toyota ranks highest now for the second consecutive year thanks to a 60.0 per cent loyalty rate. Honda has a 55.0 per cent rate and comes in second.
Subaru ranks highest among mass market brand SUV owners thanks to a loyalty rate of 61.1 per cent, and Toyota (60.5 per cent) ranks second. As for truck owners, Ford ranks highest among them for a second year in a row with a 64.6 per cent loyalty rate — the highest in the study. Toyota comes in second with a 60.4 per cent loyalty rate.
