Brand loyalty has taken a hit as tariffs have made some vehicles more expensive, driving buyers to other makes, but some automakers have held strong with customers. J.D. Power’s 2025 U.S. Automotive Brand Loyalty Study found that automakers that listen to their customers’ wants and needs are best positioned to maintain loyalty and grow their base.
J.D. Power’s senior VP of data and analytics, Tyson Jominy, said, “Brand loyalty matter to vehicle buyers because it’s often associated with higher residual values, making vehicles from trusted brands a more financially sound choice over time. However, buyer loyalty tends to weaken when shifting to a different vehicle segment. Not only that, but changing market conditions, such as increased availability of models, varying age of products, and more aggressive incentive offers, have also brought brand loyalty back below 50 percent after finishing 51 percent last year. Brand loyalty averages 49 percent across all nameplates and segments in this year’s study.”
While loyalty has fallen slightly since last year’s study, some brands held strong with buyers. Porsche was the top premium car brand with a 58.2 percent loyalty rate, followed by Mercedes-Benz with a 49.7 percent rate. Lexus ranked highest in the premium SUV segment, with BMW a close second.
On the mass-market side, Toyota led the charge for cars, while Honda was top with SUVs. Subaru was very close to Honda’s score for SUVs, only lagging by 1.6% loyalty. Ford was the top truck brand, followed closely by Toyota.
[Images: Porsche, Toyota, Honda]
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