The latest JD Power 2025 US automotive brand loyalty study released this week shows Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Lexus, BMW, Honda, Subaru and Ford enjoy commitment from US customers.
The global data analytics and consumer intelligence company into new vehicle shopping behaviour said brands with strong reputations continued to retain loyalty among customers despite the volatility created by that country’s newly implemented trade tariffs.
In the JD Power 2025 US Automotive Brand Loyalty Study, German sports car brand Porsche ranked highest among premium car brands for a fourth consecutive year, with a 58.2% loyalty rate. In second place is Mercedes-Benz with a 49.7% retention.
The study uses data to calculate whether an owner purchased the same brand after trading in an existing vehicle on a new vehicle. Customer loyalty is based on the percentage of vehicle owners who choose the same brand when trading in or purchasing their next vehicle.
Toyota luxury subsidiary Lexus ranked highest among premium SUV brands for a second consecutive year, with a 57.4% loyalty rate. BMW was second in the premium SUV segment with a 54.0% score.
Toyota ranked highest among mass market car brands for a fourth consecutive year with a 62.0% loyalty rate, with Honda second at 55.5%. The maker of models such as the CR-V and Civic Type-R also ranked highest among mass market SUV brands for a second consecutive year, with a 62.0% loyalty rate. Japanese adventure brand Subaru was second after Honda in the mass market SUV niche with a 60.6% score.
Despite being plagued by model recalls, Ford remained a firm favourite among pickup brands for a fourth consecutive year, with a 66.6% loyalty rate — the highest in the study.
“Brand loyalty matters to vehicle buyers because it’s often associated with higher residual values, making vehicles from trusted brands a more financially sound choice over time,” said Tyson Jominy, senior vice-president of data & analytics at JD Power.
“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% after finishing at 51% last year. Brand loyalty averages 49% across all nameplates and segments in this year’s study,” added Jominy.
Chinese brands have yet to enter the US market due lack of national dealer networks and other factors.
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