Porsche ranked tops in premium-car brand loyalty study

Porsche is ranked number one in the premium car category in the 2023 JD Power US Automotive Brand Loyalty Study, released on Tuesday.

It is the second consecutive year the German car brand has received the honour. The study measures customer loyalty by analysing whether an owner purchased the same brand after trading in their existing vehicle. The study measures brand loyalty across five segments and Porsche topped the premium ranking with a 56.8% loyalty rate, ahead of second-placed Mercedes-Benz (50.5%).

Volvo ranks highest among premium brand SUV owners with a 56.5% loyalty rate. BMW (56.1%) ranks second.

Toyota was tops in the mass market segment for a second consecutive year, with a 60% loyalty rate. Honda (55%) ranks second.

Subaru ranks highest among mass market brand SUV owners with a 61.1% loyalty rate. Toyota (60.5%) ranks second.

Ford is highest among pickup owners for a second consecutive year, with a 64.6% loyalty rate, the highest loyalty rate in the study. Toyota (60.4%) ranks second.

As new-vehicle inventory and sales rebound to pre-pandemic levels in the US, more buyers are choosing to forgo loyalty to a specific brand, according to the study.

“As vehicle availability increased and more choices hit the market for consumers, loyalty among brands saw a decline this year,” said Tyson Jominy, vice-president of data and analytics at JD Power.

“Additionally, owners were tied down to their vehicles for longer than normal due to supply chain disruptions and as a result were more likely to experience problems with their vehicles.

“Now that some of those issues have eased, consumers are looking to get behind the wheel of something different and are no longer remaining as loyal to a brand. However, many of the highest-ranking brands perform similarly year after year. When vehicles deliver an experience that meets owner expectations, such as by offering superb build quality, owners are likely to reward brands with their loyalty.”