Toyota Redeems No. 1 Spot for Brand Loyalty on Kbb.com for First Time Since Q3 2010

Consumers Regaining Confidence in Japanese Brands According to Latest Q4 2011 Analysis from Kelley Blue Book; Korean Automakers Remain Competitive

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Kelley Blue Book

Jan 18, 2012, 05:00 ET

IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Kelley Blue Book's www.kbb.com, the leading provider of new car and used car information, today reports that Toyota redeemed its No. 1 spot for brand loyalty on kbb.com for Q4 2011. Toyota last appeared in the top position in Q3 2010.

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For Q4 2011, Toyota's brand shopping loyalty was at 50.6 percent, a 2.7 percentage point jump from Q3 2011, with Hyundai close behind at 50.2 percent. Ford, which moved to the third position from No. 5 for Q4 2011, is at 47.1 percent brand loyalty. In addition, Kia continues to hold the fourth spot from the previous quarter at 46.5 percent, while Honda takes the fifth position at 46.4 percent.

"Hyundai was No. 1 in loyalty for the past two quarters thanks to its strong redesigns, attractive value and the struggles of the Japanese brands with safety perception and supply issues," said Akshay Anand, market intelligence Web analyst for Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com. "However, Toyota has done a laudable job overcoming these issues, introducing programs such as 'Toyota Care,' while getting its supply back online. The redesign of its flagship, the 2012 Toyota Camry, also helped drive interest to the brand and retain owners."

After a brief dip, Honda jumped back into the top five with Subaru falling to No. 6 in Q4 2011 from No. 3 in the previous quarter. Honda's reappearance among the top five can be attributed to the pushed-up Civic refresh, the new CR-V redesign and resolved supply problems.

Piggybacking on Toyota's success, Lexus is represented as the top luxury brand on the brand loyalty list at position eight, with Audi at No. 9, followed by Mercedes-Benz in the eleventh position.

"All in all, there are positive trends for automakers," said Anand. "Traditional leaders like Toyota are leaving the problems in the past and looking toward bright futures, while new players such as Hyundai, Kia and Audi remain forces to be reckoned with in the American automotive industry."

Kelley Blue Book Market Intelligence examines brand loyalty while consumers are still in the shopping phase. For this analysis, loyalty is defined as owners of the brand who are currently shopping the same brand for their next vehicle. This includes data from consumers who view a trade-in page or private party page in addition to a new-car page on Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com.

For more information and news from Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com, visit www.kbb.com/media/, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kelleybluebook (or @kelleybluebook), or like our page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kbb.

About Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com)

Founded in 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource®, is the only vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the industry. Each week the company provides the most market-reflective values in the industry on its top-rated website www.kbb.com, including its famous Blue Book® Trade-In and Retail Values and Fair Purchase Price, which reports what others are paying for new cars this week. The company also provides vehicle pricing and values through various products and services available to car dealers, auto manufacturers, finance and insurance companies as well as governmental agencies. Kbb.com provides consumer pricing and information on minivans, pickup-trucks, sedan, hybrids, electric cars, and SUVs. Kelley Blue Book Co. Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of AutoTrader.com.

SOURCE Kelley Blue Book