Toyota Prius
Toyota Motor Sales (Toyota, Lexus) was the top winner in the 18th annual Polk Automotive Loyalty Awards announced last week at the Automotive News World Congress in Detroit.
Chrysler Group (Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, SRT, FIAT) scored the second-highest total of Loyalty Awards, which are based on actual model-year (2013) purchase/lease activity and recognizes manufacturers for superior performance in owner retention.
Toyota earned nine Loyalty Awards, while Chrysler Group received five awards for the 2013 model year. Ford Motor Co. and Mercedes-Benz each took home four Loyalty Awards.
Ford was recognized with two overall awards, including its fourth straight for loyalty to manufacturer.
Calling owner retention “a critical aspect of building and maintaining market share,” Polk said, “Owners had such a positive overall experience that they came back to buy another vehicle of the same model, make, or manufacturer. … Awards are based on actual consumer transactions to determine the winners and information obtained from state registration and lease transactions.”
During the 2013 Model Year, more than 25 new vehicles were launched and 115 vehicle platforms refreshed or redesigned, according to Polk Automotive’s announcement. More than 7.4 million households came back into the market to purchase a new vehicle, Polk said.
Toyota winners, all in non-luxury categories, included Prius (traditional compact), Tacoma (mid-size pickup), Avalon (full-size car) and Land Cruiser (full-size SUV). Lexus scored in three luxury categories.
Chrysler Group received loyalty awards, also in non-luxury categories, for Jeep Grand Cherokee (mid-size SUV), Chrysler Town & Country (mid-size van), Jeep Wrangler (compact SUV), Dodge Challenger (mid-size car) and Fiat 500 (traditional subcompact car).
The only other multiple-award winner was Honda Motor Co., with its non-luxury Accord (traditional mid-size car) and CR-V (compact crossover), as well as its luxury compact crossover, Acura RDX.
Single category winners were Audi, Subaru, Kia, Hyundai, Land Rover, McLaren and Rolls-Royce.
Polk recognized Loyalty Awards in 32 categories, double last year’s total. See the full list of winners, including repeat winners and previous year’s winners, at