Two American Brands Just Took The Lead In Buyer Loyalty

When the time comes to get their next ride, new car buyers are willing to switch to another automaker much more easily today than in the past, but some brands are still holding their ground. A new study shows that while overall brand loyalty has dipped in the first half of 2025, General Motors managed to take the top spot among multi-brand manufacturers. Ford, meanwhile, secured the highest loyalty rate of any individual brand.

The numbers suggest the auto industry is continuing to find its footing after the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, even if some of last year’s loyalty gains have already begun to fade. They also show how customer loyalty is splintering, with some brands climbing while others lose ground.

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Data from S&P Global reveals that during the January-June period, GM led all multi-brand manufacturers with a loyalty rate of 68.1 percent. The Ford, Toyota, Hyundai, and Honda groups followed in the rankings, while the Volkswagen Group trailed the field at 43 percent.

While the study did not provide a breakdown of the loyalty rates for each individual brand under the GM umbrella, it did reveal that the Chevrolet Equinox ranked as the single model loyalty leader at 42.7 percent. Evidently, those who own an Equinox are very happy to get behind the wheel of another one.

Standouts Among Brands

Looking at individual marques, Ford ranked first with a loyalty rate of 58.9 percent. Close behind were Chevrolet, Toyota, Tesla, and Honda, though Tesla’s score slipped more than 12 points to 56 percent. Ford’s performance was bolstered by models such as the F-series, Expedition, and Bronco Sport, each earning loyalty rates above 60 percent.

Mini posted the strongest growth, lifting its loyalty rate by 4.6 percentage points year over year. At the other end of the spectrum, VinFast experienced the sharpest decline, tumbling nearly 34 points to 36 percent. Fiat trailed the entire market with a loyalty rate of just 4.3 percent.

The study shows that through the first six months of this year, average brand loyalty across the car industry was sitting at 51.1 percent. This represents a 1.4 percent fall from the same period in 2024, but is slightly higher than the 50.6 percent through the first half of 2023 and the same 50.6 percent in the first half of 2022. However, it is down from 52.7 percent in H1 of 2021 as well as 54.8 percent through the first half of 2020.

Competition and Cross-Shopping

According to S&P, about half of all brands saw loyalty drop by at least one percentage point year over year. Both mainstream and luxury segments were affected.

Vince Palomarez, associate director of loyalty product management at S&P Global Mobility, explained the shift: “The loyalty rate shift this year reflects the balance between a steady return-to-market volume and strong competition among brands. Households are returning to market, but many are open to cross-shopping in ways we didn’t see during the height of pre-pandemic loyalty.”

As buyers have become less likely to stick with the same brand, conquest activity has picked up. In the first half of 2025, mainstream brands saw conquest volume rise 7.6 percent, while luxury brands posted a 6.2 percent increase.