Toyota has claimed top spot in the US Consumer Reports’ Car Brand Perception Survey for another year, despite a 2012 dotted with recalls.
Conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Centre, the Car Brand Perception Survey is based on how consumers perceive each brand over seven different categories: quality, safety, value, performance, design/style, technology/innovation, and environmentally friendly/green.
While data for the 2013 survey shows the perceived difference between brands to be shrinking, the overall top six brands finished in the same order as 2012 with Toyota (133) ranking ahead of Ford (118), Honda (114), Chevrolet (94), Mercedes-Benz and Volvo (both 77).
According to Consumer Reports, brands such as BMW, Buick, Cadillac, GMC, Hyundai, and Nissan all saw declines in brand awareness, but all avoided being in the bottom 10 alongside Mitsubishi (6), Fiat (8), Mini (10), Mazda (16) and Porsche (21). Impressive results from both Dodge (57) and Tesla (55) saw Lexus (50) drop out of the top 10, after the luxury brand’s score rose by only seven points from 2012 compared with Dodge’s 23-point boost and Tesla’s 13.
Claiming specific category wins were Honda and Toyota for quality, Volvo for safety, Toyota for value, Ferrari and BMW for performance, Audi for design/style, and Toyota again for technology/innovation and environmentally friendly/green.
The 2013 Consumer Reports’ Car Brand Perception Survey was compiled from a random, nationwide telephone survey of 2034 adults in December 2012 and survey data from 1764 adults in households that had at least one car.
2013 Consumer Reports’ Car Brand Perception Survey Top 10
Toyota 133 Ford 118 Honda 114 Chevrolet 94 Mercedes-Benz 77 Volvo 77 Cadillac 66 BMW 66 Dodge 57 Tesla 55
2013 Consumer Reports’ Car Brand Perception Survey Bottom 10
Scion 6 Mitsubishi 6 Ram 7 Fiat 8 Mini 10 Land Rover 11 Jaguar 15 Mazda 16 Jeep 16 Porsche 21
