Audi and BMW have the highest loyalty among customers, according to a new study into car buyers’ brand perceptions.
Both German brands achieve the highest rates of customer loyalty with 68% for Audi and 65% respectively, according to Trend Tracker.
Ford is the third best supported brand in the survey, followed by Mercedes-Benz and Land Rover/Range Rover.
Robert Macnab, Trend Tracker’s lead analyst, , said: “There’s a clear message: premium brand vehicles are maintaining greater customer loyalty in this difficult economic climate.”
The Trend Tracker study, UK Car Buyer Brand Perceptions 2011, has been drawn from a nationally representative sample of 12,000 motorists, all of whom were interviewed face-to-face by Lake Research.
The study shows that 16% of owners of premium brand cars are considering a volume brand for their next purchase, with Volkswagen, Mini and Toyota the most likely beneficiaries of this shift.
Macnab said: “This may reflect a need for affluent car buyers to make savings in the current state of the UK economy.
“It certainly indicates that large numbers of people are intending to spend less than they have done on a new car in more prosperous times.”
Read the full article here.