Tesla, GM, And Lincoln Still Have The Most Loyal Customers

Tesla, GM, And Lincoln Still Have The Most Loyal Customers

S&P Global Mobility’s 28th Annual Automotive Loyalty Awards results make for interesting reading.

S&P Global Mobility has announced the winners of its 28th Annual Automotive Loyalty Awards, with General Motors, Tesla, and Lincoln all scoring top awards. This is not the first time Tesla and GM have scored well. General Motors won the Overall Loyalty to Manufacturer award, while Tesla drove off with Overall Loyalty to Make. This is GM’s ninth consecutive win in the Overall Loyalty to Manufacturer category and its 20th in 28 years.

For the first time, S&P Global Mobility has added a new Overall Loyalty to Model category for 2023. Interestingly, the winner didn’t come from GM or Tesla, with the Lincoln Nautilus being the vehicle that garners the most loyalty from owners. Last year, Toyota saw a significant decline, with GM, Tesla, and Ford beating the Japanese giant.

The award is based on data from consumer buying activity tracked between January and December 2023. S&P Global Mobility is optimistic about the automotive industry, noting increased growth and loyalty year-over-year.

Tesla’s strong performance could see GM dethroned in a few years. The all-electric automaker won in the Overall Loyalty to Make, Highest Conquest Percentage, and Alternative Powertrain Loyalty to Make categories.

Elsewhere, Nissan won the Most Loyal to Deale award, with more than 37% of customers returning to the same retailer for their next Nissan vehicle. Acura was honored with the Most Improved Make Loyalty award, which the new Integra surely contributed to. Elsewhere, Mitsubishi’s Outlander PHEV helped the Japanese automaker snag a win in the Most Improved Alternative Powertrain Loyalty to Make category.

In recent years, consumers have been more daring and willing to shop outside their beloved brands. “However, concerted efforts from OEMs to improve retention through unique marketing initiatives, alongside improving inventory levels and great new products, are resulting in a stabilizing of loyalty levels after several years of decline,” said Joe LaFeir, President of Automotive Insights at S&P Global Mobility.

The Annual Automotive Loyalty Awards also look at vehicle classes to see which vehicles have the highest levels of loyalty in their segments. Some of the award recipients are unsurprising, with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Ford F-Series, and Honda Accord all racking up repeat wins in their respective categories.

Regarding sports cars, the Dodge Challenger reigns supreme, while the Porsche 911 is the luxury sports car owners are most loyal to. Other winners in their categories include the Ford Maverick (midsize pickup), Nissan Rogue (small utility), Chevrolet Bolt (small car), Chrysler Pacifica (van), and Lexus ES (midsize luxury car).

The results were obtained by analyzing 12.6 million new vehicle registrations in the United States during 2023.