R. L. Polk: 2002 Mid-Year Automotive Loyalty Leaders.
July 22, 2002
According to R. L. Polk & Co.’s mid-year Polk Automotive Loyalty Award rankings, General Motors Corporation (GM) remains the leader in overall manufacturer loyalty through the first half of the 2002 model year (October 2001 – March 2002), while Ford Motor Company’s Ford Division retains its lead in the overall make category.
Eleven of the 14 mid-year leaders won in their respective categories for the 2001 model year. However, new leaders have emerged in three categories:
* Threatening two-time winner Subaru Forester, the Honda CRV emerged as mid-year leader in the compact SUV segment, eleven percentage points higher than the overall category average.
* The Buick Century, winner in the mid-size car segment from 1998 through 2000 model years, recaptured its lead. So far, the Century’s loyalty rate is 10 percentage points higher than the segment average.
* The Cadillac Escalade leads the full-size SUV segment with a seven percent lead over the second ranked Chevrolet Suburban, the winner of the Polk Automotive Loyalty Award in this segment for the past two model years.
In 2001, the mid-year leaders in the overall manufacturer and overall make categories captured the Polk Automotive Loyalty Award at the end of the model year. In contrast, just over half of the mid-year leaders in the 12 model segments in 2001 won the award when the model year ended.
“Various incentive and extended warranty programs offered by manufacturers during the last half of 2002 will play a key role in determining the final winners of the 2002 Polk Automotive Loyalty Awards to be presented in January,” said Melissa Mullen, manager and industry consultant of loyalty at R. L. Polk & Co.
“Building a strong base of loyal customers is a core foundation for success in the automotive industry. The ability to continually measure and monitor customer loyalty provides automotive manufacturers with a powerful means for gaining a strong competitive advantage,” Mullen said.
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