IRVINE, Calif. -

Kelley Blue Book discovered this week that Toyota recaptured its No. 1 spot for brand loyalty on kbb.com for the fourth quarter of 2011.

Analysts pointed out Toyota last appeared in the top position during the third quarter of 2010.

For the fourth quarter, the site indicated Toyota’s brand shopping loyalty was at 50.6 percent, a 2.7-percentage point jump from the previous quarter. Hyundai came in close behind at 50.2 percent.

Ford, which moved to the third position from No. 5 in the previous quarter, settled at 47.1 percent brand loyalty.

In addition, KBB said Kia continued to hold the fourth spot from the previous quarter at 46.5 percent, while Honda took the fifth position at 46.4 percent.

“Hyundai was No. 1 in loyalty for the past two quarters thanks to its strong redesigns, attractive value and the struggles of the Japanese brands with safety perception and supply issues,” explained Akshay Anand, market intelligence Web analyst for Kbb.com.

“However, Toyota has done a laudable job overcoming these issues, introducing programs such as ‘Toyota Care,’ while getting its supply back online,” Anand continued.

“The redesign of its flagship, the 2012 Toyota Camry, also helped drive interest to the brand and retain owners,” Anand went on to say.

After a brief dip, KBB noted Honda jumped back into the top five with Subaru falling to No. 6 in the fourth quarter from No. 3 in the previous quarter.

The site contends Honda’s reappearance among the top five can be attributed to the pushed-up Civic refresh, the new CR-V redesign and resolved supply problems.

Piggybacking on Toyota’s success, Kbb.com mentioned that Lexus is represented as the top luxury brand on the brand loyalty list at position eight, with Audi at No. 9, followed by Mercedes-Benz in the 11th position.

“All in all, there are positive trends for automakers,” Anand stressed.

“Traditional leaders like Toyota are leaving the problems in the past and looking toward bright futures, while new players such as Hyundai, Kia and Audi remain forces to be reckoned with in the American automotive industry,” Anand went on to say.

Kelley Blue Book Market Intelligence examines brand loyalty while consumers are still in the shopping phase.

For this analysis, loyalty is defined as owners of the brand who are currently shopping the same brand for their next vehicle. This includes data from consumers who view a trade-in page or private party page in addition to a new-car page on Kbb.com.