SOUTHFIELD, Mich. -
Which automaker was a big winner at Tuesday night’s Polk Automotive Loyalty Awards? The answer is Ford. The automaker was recognized in several categories.
Specifically, the automaker was honored with the Overall Loyalty to Manufacturer award and received recognition in the Overall Loyalty to Make and Ethnic Market Make — African-American categories.
The Ford F-Series was a repeat winner in the mid/full-size pickup vehicle category.
“At Ford, we strive to create a diverse portfolio from small cars to trucks that fit every customer’s needs," said Ken Czubay, Ford vice president of U.S. marketing, sales and service.
“We’re honored Polk is recognizing Ford, as winners in both the manufacturer and make overall loyalty categories, as it’s further proof that we’re continuing to deliver the fuel-efficient, high quality products customers are looking for,” Czubay continued.
In the Overall Loyalty to Manufacturer, Ford’s loyalty rating was at 61.8 percent. At the brand level, the Ford division’s loyalty score in the Overall Loyalty to Make was at 60.1 percent.
Meanwhile, Toyota was honored in the Ethnic Market Make — Hispanic category and was a repeat winner in the Ethnic Market Make — Asian category.
Toyota also fared well in the vehicle categories, as the Toyota Prius and Lexus RX were repeat winners in the mid/full-size car and mid/full-size SUV classes, respectively.
Meanwhile, Kia earned the award for Most Improved Loyalty to Make. Its loyalty score moved ahead 5.9 percentage points from the 2009 level.
“With our ongoing design-led transformation delivering a stable of exciting new and recently introduced products, the industry’s best warranty, and a firm commitment to improvements in product quality and customer service, Kia Motors continues to build a brand that is attracting new consumers daily, and we remain focused on owner satisfaction and keeping existing owners in the Kia family,” said Kia Motor America vice president of sales Tom Loveless.
“The Polk Most Improved Loyalty to Make award is an honor and testament to the emphasis the KMA team and our dealers have placed on providing a world-class customer experience at every step — from consideration, to purchase and ownership,” he continued.
Explaining how the awards work, officials noted that they honor automakers with the strongest customer retention. Polk defines loyalty as a household buying the same make or model as the new-vehicle it already owns.
In addition to the repeat winners from Ford and Toyota, several other models were honored for winning again as well. These included the Mini Cooper for compact car), Chrysler Town & Country for minivan, Subaru Forester for compact SUV and the Land Rover Range Rover as top luxury SUV.
“It’s clear that the OEMs are paying attention to the importance of owner loyalty in this economy,” Polk chairman, president and chief executive officer Stephen Polk explained.
“We’ve seen many programs put into place to help them keep customers coming back — and it’s paying off for them,” he added.
The company also noted that in the midst of decreased sales, a positive point for the industry is that loyalty has improved.
“Our research has shown that an OEM’s core owner base is very loyal and represents a significant percentage of new-vehicle sales during tough economic times,” Smith shared.
“In addition, with an overall increase in loyalty to Asian brands, Ford winning top manufacturer honors is a testament to their success in the U.S. marketplace,” he added.
Polk provided the following table detailing the awards:
 

Overall Awards
Winner
Loyalty Percentage
Overall Loyalty to Manufacturer
Ford Motor Company
61.8
Overall Loyalty to Make
Ford
60.1
Ethnic Market Make — African American
Ford
60.1
Ethnic Market Make — Asian
Toyota (repeat winner)
53.6
Ethnic Market Make — Hispanic
Toyota
58.1
Most Improved Loyalty to Make
Kia
+5.9 percentage points
Vehicle Category Awards
Winner
Loyalty Percentage
Compact Car
MINI Cooper (repeat winner)
28.2
Mid/Full-size Car
Toyota Prius (repeat winner)
38.9
Luxury Car
Mercedes-Benz E-Class
45.6
Sports Car
Dodge Challenger
20.5
Luxury Sports Car
Jaguar XK
22.2
Minivan
Chrysler Town & Country (repeat winner)
32.6
Mid/Full-size Pickup
Ford F-Series (repeat winner)
42.3
Compact SUV
Subaru Forester (repeat winner)
31.9
Mid/Full-size SUV
Lexus RX (repeat winner)
41.1
Luxury SUV
Land Rover Range Rover (repeat winner)
35.4