Survey Pinpoints Car Brands with Most Traction Among Luxury Buyers

Three brands, in particular, stand out in the minds of luxury buyers and inspire trust, satisfaction and customer loyalty, according to a recent survey.

Ranking highest in the 2013 Luxury Consumer Experience survey conducted by the New York-based Luxury Institute were Lexus, Audi and BMW.

"Wealthy consumers' perceptions of brand experience encompass everything from the physical quality of the car to interactions with the sales and service departments at dealerships," says Luxury Institute chief executive officer Milton Pedraza. "Especially at the high-end, luxury automakers must be aware of how people and products combine to affect a brand's reputation."

First up was Audi, with a score of 8.36 (out of 10) in the survey that averages wealthy respondents' ratings across ten areas of consideration, including evaluations of the vehicles they own or lease, their dealership experience and their overall brand buying and ownership experience.

And that's not the only accolade the nameplate scored from survey participants, who reported $2.4 million average net worth and $283,000 average income.

Audi also ranked first for the consistently superior design and quality materials of its cars.

But it's not just aesthetics that are making drivers turn to this brand.

The survey showed that Audi's dealership staff is recognized for being the most trustworthy and knowledgeable, as well.

"Audi also leads other carmakers in terms of future repeat purchase intent, with 96 percent of respondents saying they would consider buying or leasing an Audi again based on their experience with the brand," the institute found.

Next up was Lexus, with an overall score of 8.34, which the Luxury Institute explained was based largely on the dealership experience and its positive representation of the brand.

"The Japanese automaker earns top honors for superior sales and service experiences, respectful dealership personnel and long term relationship building," officials said.

BMW (8.27) and Mercedes-Benz (8.06) rank third and fourth, respectively.