2008 Customer Retention Survey Results Are In…
…and Honda tops the list for the first time. Nearly 65 percent of new Honda purchases replace an older Honda, edging Toyota’s retention rate by 1.5 percent. Lexus comes in third with 60.4 percent retention, followed by Mercedes and BMW. Ford scored the highest of all domestic brands, capturing 6th place with 52.5 percent retention and barely edging Chevrolet which boasts an even 52 percent retention. Cadillac was the only other domestic brand coming in above the industry average of 48 percent. Jaguar scored the lowest in the survey, with only 26.2 percent retention. Pontiac was second to last with 27.2 percent, with only Mitsubishi and MINI joining it under 30 percent. Check out the full results in PDF form at JD Power’s site.
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IMO, a Mazda 3 represents a good value in the entry level segment. However, there is a certain "cheapness" of the product that dissuades repeat purchases.
I really can't agree with this: Michael Karesh : 1. Toyotas are bought by people who don’t want to expend time and effort on research, but want a trouble-free car. So they buy what they hear is the most trouble-free car. 2. Hondas are bought by people who also want a trouble-free car but also like to do a lot of research. After which they buy another Honda. Toyota has been on top of the retention rate numbers for decades. Toyota buyers buy more Toyotas because they've owned them for decades and never had problems with them. Personally, my family has owned Toyotas on about a 10-to-1 basis compared to Hondas. The two Hondas I've owned have been the only two cars I've ever referred to as "rattletraps," and both had significant interior wear I've never seen on any Toyota. One (1991 model year) driver seat was 100% toast at 50,000 miles (foam padding dissolved into dust), the other (2004 model year) had substantial leather failure at 20,000 miles. Honda just doesn't meet this Toyota owner's quality standards, period. Of all the Toyota owners I know -- really, every single one -- prior, satisfied ownership was their reason for buying a new one, and virtually no other brands whatsoever were considered. Of all the Honda owners I know, I can think of one who did research. Frankly, all of the others I know are "single mothers" who actually wound up getting hosed with undercoating, paint protection, and other nonsense, easily to the tune of over a thousand bucks per car. "Anecdotal," of course, but I think your "non-thinking Toyota owner" bit is out of line both in reality and in professional discourse. Yeah, sure, Toyota is boring, unthinking -- go ahead and keep feeding the stereotype. Or, you could actually talk to Toyota owners, who have depended upon them for decades' worth of durable, reliable, high-quality, low-maintenance motoring.
Hard not to buy another Honda after owning one. I had two, sold them, bought two Jeeps, and well I then wanted a well built, nice to drive, great mpg car. So I just bought another one to have with my two Jeeps. Now as far as Jeep... the only 42% reflects some of us that will never get rid of their Wranglers (unless we roll it). :)
I drive an Opel Astra Twin Top and a BMW 120I, bought the Opel first, but there was no sense in me investing in another FWD for a hatchback. The variety satisfies driving pleasure tremendously.