YouGov’s Global Automotive Rankings examines the best performing car brands according to their overall Index scores – an average of Impression, Value, Quality, Reputation, Satisfaction, and Recommendation scores* - between February 1, 2020 and January 31st, 2021. YouGov’s Index scores are our measure of a brand’s overall health.
On a global level, some brands have performed better than others – with Japanese and Germany manufacturers featuring prominently at the top of the table in most instances (in fact, only in Germany and Sweden do homegrown brands take the top spot at all).
Toyota, for example, took the number one spot in eight of our 23 markets, and appeared in the top ten in 22, while fellow Japanese brand Honda finished in the top ten in 13 markets.
German automaker Volkswagen also made the top ten in 13 markets, placing first in three – with several of its sister brands such as Audi and Skoda also featuring prominently across multiple markets in our rankings.
UK – Mercedez-Benz takes the top spot for 2021
In the UK, the top performing auto brand was Mercedez-Benz, which recorded an average score of 22.5. But competition for the top spot was fierce – with Ford and Volkswagen both recording scores of 22.0 and finishing joint-second. Audi, which earned an Index score of 20.7, came in third, with Volvo placing fourth at 19.2 and Toyota rounding out the top five with 18.8.
US – Toyota crosses the finish line with score of 36.2
In the US, the top five brands in terms of overall Index score are more clearly defined. Toyota took first place for the period between February 1 2020 – January 31st 2021 with an average Index score of 36.2, with Honda coming in second with a score of 30.7. Chevrolet completes the top three with a score of 22.4, with Ford (22.0) close behind in fourth and Subaru hot on its heels in fifth with a score of 21.7.
Germany – Homegrown brands dominate the top of the table
In Germany – a global automotive manufacturing hub – homegrown brands account for four out the top five in terms of overall Index scores. As in the UK, first place is occupied by Mercedez-Benz, with an overall score of 21.8 – with Audi taking second with a score of 21.4 and BMW close behind in third (21.0). Volkswagen, with a score of 17.3, is a little further behind in fourth place, with Skoda taking fifth place (14.3 ). Skoda is the only brand of non-German origin in the top five (and even then, it’s a subsidary of the German Volkswagen Group).
Australia – Toyota is on top down under
In Australia, Toyota is the brand with the best health over our time-frame with a score of 43.9 – with Mazda finishing a distant second with 27.5. The competition opens up somewhat when we get to third place, with Honda scoring 23.7, Mercedez-Benz taking fourth with 23.0, and BMW bringing up the rear with a score of 22.5.
The above rankings represent just a small fraction of our overall automotive rankings – which cover 23 international markets in Europe, North America, APAC, and other regions. To find out more, please download the full report.
- Impression Score – Whether a consumer has a positive or negative impression of a brand
- Value Score – Whether a consumer thinks a brand represents good or poor value for money
- Quality Score – Whether a consumer thinks a brand represents good or poor quality
- Reputation Score – Whether a consumer would be proud or embarrassed to work for a brand
- Satisfaction Score – Whether a consumer is a satisfied or dissatisfied customer of a brand
- Recommend Score – Whether a consumer would recommend a brand to a friend or colleague, or tell them to avoid it
