J.D. Power and Associates released the results of its inaugural 2003 Customer Retention Study, and Chevrolet was top of the heap, edging out the two biggest Japanese brands selling in the United States.
According to the study, General Motors' bread-and-butter brand retains 60.8 percent of its owners, thanks mostly to the loyalty of truck buyers. Toyota (59.3 percent), Mercedes-Benz (58.7 percent), Ford (58.1 percent) and Honda (57.1 percent) brands file in respectively behind Chevrolet.
The study, compiled from the responses of 177,000 new-vehicle buyers taken by J.D. Power and Associates in recent months, found that Chevy's highest loyalty ratings came from buyers of the Avalanche sport-utility truck. A whopping 74.5 percent of Avalanche buyers say they will purchase another Chevrolet model the next time they are in the market. TrailBlazer sport-utility-vehicle owners, Impala sedan owners and Silverado pickup owners also promise near-70 percent retention rates.
