Kind of in the opposite direction, but I ‘want’ to be loyal to lexus but god damn, it has the worst seats of any car I’ve ever ridden in and not enough headroom.
Sucks. I’m loyal to toyota (we’re a toyota family. Between me, my parents and my brothers we own 6 toyotas or lexuses) but I’ve driven in shitty 90s economy cars that had more comfortable seats than a lexus.
Nope, I’m not loyal to any particular brand. I’m the kind of person who keeps cars for a long time, so I’ve only owned three cars in my life: A Saturn, a Toyota, and now a Mazda. That said, I do like Mazda and if I were forced to replace my Miata with something more practical tomorrow, my first choice would be a Mazda3.
I can’t say my parents are all that loyal to car brands either, although my dad seems to have developed something of a loyalty to Ford now, having bought a new Focus a few years ago to replace his older Focus. And I guess they were sort of loyal to the Chrysler minivans when us kids were young, having bought a first-gen Voyager in the 1980s and then replacing it with a second-gen Voyager in the 1990s. But so far they’ve never bought more than two of the same brand in a row before switching to something else.
I’d have to say Mazda. I’ve now owned 3, and I have plans to get another. I used to think Toyota was the best, and I loved my Celica GT in college. But more recently, Mazda has the zoom zoom. I like driving them. I replaced my totalled Mazda3 with a Subaru because we were without an AWD car, and I have nothing but regret. I just don’t enjoy driving it. Part of that is that it’s an automatic, and I want to get back into a stick while I still can. But mostly it’s just a boring, boring car to drive.
Can’t wait to pay it off and get back into a Mazda.
I haven’t had a car since 2012, but I was very loyal to VW and I’d certainly look at them. The Toyota Prius would also be up on my list, never owned a Toyota. I could have but the Toyota dealer was such a jerk that I ended up with a Saturn way back in the 1990s
I was all set to buy another Explorer to replace mine in 2001. The Ford guy was a jerk, I went 1/4 mile down the road and bought my Nissan Pathfinder.
When I got out of college I bought a Toyota pickup (this was pre-Tacoma). It was a regular cab with bench seat, roller windows, no AC, and only a radio. It was all I could afford, but that thing was indestructible and never any problems. After getting married and starting a family we went to Honda (1st gen CR-V, an Accord, and an Odyssey) and have been impressed with the quality and reliability. We still have a 3rd gen CR-V that my daughter drives at college.
To give me something to drive when I lost the CR-V to college, we got a Mazda3 - the most fun car I have every owned! When I had to provide a car to my son (the Mazda3) I chose another Mazda (CX-5) and have been impressed with it (altho not nearly as fun as the 3). My wife drives a Mustang.
I don’t think we have any loyalties but just sort of evolve over time. My preference is to consider Japanese brands first when looking for a new car, tho. That goes back to when I started driving and American cars and trucks were crap.
Also, at least according to Consumer Reports 2019 survey, Mazda is actually more reliable than Toyota, although they counted Lexus as a separate brand and they got first place, with Mazda and Toyota rounding out the top 3. So Mazda is actually more reliable than Toyota, and more fun to drive. What’s not to like?
Free article that gives the rankings without having to subscribe to CR:
well my family has either drove gm or chrysler products because most of the family either work ed at the gm plant or chrysler plant they have one of each across the highway from each other in kokomo indiana
the brand loyalty is so strong that the ford dealer in kokomo has went bankrupt 4 times because no one in town will buy them
And the only acceptable import family wise is toyota becuase they had plants in america at one point
Oh, nice. We currently have an 8-year-old CX-9, which I’d like to update to one that gets better mileage when we can. I will probably trade my Subaru Legacy in for a Mazda3 before long. I was also considering a Mazda6, but they already eliminated the stick for that one. Grr.
I’m on my second Toyota 4Runner. The first one was a 2004 that lasted 240K miles with no serious issues until the end. The current one is a 2015 model. It’s been very reliable as well. I like Toyotas for their reliability and the 4Runner model for the off-road capability, but it definitely feels out-of-date with respect to technology. I looked at the Highlander in 2015, but all of the trim lines come with a third-row seat, which adds weight and expense and takes away cargo space, and which I have no need for. (Also, the vehicle has a soccer-Mom vibe.) The RAV4 was too small and didn’t have the features I wanted. So I ended up getting another 4Runner.
My family also currently drives Subarus. My wife is on her third. The first lasted 240K miles before it was taken out by a drunk driver. The second got traded in early (only 90K miles) because my wife wanted the newer safety features. I like it a lot, and almost considered replacing my 4Runner for an Outback like my wife’s. Instead I just “borrow” hers when I can. It’s got all-wheel drive (like most Subarus), but is definitely not as off-road capable as my 4Runner.
(For example, last year I pulled into an unpaved parking lot at a ski resort in Vermont. By the end of the day it had warmed up, and the parking lot was a mess—thick black mud and deep ruts. Many vehicles got stuck trying to get out, but I had no problem.)
My son bought his first new vehicle last year when he graduated from college: a Subaru Forester Sport. Both my wife’s and my son’s Subarus have all of the latest safety features. I think they are great to have, and I highly recommend them, though my wife thinks the lane-assist feature is too nagging. Pro tip: it’s probably not a great idea to tell your wife that if she doesn’t want the system to “nag” her, then she should try to stay in her lane. 
As for other models, I’ve also owned a couple of Nissans, and I don’t think they are nearly as reliable as Toyotas. My first new vehicle (as a single young Naval officer) was a BMW, and it was a sharp-looking vehicle that was great fun to drive, but was very expensive and the reliability was atrocious.
The vast majority of “foreign” car brands have plants in the US at this point.
I guess I have a preference for Japanese cars since all mine have been either Nissans (Datsuns) and Toyotas. I’ve always driven a stick shift and they had the most choices with that feature. The last two before my present Toyota Yaris were a Datson 210 Hatchback and a Toyota Corolla. They both lasted for 17 years without any real issues.
I bought the Yaris 5 years ago. I intended to drive that for at least 17 years, too. But since then I’ve had a fractured left elbow and now have left knee issues that will require a partial knee replacement in the future. I’ll probably buy an automatic before I have surgery. Having to use a clutch and stick shift doesn’t really work so well with arm and leg injuries and those happen when you get older. I will stick to what I know and look at Toyotas and Nissans when the time comes.
I’m kind of a Ford guy.
I’ve owned other makes, but my favorites have always been Fords - a 1986 Mustang GT convertible (my first, and to date only, brand new car), an F-350, my current F-150, and my current Escape. I’m on the wait list for the new Bronco, which will be the 2nd brand-new vehicle I’ll buy.
Toyota. I joke (stealing from a bit from A Christmas Story) that some men are Baptists, some are Lutheran. I’m a Toyota Man, and will be one until the day I die.
I’ve got a Yaris that has given me exactly zero problems (knock on wood), save for one major cockup that was absolutely my fault. All of its issues have been mundane and predictable. That car is noisy, cramped, and runs like charm with 217k miles. I think that, if any major problems were to pop up with it, it would bring shame on some guy’s family back in Tokyo, or something.
I also drove a Toyota pickup in college; if I hadn’t wrecked it, I’d likely still be driving it.
Meanwhile, my gf’s last five cars have been Subarus.
My last two cars have been Subaru Outbacks. When it comes time to buy a new car it’ll be an AWD wagon or crossover. Subarus will be in the mix but I’m open to any car that meets my criteria and that I like driving.
Nope. No loyalty whatsoever. I’ve had some cars I like and some cars I didn’t but even if I liked a car, I have no particular reason to believe that same brand or model is the best value the next time I have to buy a car. If I need a new car, I consider what’s in the market and make the best decision for me. I’m not sure I understand people who think, “that [brand] was acceptable for many years, so I’ll just buy another one.”
My current car is a Kia Soul. It is by far the most comfortable vehicle I’ve ever tried to cram my overtall (and now oversized) self into - it requires no cramming at all. The only other cars that have been able to accommodate me have been giant trucks, which I don’t want or need (and which have to be climbed into, which is a step down due to being a step up). So just by being sized to fit me, the Kia Soul has locked itself in as the first and probably only choice for my cars in the future.
I thought I was loyal to Honda: From 1987 through 2018 my daily driver was a Honda Civic (sedan from 1987 to 2000, then 3-door hatchback from 2000 to 2018). I said that getting into the Civic was like slipping on a comfortable old pair of shoes. Before that I briefly had a used VW Rabbit, and while owning the Hondas my wife’s car (and family/trip car) was an Acura Integra, then a VW Passat Wagon, then a Volvo S60 sedan. The Volvo’s pedal position was hurting her knee, so she ended up getting a used Mercedes wagon in 2018 and I switched to the Volvo. The Volvo is a big improvement over the Civic in most ways, but wow, that Mercedes is one nice car to drive. Driving almost non-stop from Boston to NY, I arrived feeling fresh, something that’s never been true in any other car I’ve used for the trip. Now I understand what a touring car really means.
We’ve had nothing but vehicles from our local GMC dealer for over 40 years. They used to be “Pontiac Buick” back in the day. Their service has been second to none for many years so it may be the service as much as the vehicle.
I have a 2018 Acadia Denali right now. Loaded to the nads. Great fuel economy and gobs of power. No trouble with it but mind you, only 27000 klms so far.