The Top 10 Car Brands You Say Are The Best and Where Subaru Ranks Now

You should know.

Whose opinion should we trust more, car owners or car reviewers? I believe that you, the car owner, are the best gauge. Your experience with the vehicle and behind the wheel is more extensive than that of a 'professional auto reviewer' who test-drives new cars. So, we turn to you. Which car brands do you believe are the best?

YouGov's exploration of the top auto brands in the U.S. was a comprehensive study that considered the opinions of Americans like you. I'll share the results, covering YouGov's auto rankings and the highlights of the automotive brands leading the way with American consumers in 2024. 

YouGov says, "Leveraging data from our always-on brand tracker, YouGov BrandIndex, we explore index performance among the general population – an average score based on five metrics."

You tell me. 

The rankings are based on a car brand's index score among Americans. This score, as determined by YouGov, is a comprehensive measure that considers brand impression, value, quality, reputation, satisfaction, and recommendation metrics among the general population. It's a valuable tool for understanding a brand's overall appeal and standing in the market.

I'll explain more about where Subaru is ranked and why it scored fourth best with Americans. First, here are the findings, leveraging data from YouGov's always-on brand tracker, YouGov BrandIndex of the top ten car brands, and their index score that you say is the best.

The top-ranked auto brands are leading the way with Americans this year.

1. Toyota 39.9
2. Honda 31.7 
3. Chevrolet 22.7 
4. Subaru 22.5 
5. Ford 20.5 
6. Lexus 19.4 
7. Mercedes-Benz 19.2 
8. BMW 18.2 
9. Nissan 17.6 
10. Audi 14.6

It reveals that the top five car brands are mainstream, not luxury. Japanese car brands lead the way, with Americans taking three of the top five spots with Toyota, Honda, and Subaru and half of the top ten with Lexus and Nissan. 

Only two American car brands are on the list, Chevrolet and Ford, and three German car brands, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi, make the top car brands list. 

Here are the top-ranked auto brands by gender.

Male buyers

• Toyota 41.4 
• Honda 31.5 
• Ford 21.6 
• Mercedes-Benz 21.0 
• Subaru 20.9 
• Lexus 20.8 
• BMW 19.8 
• Chevrolet 19.7
• Nissan 16.6 
• Audi 16.0

Female buyers

• Toyota 38.7 
• Honda 31.8 
• Chevrolet 25.3 
• Subaru 23.8 
• Ford 19.6 
• Nissan 18.3
• Lexus 18.3 
• Mercedes-Benz 17.7 
• BMW 16.8 
• Jeep 16.0

More Female buyers love Subaru.

Another interesting statistic is that YouGov profiles reveal that more females like the Subaru brand than males. YouGov says that the car brands with the strongest and largest female audience are Mini number one and Subaru number two. Nissan is a distant third. 

• Mini 45%
• Subaru 44%
• Nissan 30%

YouGov says, "Mini and Subaru are viewed as iconic but attainable. Comments indicate that the design and The Italian Job movie (released in 2003) is still shaping strong brand recognition and a positive perception of Mini."

The Subaru WRX played a prominent role in the film 'Baby Driver' (released in 2017), attracting a male audience. Ansel Elgort, who plays the title character 'Baby,' a getaway driver for his mob boss, easily outruns the cops in his bright, red 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX. 

This high-speed, action-packed scene showcased the WRX's performance capabilities and contributed to its popularity among male car enthusiasts. Check out more in my report here. 

The Subaru brand recognition is not driven by getting away from the police, but by getting away from the city.  

Subaru's top-selling vehicle is not the WRX; it's the Crosstrek. Subaru's association with the outdoors has driven strong brand appeal and recognition for Subaru with female and male buyers. Many younger, active females strongly desire to escape the city and drive their vehicles like the Crosstrek further from civilization. The Subaru is the ideal vehicle. 

The Wilderness sub-brand is hot. 

The Wilderness sub-brand is a new initiative from Subaru that caters to outdoor enthusiasts. It's designed to enhance the off-road capabilities and rugged appeal of Subaru's existing models, making them even more attractive to adventure seekers.

Subaru now has the outdoor-themed 2024 Crosstrek Wilderness, a top seller for Subaru of America. The Millennial age group (age 28 through 43)  is buying the Crosstrek. Many are females. 

You Gov says Millennials consider Subaru a top brand with a score of 19.1. It gets higher with the Gen Xers with a score of 21.8 (age 44 through 59), considering Subaru a top brand. And a higher 26.7 score for Baby Boomers (age 60 through 78). 

There's something for everyone. 

The YouGov study reveals that a younger demographic of active Millennials who love mountain biking, hiking, snowboarding, surfing, kayaking, and camping are drawn to the Subaru brand. They love the new 2024 Subaru Crosstrek.

Many Gen X families are drawn to the Subaru Outback because it rides like a car and has the utility and versatility of an SUV. It's perfect for growing families. 

We know now that many seasoned Baby Boomers love the Subaru Forester the most. You can read my report on how the Forester offers more comfort than ever here. 

The YouGov index score shows why Subaru, which is much smaller in terms of sales volume than Toyota, Honda, and Chevrolet, has the fourth-highest score among Americans. And Subaru has a higher ranking than large automakers like Ford, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Nissan, and Audi.  

Subaru says it's more than a car company. You say Subaru is among the top five best car brands in America. 

I am Denis Flierl, a Senior Torque News Writer since 2012. I’ve invested over 13 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role, working with every major car brand. I am an experienced Rocky Mountain Automotive Press member. You'll find my expert Subaru analysis here. Follow me on my X SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierl, Facebook, and Instagram.

Photo credit: Brewster Subaru