[selfdrive]

Considering I have the same car for years already, I would say I am loyal to the car. In other terms, it could also be called as curbing the itch to switch.
I don't know if I would be loyal to the brand if they bring out a product that does not fit my requirements.

What I do know for sure is there are some brands I would not touch with a barge pole. Skoda for multiple reasons comes to mind first.
I used to think for years that Apple is another, but one of their products changed my mind at the time. Though I look more for products offering less trouble than features.

Originally Posted by the_skyliner

I am not loyal to any brand in any category.

What about some people who are brands by themselves? Steve Jobs for example was quite a crowd puller for his pitches.
In such cases, I would say that the brand is loyal to the person as well. For example, some car dealers continue to maintain good relations with customers and they get repeat business.

[atnyia]

I am definitely brand loyal, as long as I have it.

I liked Indica for its comfort and made several known people buy Tata cars in early 2000s. No other event has burnt that many bridges for me personally.

Then, we brought Santro and I became loyal to Hyundai for it's bullet proof reliability. We made a lot of other people buy Hyundai Eons who actually wanted to buy Altos. For a change, even we bought i10 in 2012.

Then during 2014-15, after making my friends and family buy Vernas and Elite i20s, I bought Ciaz. Ciaz delighted me with comfort and mileage. So, nowdays, I advise everyone to buy Maruti Cars for their VFM propositions.

I am so loyal to a brand that during 2014-16, no one in my family bought any other mobile than Xiaomi or Asus. Then I became loyal to Oneplus and I made my friends buy Oneplus until this year. They were actually planning to buy iPhone X but yours truly proved to be a marketing magician. I convinced my friend to buy OP5 and take a Kerala Holiday last winter, instead of buying iPhone X and stay at home.

So, while I may not appear to be a brand loyal guy (except for my toothpaste), I am loyal enough to not do two-timing across brands - having one thing and craving for other.

[csateesh]

My ownership has been about brand loyalty. I used to drive an Accent CRDi that was sold at 1.4 lakh kms and now own a Creta SX(O) - And it is the service that drew me back to them. Hope the joy continues

[DrSumit]

Voted No

I decide based on the car rather than the Brand. In fact I have been somewhat on the other end of the spectrum: Sort of a brand-hopper if you will. Our family has been through a Maruti - Tata - Maruti - Renault - Fiat - Volkswagen - Tata journey so far. Some of these cars are still with us.
A recent example was when I searched for an affordable city-only automatic hatch. When it boiled down to the Tiago and the Celerio, Brand said Maruti and product screamed Tiago. Succumbed to the scream - despite this being a "practical" buy.

The 2 things I noted along the way are:
1. Service being a pain is overrated in Metros. You can live with poor service I think - just send the bully in the house to pick up your car. I have lived with Tata in Kolkata and Fiat in Mumbai so I have a fair idea of under-par service dealt out as regular fare. Moreover, since it's around once a year, I would not reconsider a car because of the service reputation of the Brand.
2. Resale value is underrated. We enthusiasts hardly ever consider this. I suffered the resale (exchange) of a Linea petrol recently, and I think some brands may not be able to keep you loyal - for me that would be Fiat in India.

[roby_dk]

Votes No.

I am not loyal to any brand. I check all options available across a segment, I opt whatever is best as per online reviews and suggestions from friends/family.

Maruti 800 - First and probably the last car from Maruti
Hyundai Santro
Tata Safari
Toyota Etios
Honda Accord
Ford Endeavour
Honda Amaze

After having experienced 6 different brands I don't believe in any of them. It is the car that matters not the brand, at least for me.

[naveen.raju]

Voted No

Although we have 3 cars from the same manufacturer now, it's always been the individual car and not the brand. It's been a mix of brands starting from Maruti -> Ford -> VW -> Hyundai and Toyota.

I don't think we have experienced amazing brand value while purchasing cars (other than Ford) that tempted us to buy cars from them again. It's a mixed bag (experience) for us.

Of all the cars that we have bought, I would rate Ford the best.

[Redline6800]

Voted No.

My loyalty stands as long as the brand meets my expectations, if not it is sayonara.

I am a Honda loyalist - and would have loved to continue with the brand if their cars still appealed to me and would not even have considered any other brand for future purchases.

There is also the matter, that very few car manufacturers in India actively seek to engage their customers with the brand - so how will the loyalty develop?

Automakers would also do well, to emulate airlines and start a customer loyalty programme - we could earn points - when we service our cars or purchase parts/accessories/renew insurance and could redeem them later.

If we refer a customer, we get bonus points etc.

Does any automaker currently have a service like this? I am not aware.

[riteshritesh]

Likewise Naveen.Raju.

Eventhough all 3 of my current cars are Honda's which have been bought year after year, in the last 4 years, I have voted No.
But I can disclose that I am Japanese Loyal and will not buy anything Korean {maybe will try them sometime},German, American, British, Italian, East European and the likes (till our legal system and road infra. improves).

[ashish2135]

Voted YES.

Several reasons for voting YES, not just for automotive brands but otherwise as well. I believe that even though a company's products might change with changing teams working on them, they come from the same place with same values. Though different products aim at satisfying utility for different target groups, the core of a brand remains.

Though I have never owned a BMW, I know for sure that I am a BMW fan and any luxury car I own will be from their stable, not sure of the product though. It is just a feeling of connection with the brand and what they stand for.

For the cars my family has owned, we have been loyal to Marutis and Hyundais.
Owned the same car twice as well, example - ZEN, Swift (1st gen and 2nd gen) and Verna (1st gen and current next-gen Verna). The cars have still held on to the predecessor's values and have been great second experiences.
The instances that we tried to experiment and own cars from different stables ended up terribly - Daewoo Cielo (company closed) and Nissan Terrano (too many visits to service centre)

[kanishka88]

Voted Yes

Cars owned in last 5 years - Ritz, polo gt tsi, Audi s3 and eco sport (in that order). Loyalty rests with VW group, absence of a sub 4 metre SUV led to Ecosport

Bikes - Kawasaki, owned a ninja 300 3 years back. So spoiled that unable to finalise and buy a bike for my 20kms commute now

[Malyaj]

This poll is going to go overwhelmingly in favour of ‘No’ for the following reasons:

1.An automobile is a once in a few years kind of purchase, and almost always an upgrade. The manufacturer of my current car may not have the best product in the higher segment.

2.For most buyers it is a decision thought through in detail since substantial money is at stake and it is not a product you want to change quickly. If you are picking from a crowded segment, it is difficult to be loyal. Often attractive discounts will sway you to another OEM or another segment altogether.

3.The other side of loyalty is expectation of benefit. When I go to a shop repeatedly, I get cash back/points in virtual wallets etc etc. There is a financial motive here and could be the sole motive for some. How does an OEM reward me for loyalty? At the most you get exchange bonus at the time of purchase, which in any case are not tied to brands anymore. In super expensive products, loyalty could be rewarded with customized deals which extend benefits over the period of ownership. I don’t see this happening in the near future for mass produced vehicles.

4.Now this is completely unsubstantiated, but my feeling is that the loyal kind of customers are likely not on this forum in large numbers to vote in favour of YES. These would typically be older folks (though not generalizing) who are looking for reliability/familiarity and their specific needs above all else. These could also be folks from rural/semi urban areas who tend to be fiercely loyal to particular OEMs depending on their own temperament/practicality or the availability of nearest service centre.

Having said all this, I feel there is an aspect of loyalty which is likely to be missed in a binary Yes/No kind of answer, and that is the opinion created by word of mouth. I may not want to stick to my OEM for my next upgrade, but since I am satisfied with them, I recommend them (with appropriate caveats) to others who ask for my opinion.

[samy1117]

Voted NO. I would never buy a car/bike based on the perception of the brand.
But, i am phobic to certain brands.

For example, I will never buy any car from VW, Skoda at least upto D segment due to their ASS troubles.
Also, none from Maruti for their weak build quality and their lack of attention to passenger safety.

[Nits83]

I voted no.

i think brand loyalty is more out of lack of options for majority of people (read people not living in metros). I know people who will go for Maruti with eyes closed as the others don't offer them peace of mind and are costly (i think its a perception rather than being true).

For me I had owned a Maruti and 2 Hyundai's. Next time I would love to go for Vento but the service experience of people scares me. Leave VW I find even Hyundai service experience inferior as compared to Maruti.

So next time I am out looking a car the only option to be considered will be from Maruti stable, though their products are not as good as others.

[livetodrive]

Voted No. Owned a Santro, Maruti and Fiat in India and a Ford in the UK. Car selection has been always based on:
1. My budget, which is always strict
2. Usage like city or highway drives. (Not been to off roading and do not have a big family to travel around)

Haven't considered ever:
1. Cheap servicing and availability of spare parts
2. Car resale value

Might be because of these reasons haven't thought of a brand ever. But have high hopes to own a Merc/BMW someday

[embee]

Till now, we have not been brand loyal. We have owned a number of different cars brands over a period of time. Be it Maruti, HM, Honda, Toyota, Mercedes, Skoda, VW. Though we had bought 2 Honda Accords. One being a 1989 model and the other one is a 2010 model. We still have both of them.