Honda, Mercedes-Benz Rank as America’s Top Auto Brands

Japanese automaker Honda has taken top honors in the Full Line Automotive Brand of the Year category in the latest EquiTrend Automotive Scorecard by marketing firm Harris Interactive, while Mercedes-Benz topped the Luxury Automotive Brand of the Year list.

The poll of 38,000 individuals ranks automakers as well as other companies in auto industry categories according to the strength of their brand.

For the second year in a row, Mercedes-Benz has topped rivals Lexus and BMW for the top ranking of all luxury brands. Honda, however, was a surprise first-pace finisher, overtaking both Toyota and Ford for the 2012 Full Line Automotive Brand of the Year title. Toyota climbed to second place from fourth, while Ford dropped from first to third.

Other notable awards from the Harris Poll EQ include Bose at top of the Car Audio category, while Michelin was ranked America’s Tire Brand for the sixth year in a row. Pennzoil Motor Oil was the Motor Oil Brand of the Year for the third year in a row while Garmin topped the navigation category.