NEW YORK -

When Harris Interactive released the results of its 2012 Harris Poll EquiTrend study recently, one particular European car brand celebrated its second straight year claiming top honors among luxury automakers, while a Japanese brand displaced a Big 3 rival atop the rankings of full-line automakers.

Winning the Luxury Automotive category this year was Mercedes-Benz, while Honda grabbed the No. 1 ranking in the Full Line Automotive category from Ford (last year’s winner).

Honda narrowly edged out Toyota, which was listed among the “Top Gainers” in the study.

Officials noted that “Toyota’s ranking jumped up, a signal of its ongoing recovery from the ‘recall’ crisis.”

Explaining more about its analysis, officials noted that the EquiTrend study examined more than 1,500 brands throughout a myriad of categories. It is designed to be a “Brand Equity” study that “measures and compares brand health,” officials noted on the Harris Interactive website.

“Using an academically vetted brand equity model with elements like familiarity, quality and purchase consideration, brands create powerful connections with consumers,” they shared.

“The stronger the brand, the greater the bond. The Harris Poll EquiTrend study benchmarks how deep those bonds go and honors the highest ranked brands in each award category,” officials added.

Another auto-related winner was Kelley Blue Book, which took top honors in the Online Auto Shopping category.

"Kelley Blue Book has an 86-year history of being a preeminent brand in the automotive space, and the results of the latest Harris Poll EquiTrend study provide further proof that kbb.com resonates in the minds of new- and used-car shoppers," said Jared Rowe, KBB’s president.

“Kelley Blue Book’s storied history and iconic brand equity is the foundation upon which the company is building future growth,” he continued. “With innovative products and helpful tools debuting on the award-winning website kbb.com, Kelley Blue Book is poised to grow its future business while continuing to provide the vehicle pricing, values and information that both consumers and the auto industry have relied upon for decades.”

Breaking down the Full Line Automotive category, Harris Interactive’s rankings were as follows, with respective Equity Scores in parentheses:

1. Honda (62.55)
2. Toyota (62.51)
3. Ford (62.10)
4. Chevrolet (61.95)
5. Nissan (57.29)
6. Subaru (55.40)
7. Hyundai (53.61)
8. Volkswagen (53.39)
Category Average: 53.02

Meanwhile, the Luxury Automotive rankings were as follows:

1. Mercedes-Benz (61.02)
2. BMW (58.71)
3. Lexus (58.40)
4. Cadillac (58.39)
5. Acura (56.32)
6. Infiniti (56.19)
7. Audi (55.36)
Category Average: 54.78

The study also named a “Car Rental Brand of the Year,” and taking top honors here was Enterprise Rent-A-Car. The Car Rental rankings were as follows:

1. Enterprise Rent-A-Car (58.79)
2. Hertz Car Rental (56.38)
3. Budget Rent A Car (55.91)
4. Avis Rent A Car (55.15)
Category Average: 54.66

“Consumers are savvy, and before they buy, want to feel ‘linked and connected’ to the brands they’re purchasing," stated Joan Sinopoli, senior vice president of the brand and communications consulting group at Harris interactive. "And, although services may be similar, preferred brands more than often exceed a customer’s expectations, making them more than likely to recommend to others.”