Most of us do it. We carry a mobile phone with us at all times. Once, all that meant was that we were never out of the reach of business associates and loved ones. Now, it means we have easy access to about everything we might need or want to know.
That said, a tool that might be employed to monitor stock-market activity or the latest world news is more likely to be put to use tracking Jessica Simpson weight-loss updates.
At the epicenter of all this activity, be it professional, social, or simply vapid, is Facebook. We at Consumer Guide are careful to share all our new content on Facebook, and welcome all the new “likes” we can score.
Automakers, too, know the drill, and actively cultivate Facebook likes, hoping to increase brand awareness. About 18 months ago, we ranked the like count of every major automaker. At the time, BMW ranked first, by a substantial margin, having accumulated an awesome 11 million likes. Currently, the Bavarian builder of sporty luxury rides boast more than 15 million likes. That performance keeps them on the top of our list.
But how did the other car companies do? Scan the list below and see. Here are a few observations:
Nissan, what? Japanese maker Nissan skipped from 19th place on the list 18 months ago, to fourth place. That leap included a greater-than-eightfold increase in total likes. Nissan is the only nonaspirational brand in the top seven list spots.
Scion, what? For a “youth brand,” Scion isn’t scoring fans in the digital space that is its target audience’s natural habitat. Scion ranked 40th on the list, three notches below Lincoln.
Rolls-Royce, what? There’s nothing stuffy about this British luxury maker’s Facebook performance. Credit a slew of new-product launches in recent months for the brand’s 13-place leap on the list.
| Brand | March, 2014 | Rank | August, 2012 | Rank | Change | |
| BMW | 15,722,290 | 1 | 11,017,259 | 1 | None | |
| Ferrari | 13,260,550 | 2 | 9,,215,159 | 2 | None | |
| Mercedes-Benz | 13,147,439 | 3 | 8,151,254 | 3 | None | |
| Nissan | 8,982,120 | 4 | 1,020,500 | 19 | Up 15 | |
| Audi | 7,879,590 | 5 | 5,664,175 | 4 | Down 1 | |
| Lamborghini | 6,857,493 | 6 | 3,876,705 | 6 | None | |
| Porsche | 6,530,546 | 7 | 4,444,784 | 5 | Down 2 | |
| Jeep | 3,757,752 | 8 | 2,776,952 | 8 | None | |
| Mini | 3,664,244 | 9 | 3,150,198 | 7 | Down 2 | |
| Honda | 3,206,153 | 10 | 2,204,437 | 9 | Down 1 | |
| Kia | 3,092,930 | 11 | 2,039,078 | 10 | Down 1 | |
| Aston Martin | 3,084,687 | 12 | 1,792,979 | 11 | Down 1 | |
| Jaguar | 2,958,586 | 13 | 1,390,530 | 12 | Down 1 | |
| Chevrolet | 2,510,684 | 14 | 1,307,160 | 15 | Up 1 | |
| Dodge | 2,231,520 | 15 | 1,371,649 | 14 | Down 1 | |
| Lexus | 2,169,647 | 16 | 1,378,993 | 13 | Down 3 | |
| Land Rover | 2,117,368 | 17 | 478,873 | 27 | Up 10 | |
| Toyota | 1,885,443 | 18 | 1,134,551 | 18 | None | |
| Subaru | 1,765,003 | 19 | 828,272 | 20 | Up 1 | |
| Cadillac | 1,657,316 | 20 | 1,213,677 | 17 | Down 3 | |
| Bugatti | 1,636,561 | 21 | 23,281 | 43 | Up 22 | |
| Rolls-Royce | 1,527,483 | 22 | 494,049 | 26 | Up 4 | |
| Bentley | 1,419,027 | 23 | 355,203 | 35 | Up 12 | |
| Hyundai | 1,364,840 | 24 | 432,293 | 30 | Up 6 | |
| Volkswagen | 1,330,589 | 25 | 1,262,607 | 16 | Down 9 | |
| Ram | 1,307,566 | 26 | 375,546 | 34 | Up 8 | |
| Infiniti | 1,238,110 | 27 | 534,988 | 24 | Down 3 | |
| Mazda | 1,233,921 | 28 | 679,593 | 22 | Down 6 | |
| Ford Trucks | 1,180,696 | 29 | 655,056 | 23 | Down 6 | |
| Maserati | 1,138,558 | 30 | 457,119 | 29 | Down 1 | |
| Fiat | 1,098,195 | 31 | 525,050 | 25 | Down 6 | |
| GMC | 1,081,871 | 32 | 705,394 | 21 | Down 11 | |
| Mitsubishi | 1,041,619 | 33 | 402,859 | 32 | Down 1 | |
| Chevy Trucks | 896,495 | 34 | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Volvo | 846,050 | 35 | 458,175 | 28 | Down 7 | |
| Chrysler | 749,060 | 36 | 378,515 | 33 | Down 3 | |
| Lincoln | 534,760 | 37 | 164,741 | 37 | None | |
| Buick | 533,021 | 38 | 424,231 | 31 | Down 7 | |
| Acura | 485,449 | 39 | 92,148 | 39 | None | |
| Scion | 173,570 | 40 | 128,321 | 38 | Down 2 | |
| Lotus | 104,180 | 41 | 66,925 | 41 | None | |
| Suzuki | N/A | 42 | 215,471 | 37 | N/A | |
| Maybach | N/A | 43 | 75,151 | 41 | N/A |
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