There's a lot of factors that cross your mind when you're ready to purchase a car. For many, an important aspect is the vehicle brand, especially if they've had good experiences with a certain company in the past. This kind of loyalty is essential for automakers, and as such brands are constantly trying to leave their customers with a good impression. 

A recent study from Polk, Loyalty Management Practice, took a look at which brands inspire loyalty in customers. Overall, the number of drivers who felt some kind of connection to their car brand and chose to buy another model from that company hit 51.5 percent during the first three months of 2013. This is a 2 percent increase from the same time period last year. 

Ford topped the rankings with an overwhelming 65.1 percent of its drivers demonstrating brand loyalty. Other automakers, such as Porsche and Cadillac, experienced the largest increases, with loyalty growing by 9.5 percent and 8.3 percent, respectively. 

"In each case, strong-selling models fuel the loyalty to these brands," said Lonnie Miller, vice president of Polk's Loyalty Management. "We saw a majority of the contribution for brand loyalty coming from Cayenne owners for Porsche, CTS owners for Cadillac and Mazda3 owners for Mazda. There's something to be said for paying positive attention to the majority of your customer base while treating buyers professionally and continuing to meet or exceed their vehicle need."

Brand loyalty extends to all kinds of shoppers, including those who are in the market for a used car. These drivers can head to New Jersey State Auto Auction, which boasts plenty of CARFAX-certified cars, trucks and vans from a variety of automakers.