Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, and Tesla followed in the 2025 Brand Finance survey, with Benz and Tesla seeing big declines
- Toyota is the highest-ranking automaker on Brand Finance’s 2025 list of best-valued brands
- Last year it was third, behind Mercedes-Benz and Tesla
- The report looks at brand value, which includes consumer perception alongside straight cash worth
While Toyota was the highest-ranking carmaker, it was 18th overall on the 2025 list. The number-one spot belongs to Apple, with a brand value of US$574.5 billion, followed in order by Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Walmart. Even so, Toyota was the top-ranked Japanese company on the list of 500, ahead of Japan Railways and Nissay/Nippon Life Insurance.
The report, for all brands, considers revenue and stock prices, but also includes such factors as licensing agreements, revenue forecasts, brand perception, sustainability, and consumers’ emotional connection to the brand, which is gathered through surveys — in short, it’s also measuring the perceived value of the brand, rather than just how much cash the company actually has.
The report shows Toyota valued at US$64.7 billion, up 23% from 2024. Mercedes-Benz, 23rd on the list among all brands, sits at US$53 billion, a drop of 11% from 2024. Hyundai is valued at US$46.2 billion, up from US$36.9 billion in 2024; while Tesla’s value of US$42.9 billion fell from US$58.2 million the year prior. BMW is directly below Tesla in the report, without any non-auto brands in between, and it’s valued very close to it at US$42.5 billion, up from US$40.9 billion in 2024.
In its 2024 automotive report, when Mercedes-Benz was the top auto performer and had risen by 1% over its 2023 value, Brand Finance said it was “reflective of a brand that has not only maintained its premium status but has also enhanced its operational and financial metrics.” Its success, according to Brand Finance’s researchers, was due to “its adept cost control measures” and a “well-curated product mix” that drove revenue growth without the automaker expanding excessively. This was particularly important “as the company…is facing a significant challenge from Chinese electric car brands.”
Also on the 2024 report, Tesla’s brand valuation fell 12% from 2023, where it had been second to Mercedes-Benz among all auto brands. While Brand Finance noted that Tesla’s brand strength had remained relatively stable, it also said that “challenges have emerged that impact Tesla’s brand perception and, subsequently, its valuation.” That was “mostly linked to the controversial actions of its CEO, Elon Musk, which have had a negative impact on the brand’s image.”
Third among automakers in 2024, Toyota’s brand value remained steady from the 2023 report, driven by “high scores in familiarity, consideration, and recommendation, alongside a sustained increase in reputation.” The automaker’s website and apps “have seen a significant increase in performance, enhancing the brand’s digital footprint and customer engagement.”
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