Toyota Is Leading the Car Brand

While Elon Musk's personal fortune may have increased dramatically in 2024, the same cannot be said for the value of Tesla, the car company he leads. According to the Brand Finance 2025 report, Tesla's brand value has dropped by 26%, dropping it to fourth place in the automotive brand rankings.

Tesla's value plummets, Toyota still leads

Brand Finance estimates Tesla's total value at $43 billion, down from $58.3 billion in 2024 and $66.2 billion in 2023. This decline has created opportunities for both Mercedes and Hyundai to overtake. Specifically:

• Mercedes: Holds second place with a value of $53 billion, despite an 11% drop.
• Toyota: Maintains leading position with 64.7 billion USD, impressive growth of 23%.

Brand Finance's report is based not just on stock performance or sales, but also on surveys of thousands of consumers to gauge attitudes towards brands, along with other factors such as licensing agreements.

Brand Finance points to Tesla's aging product portfolio and controversies surrounding CEO Elon Musk as contributing factors to the decline. Musk's activities and statements outside the auto industry, particularly in the political arena, have been divisive. This week, for example, Musk sparked controversy by making what some considered a 'Nazi salute' gesture at President Trump's inauguration.

David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance, commented:

'Some people think he's great, but there are also many who don't. If you're considering buying an electric car, Musk's personality certainly plays into your decision, but it's just one factor among many.'

Ranking of the most valuable car brands 2025

In the global brand value rankings, automobile brands do not occupy the highest positions. Specifically:

• Toyota: 18th place (up from 19th in 2024).
• Mercedes-Benz: 23rd place (down from 17th in 2024).
• Tesla: Drops to 36th place (down from 18th in 2024 and 9th in 2023).

Not only in the automotive industry, Brand Finance also evaluates brands globally. The top 5 most valuable brands in 2025 include:

1. Apple: $574.5 billion.
2. Microsoft: $461.1 billion.
3. Google: $413 billion.
4. Amazon: $356.4 billion.
5. Walmart: $137.2 billion.

Meanwhile, no auto brands made it into the top 17, showing the huge gap between the auto industry and other sectors in terms of brand value.