Loyalty is driving Subaru.

Although competition will be fierce as the market flattens, Subaru of America CEO Tom Doll said the brand won't have to conquest as much as in the past to be successful, because of the customer loyalty levels it now enjoys.

Subaru led mass-market brands in J.D. Power's brand loyalty study last year with a rating of 61.5 percent. The study calculated whether an owner purchased the same brand after trading in an existing vehicle on a new-vehicle purchase or lease.