Cars
BMW's 3-Series outsold its nearest rival, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, by 31,270 units in 2013.
Lexus's RX slotted in between the German pair with 103,920 sales. All three podium placing cars, in addition to the next-best-selling Lexus ES, Mercedes E-Class, and BMW 5-Series, sold more often in 2013 than they did in 2012.
In all, the list of America's 15 best-selling premium brand vehicles includes seven utility vehicles, two of which sold less often in 2013 than in 2012. (BMW X5 sales plunged 66% in December, dragging down its calendar year total.) Seven brands are represented in the top 15.
Lincoln was the highest-selling premium brand to miss out on landing an individual model on the list of top sellers. Lincoln sold 32,361 MKZs and 23,913 Edge-based MKX crossovers.
There's perhaps no more obvious omission than Cadillac's CTS, sales of which tanked in 2013 as we approached the arrival of the all-new, more upscale CTS sedan. The CTS ranked tenth in 2012, behind the Acura MDX; ahead of the BMW X5 and Audi A4 family. Cadillac's top seller in 2013 was the 15th-ranked ATS, which has, as should've been anticipated, a middle-rung player in the entry luxury sports sedan category.
Historical monthly and yearly sales figures for any of these top-selling luxury vehicles can always be accessed through the dropdown menu at GCBC's Sales Stats page, and for those not viewing the mobile version of this site, near the top right of this page, as well.
2014 Year End • 2012 Year End • 2011 Year End • 2010 Year End
For the purposes of the above list, premium brands include Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Infiniti, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Volvo. Brands like Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Lotus don't report specific monthly sales data. Bentley and Maserati only report brand totals. Buick has been excluded with a bunch of other automakers that don't sell vehicles with base prices higher than $40K.
Source: Automakers & ANDC
Red font indicates year-over-year declining sales
$45,000 USD (before delivery) is an arbitrary borderline, but if GCBC was to follow this system of designating only expensive vehicles as luxury vehicles, adding approximately $15,000 to the average new car transaction price seemed like a fitting place to begin. Plenty of less expensive vehicles with specific models feature prices above $45,000 - M, RS, and AMG models come to mind, specifically - but in the case of the second list, we know that none of the registrations were of cars priced at $32,550, as would be the case with the new BMW 320i, which costs less than a Honda Accord V6 Touring. The biggest problem with a $45,000 minimum price of entry? Cars like the Cadillac XTS, which starts at $44,075.
^ The lineup formerly known as the Infiniti G was also joined by 17,816 Q50 sales in 2013. 30,256 Infiniti G sedans were sold in 2013.
* BMW USA, not GoodCarBadCar, has chosen to combine sales of the 3-Series and 4-Series. A4 sales include the Allroad. Audi also sold 18,664 A5 coupes and convertibles in 2013.
Cadillac's new CTS - 32,343 2013 sales - now starts at $45,100, but the lingering CTS Coupe is a sub-$40K car, and the wagon starts at $42,195.
RECOMMENDED READING
Top 15 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - 2014 Year End
Top 30 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - 2012 Year End
Top 30 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - 2011 Year End
Top 15 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - December 2013
Top 30 Best-Selling Vehicles In America - 2013 Year End
U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings - 2013 Year End
- Top 15 Best-selling Luxury Vehicles In Canada - January 2014
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- Top 15 Best-selling Luxury Vehicles In America - August 2013
The Lexus RX was America's best-selling premium brand vehicle in August 2013. Through the first eight months of 2013, the BMW 3-Series leads the RX by 3731 units. Lexus led all premium brands in total sales in August, as well. That would surely...
- Top 15 Best-selling Luxury Vehicles In America - July 2013
1 In 200 Vehicles Sold In America In July Was Either A Range Rover, Cayenne, Escalade, Or Benz GLThe BMW 3-Series posted its third consecutive year-over-year increase in July 2013, a 29% jump which saw 3er sales climb by 2237 units. ...
- Top 15 Best-selling Luxury Vehicles In America - June 2013
Americans registered 63% more 3-Series-badged BMWs in June 2013 than in the same period last year. The 3-Series' lead over the Mercedes-Benz C-Class expanded to 3260 units through six months. Presumably, the 3-Series will take a hit as coupe sales...
Cars
Top 15 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - 2013 Year End
Lexus's RX slotted in between the German pair with 103,920 sales. All three podium placing cars, in addition to the next-best-selling Lexus ES, Mercedes E-Class, and BMW 5-Series, sold more often in 2013 than they did in 2012.
In all, the list of America's 15 best-selling premium brand vehicles includes seven utility vehicles, two of which sold less often in 2013 than in 2012. (BMW X5 sales plunged 66% in December, dragging down its calendar year total.) Seven brands are represented in the top 15.
• All 270 Vehicles Ranked By 2013 Year End & December U.S. Sales
Lincoln was the highest-selling premium brand to miss out on landing an individual model on the list of top sellers. Lincoln sold 32,361 MKZs and 23,913 Edge-based MKX crossovers.
There's perhaps no more obvious omission than Cadillac's CTS, sales of which tanked in 2013 as we approached the arrival of the all-new, more upscale CTS sedan. The CTS ranked tenth in 2012, behind the Acura MDX; ahead of the BMW X5 and Audi A4 family. Cadillac's top seller in 2013 was the 15th-ranked ATS, which has, as should've been anticipated, a middle-rung player in the entry luxury sports sedan category.
Historical monthly and yearly sales figures for any of these top-selling luxury vehicles can always be accessed through the dropdown menu at GCBC's Sales Stats page, and for those not viewing the mobile version of this site, near the top right of this page, as well.
2014 Year End • 2012 Year End • 2011 Year End • 2010 Year End
Rank | Luxury Vehicle | 2013 | 2012 | % Change |
#1 | BMW 3-Series & 4-Series * | 119,521 | 99,602 | 20.0% |
#2 | Lexus RX | 103,920 | 95,381 | 9.0% |
#3 | Mercedes-Benz C-Class | 88,251 | 81,697 | 8.0% |
#4 | Lexus ES | 72,581 | 56,158 | 29.2% |
#5 | Mercedes-Benz E-Class | 69,803 | 65,171 | 7.1% |
#6 | BMW 5-Series | 56,863 | 56,798 | 0.1% |
#7 | Cadillac SRX | 56,776 | 57,485 | -1.2% |
#8 | Acura MDX | 53,040 | 50,854 | 4.3% |
#9 | Acura RDX | 44,750 | 29,520 | 51.6% |
#10 | Audi A4 * | 42,130 | 38,530 | 9.3% |
#11 | Mercedes-Benz M-Class | 41,326 | 38,101 | 8.5% |
#12 | Audi Q5 | 40,355 | 28,671 | 40.8% |
#13 | Infiniti G/Q60 ^ | 40,062 | 59,844 | -33.1% |
#14 | BMW X5 | 39,818 | 44,445 | -10.4% |
#15 | Cadillac ATS | 38,319 | 7008 | 447% |
Rank | Luxury Vehicle (Min. Base Price $45K) | 2013 | 2012 | % Change |
#1 | Mercedes-Benz E-Class | 69,803 | 65,171 | 7.1% |
#2 | BMW 5-Series | 56,863 | 56,798 | 0.1% |
#3 | Chevrolet Suburban | 51,260 | 48,116 | 6.5% |
#4 | Mercedes-Benz M-Class | 41,326 | 38,101 | 8.5% |
#5 | BMW X5 | 39,818 | 44,445 | -10.4% |
#6 | GMC Yukon XL | 31,258 | 23,427 | 33.4% |
#7 | Mercedes-Benz GL-Class | 29,912 | 26,042 | 14.9% |
#8 | Lexus GS | 19,742 | 22,160 | -10.9% |
#9 | Cadillac Escalade & ESV/EXT | 22,514 | 22,632 | -1.2% |
#10 | Porsche Cayenne | 18,507 | 15,545 | 19.1% |
#11 | Chevrolet Corvette | 17,291 | 14,132 | 22.4% |
#12 | Audi Q7 | 15,978 | 11,008 | 45.1% |
#13 | Land Rover Range Rover Sport | 15,976 | 16,491 | -3.1% |
#14 | Mercedes-Benz S-Class | 13,303 | 11,794 | 12.8% |
#15 | Infiniti QX56 / QX80 | 13,148 | 15,310 | -14.1% |
Red font indicates year-over-year declining sales
$45,000 USD (before delivery) is an arbitrary borderline, but if GCBC was to follow this system of designating only expensive vehicles as luxury vehicles, adding approximately $15,000 to the average new car transaction price seemed like a fitting place to begin. Plenty of less expensive vehicles with specific models feature prices above $45,000 - M, RS, and AMG models come to mind, specifically - but in the case of the second list, we know that none of the registrations were of cars priced at $32,550, as would be the case with the new BMW 320i, which costs less than a Honda Accord V6 Touring. The biggest problem with a $45,000 minimum price of entry? Cars like the Cadillac XTS, which starts at $44,075.
^ The lineup formerly known as the Infiniti G was also joined by 17,816 Q50 sales in 2013. 30,256 Infiniti G sedans were sold in 2013.
* BMW USA, not GoodCarBadCar, has chosen to combine sales of the 3-Series and 4-Series. A4 sales include the Allroad. Audi also sold 18,664 A5 coupes and convertibles in 2013.
Cadillac's new CTS - 32,343 2013 sales - now starts at $45,100, but the lingering CTS Coupe is a sub-$40K car, and the wagon starts at $42,195.
RECOMMENDED READING
Top 15 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - 2014 Year End
Top 30 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - 2012 Year End
Top 30 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - 2011 Year End
Top 15 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - December 2013
Top 30 Best-Selling Vehicles In America - 2013 Year End
U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings - 2013 Year End
- Top 15 Best-selling Luxury Vehicles In Canada - January 2014
Click Chart To ExpandA big Canadian sales month for Mercedes-Benz in January 2014 was fuelled in part by the Mercedes-Benz CLA, which made it onto the list of Canada's 15 best-selling premium brand vehicles for the first time. Nearly half of Mercedes-Benz...
- Top 15 Best-selling Luxury Vehicles In America - December 2013
During Its Best Ever Month, 16% Of The Audi Q5s Sold In America Were Diesel-PoweredDecember, often a strong month for luxury auto brands in the United States, was no different in 2013. December was BMW USA's best month in 2013, as it was for...
- Top 15 Best-selling Luxury Vehicles In America - August 2013
The Lexus RX was America's best-selling premium brand vehicle in August 2013. Through the first eight months of 2013, the BMW 3-Series leads the RX by 3731 units. Lexus led all premium brands in total sales in August, as well. That would surely...
- Top 15 Best-selling Luxury Vehicles In America - July 2013
1 In 200 Vehicles Sold In America In July Was Either A Range Rover, Cayenne, Escalade, Or Benz GLThe BMW 3-Series posted its third consecutive year-over-year increase in July 2013, a 29% jump which saw 3er sales climb by 2237 units. ...
- Top 15 Best-selling Luxury Vehicles In America - June 2013
Americans registered 63% more 3-Series-badged BMWs in June 2013 than in the same period last year. The 3-Series' lead over the Mercedes-Benz C-Class expanded to 3260 units through six months. Presumably, the 3-Series will take a hit as coupe sales...