Cars
December, 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 Lexus, the second-ranked brand last month. Audi reported the highest-volume month in the company's history.
With big brand figures come big model-specific sales figures.
BMW sold nearly 6000 more 3-Series sedans and wagons (and 4-Series two-door offshoots) in December 2013 than in December 2012.
Lexus RX sales rose to 13,169, making the RX America's tenth-best-selling utility vehicle overall.
On this list of America's top premium brand automobiles, the 15th-ranked Cadillac ATS reported its best month yet.
Lexus IS sales more than doubled to 5414 units.
The 2013 year end edition of this post will be published shortly.
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.
December 2014 • January 2014 • November 2013 • December 2012
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.
^ In December, Infiniti also sold 1460 copies of the Q50's predecessor, the G sedan, and 462 Q60s.
* BMW USA, not GoodCarBadCar, has chosen to combine sales of the 3-Series and 4-Series. A4 sales include the Allroad.
Cadillac's new CTS - 3217 December sales - starts at $45,100, but the lingering CTS Coupe is a sub-$40K car, and the wagon starts at $42,195.
This post was updated at 9:54 AM AT on the day of publishing to include the whole Escalade trio as is the tradition at GCBC.
RECOMMENDED READING
Top 15 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - December 2014
Top 15 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - January 2014
Top 15 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - November 2013
Top 30 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - December 2012
U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings - December 2013 YTD
Top 30 Best-Selling Vehicles In America - December 2013
Top 15 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - 2013 Year End
- Top 15 Best-selling Luxury Vehicles In Canada - December 2014
Canada's favourite premium brand car in December 2014, as it's been in each of the last seven months, was the BMW 3-Series. • All Vehicles Ranked By December & 2014 Year End Canadian Sales Click Chart To ExpandIts partner, the...
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With 19,464 December sales in 2014, BMW's 3-Series/4-Series vehicle line outsold all of Audi, all of Acura, all of Cadillac, all of Infiniti, all of Lincoln. Land Rover, Jaguar, and Volvo combined for 17,127 sales. • America's Best-Selling...
- 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...
Cars
Top 15 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - December 2013
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| During Its Best Ever Month, 16% Of The Audi Q5s Sold In America Were Diesel-Powered |
With big brand figures come big model-specific sales figures.
BMW sold nearly 6000 more 3-Series sedans and wagons (and 4-Series two-door offshoots) in December 2013 than in December 2012.
• All 270 Vehicles Ranked By 2013 Year End & December U.S. Sales
Lexus RX sales rose to 13,169, making the RX America's tenth-best-selling utility vehicle overall.
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| Click Chart To Expand |
Lexus IS sales more than doubled to 5414 units.
The 2013 year end edition of this post will be published shortly.
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.
December 2014 • January 2014 • November 2013 • December 2012
Rank | Luxury Vehicle | December 2013 | December 2012 | % Change | 2013 | 2012 | % Change |
#1 | BMW 3-Series & 4-Series * | 16,737 | 10,745 | 55.8% | 119,521 | 99,602 | 20.0% |
#2 | Lexus RX | 13,169 | 12,534 | 5.1% | 103,920 | 95,381 | 9.0% |
#3 | Mercedes-Benz E-Class | 8727 | 6984 | 25.0% | 69,803 | 65,171 | 7.1% |
#4 | Lexus ES | 8213 | 7987 | 2.8% | 72,581 | 56,158 | 29.2% |
#5 | BMW 5-Series | 8102 | 8385 | -3.4% | 56,863 | 56,798 | 0.1% |
#6 | Mercedes-Benz C-Class | 7229 | 7757 | -6.8% | 88,251 | 81,697 | 8.0% |
#7 | Acura MDX | 6538 | 5069 | 29.0% | 53,040 | 50,854 | 4.3% |
#8 | Cadillac SRX | 6074 | 6400 | -5.1% | 56,776 | 57,845 | -1.2% |
#9 | Lexus IS | 5414 | 2497 | 117% | 35,017 | 27,708 | 26.4% |
#10 | Audi Q5 | 4794 | 3626 | 32.2% | 40,355 | 28,671 | 40.8% |
#11 | Infiniti Q50 ^ | 4568 | --- | --- | 17,816 | --- | --- |
#12 | Mercedes-Benz M-Class | 4485 | 4241 | 5.8% | 41,236 | 38,101 | 8.5% |
#13 | Acura RDX | 4215 | 4024 | 4.7% | 44,750 | 29,520 | 51.6% |
#14 | Audi A4 * | 3979 | 3806 | 4.5% | 42,130 | 38,530 | 9.3% |
#15 | Cadillac ATS | 3887 | 2979 | 30.5% | 38,319 | 7008 | 447% |
Rank | Luxury Vehicle (Min. Base Price $45K) | December 2013 | December 2012 | % Change | 2013 | 2012 | % Change |
#1 | Mercedes-Benz E-Class | 8727 | 6984 | 25.0% | 69,803 | 65,171 | 7.1% |
#2 | BMW 5-Series | 8102 | 8385 | -3.4% | 56,863 | 56,798 | 0.1% |
#3 | Chevrolet Suburban | 5820 | 5956 | -2.3% | 51,260 | 48,116 | 6.5% |
#4 | Mercedes-Benz M-Class | 4485 | 4241 | 5.8% | 41,236 | 38,101 | 8.5% |
#5 | GMC Yukon XL | 3158 | 2929 | 7.8% | 31,258 | 23,427 | 33.4% |
#6 | Chevrolet Corvette | 3005 | 1291 | 133% | 17,291 | 14,132 | 22.4% |
#7 | Lexus GS | 2604 | 2796 | -6.9% | 19,742 | 22,160 | -10.9% |
#8 | Cadillac Escalade & ESV/EXT | 2311 | 2554 | -9.5% | 22,514 | 22,632 | -0.5% |
#9 | Land Rover Range Rover Sport | 2305 | 2003 | 15.1% | 15,976 | 16,491 | -3.1% |
#10 | Audi Q7 | 2279 | 1493 | 52.6% | 15,978 | 11,008 | 45.1% |
#11 | Mercedes-Benz GL-Class | 2239 | 3111 | -28.0% | 29,912 | 26,042 | 14.9% |
#12 | BMW X5 | 1953 | 5722 | -65.9% | 39,818 | 44,445 | -10.4% |
#13 | Mercedes-Benz S-Class | 1857 | 1110 | 67.3% | 13,303 | 11,794 | 12.8% |
#14 | Lexus GX460 | 1830 | 1407 | 30.1% | 12,136 | 11,039 | 9.9% |
#15 | Infiniti QX80 / QX56 | 1750 | 2232 | -21.6% | 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.
^ In December, Infiniti also sold 1460 copies of the Q50's predecessor, the G sedan, and 462 Q60s.
* BMW USA, not GoodCarBadCar, has chosen to combine sales of the 3-Series and 4-Series. A4 sales include the Allroad.
Cadillac's new CTS - 3217 December sales - starts at $45,100, but the lingering CTS Coupe is a sub-$40K car, and the wagon starts at $42,195.
This post was updated at 9:54 AM AT on the day of publishing to include the whole Escalade trio as is the tradition at GCBC.
RECOMMENDED READING
Top 15 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - December 2014
Top 15 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - January 2014
Top 15 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - November 2013
Top 30 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - December 2012
U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings - December 2013 YTD
Top 30 Best-Selling Vehicles In America - December 2013
Top 15 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - 2013 Year End
- Top 15 Best-selling Luxury Vehicles In Canada - December 2014
Canada's favourite premium brand car in December 2014, as it's been in each of the last seven months, was the BMW 3-Series. • All Vehicles Ranked By December & 2014 Year End Canadian Sales Click Chart To ExpandIts partner, the...
- Top 15 Best-selling Luxury Vehicles In America - 2014 Year End
It's certainly not a shock to see the BMW 3-Series (and its 4-Series offspring, formerly known as the 3-Series two-doors) atop these rankings of America's best-selling luxury vehicles in the 2014 calendar year. • U.S. Vehicle...
- Top 15 Best-selling Luxury Vehicles In America - December 2014
With 19,464 December sales in 2014, BMW's 3-Series/4-Series vehicle line outsold all of Audi, all of Acura, all of Cadillac, all of Infiniti, all of Lincoln. Land Rover, Jaguar, and Volvo combined for 17,127 sales. • America's Best-Selling...
- 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 - 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...