Two German cars led the way, however, despite the fact that their December 2013 volume was much lower than their December 2012 volume.
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class (sedan and coupe) outsold the BMW 3-Series (sedan and wagon) for just the first time this year. There’ll be a new C-Class next year, and based solely on its exterior style, it’s a winner, though being a winner in the sales standing is a whole ‘nuther subject.
In addition to the 3er’s 658 December sales, BMW Canada also sold 112 copies of the new 4-Series last month.
Among vehicles with base prices above $50,000, eleven of Canada’s top 15 best sellers in December were SUVs. The passenger car exceptions included the Mercedes-Benz E-Class (and its CLS-Class sibling which has its figures included in the E-Class’s total in Canada), the BMW 5-Series, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class (and its CL-Class coupe offshoot), and the 15th-ranked Porsche 911.
December 2014 • January 2014 • November 2013 • December 2012
Rank
|
Luxury Vehicle
|
December 2013
|
December
2012 |
% Change
|
2013 | 2012 | % Change |
#1
|
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
|
812 | 1010 | -19.6% | 9356 | 10,616 | -11.9% |
#2
|
BMW 3-Series
|
658 | 940 | -30.0% | 12,507 | 11,234 | 11.3% |
#3
|
Audi Q5
|
624 | 564 | 10.6% | 7547 | 6152 | 22.7% |
#4
|
Acura MDX
|
598 | 506 | 18.2% | 6114 | 5242 | 16.6% |
#5
|
Lexus RX
|
572 | 540 | 5.9% | 7789 | 7130 | 9.2% |
#6
|
BMW X5
|
524 | 172 | 205% | 4704 | 3975 | 18.3% |
#7
|
Acura RDX
|
498 | 398 | 25.1% | 6112 | 4726 | 29.3% |
#8
|
Mercedes-Benz M-Class
|
457 | 402 | 13.7% | 4804 | 5539 | -13.3% |
#9
|
Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
|
416 | 562 | -26.0% | 5979 | 5279 | 13.3% |
#10
|
Audi A4 *
|
412 | 429 | -4.0% | 5956 | 6118 | -2.6% |
#11
|
Cadillac ATS
|
385 | 72 | 435% | 3256 | 189 | 1623% |
#12
|
BMW X1
|
356 | 294 | 21.1% | 2910 | 4776 | -39.1% |
#13
|
Mercedes-Benz E-Class & CLS-Class
|
321 | 254 | 26.4% | 3359 | 4083 | -17.7% |
#14
|
BMW X3
|
274 | 332 | -17.5% | 5658 | 5017 | 12.8% |
#15
|
BMW 5-Series
|
272 | 163 | 66.9% | 2717 | 2727 | -0.4% |
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 $45K.
Rank
|
Vehicles
With Base Prices Above $50K |
December 2013
|
December
2012 |
% Change
|
2013 | 2012 | % Change |
#1
|
BMW X5
|
524 | 172 | 205% | 4704 | 3975 | 18.3% |
#2
|
Mercedes-Benz M-Class
|
457 | 402 | 13.7% | 4804 | 5539 | -13.3% |
#3
|
Mercedes-Benz E-Class & CLS-Class
|
321 | 254 | 26.4% | 3359 | 4083 | -17.7% |
#4
|
BMW 5-Series
|
272 | 163 | 66.9% | 2717 | 2727 | -0.4% |
#5
|
Land Rover Range Rover Sport
|
246 | 116 | 112% | 1806 | 1634 | 10.5% |
#6
|
Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
|
180 | 196 | -8.2% | 2408 | 1846 | 30.4% |
#7
|
Porsche Cayenne
|
162 | 143 | 13.3% | 2050 | 1628 | 25.9% |
#8
|
Volkswagen Touareg
|
157 | 149 | 5.4% | 2087 | 1975 | 5.7% |
#9
|
Chevrolet Tahoe
|
140 | 85 | 64.7% | 1632 | 1108 | 47.3% |
#10
|
Audi Q7
|
122 | 122 | 0.0% | 1781 | 1653 | 7.7% |
#11
|
GMC Yukon
|
113 | 165 | -31.5% | 1333 | 1188 | 12.2% |
#12
|
GMC Yukon XL
|
106 | 66 | 60.6% | 1171 | 1111 | 5.4% |
#13
|
Mercedes-Benz S-Class & CL-Class
|
88 | 63 | 39.7% | 468 | 715 | -34.5% |
#14
|
Chevrolet Suburban
|
77 | 71 | 8.5% | 1183 | 1022 | 15.8% |
#15
|
Porsche 911
|
64 | 25 | 156% | 661 | 584 | 13.2% |
Source: Automakers & ANDC
Red font indicates year-over-year declining sales
* A4 sales include sales of the unreported Allroad
$50,000 CDN (before delivery) is an arbitrary borderline, but if GCBC was to follow this new system of designating only expensive vehicles as luxury vehicles, $50K seemed like a safe place to begin – it equals the average U.S. new car transaction price plus $15,000, plus another $5000 to account for Canadian increases. Plenty of less expensive vehicles with specific models feature prices above $50,000 – M, RS, and AMG models come to mind, specifically – but in the case of this list, we know that none of the registrations were of cars priced at $35,900, as would be the case with the BMW 320i, which costs less than a Hyundai Santa Fe 2.0T Limited. The biggest problem with a $50,000 minimum price of entry? Cars like the Cadillac XTS, which starts at $48,940, sporty cars like the $49,500 Audi TT, and SUVs like the $49,990 Acura MDX. Volkswagen recently increased the base Touareg’s price to $50,975; GM jacked up the base Tahoe/Yukon price up to $51,580.
Total Infiniti G/Q50/Q60 volume: up 63% to 187 in December; up 1.5% to 3048 in 2013.
RECOMMENDED READING
Top 15 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In Canada – December 2014
Top 15 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In Canada – January 2014
Top 15 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In Canada – November 2013
Top 30 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In Canada – December 2012
Canada Auto Sales Brand Rankings – December 2013 & Year End
Top 30 Best-Selling Vehicles In Canada – December 2013
Top 15 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In Canada – 2013 Year End