Combined, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Lexus ES sold slightly more often in the United States than the BMW 3-Series/4-Series lineup.
The C-Class is America’s second-best-selling premium brand car; the ES ranks third.
• U.S. Vehicle Sales Rankings By Model – December & 2014 Year End
• U.S. Car Sales Rankings By Model – December & 2014 Year End
Yet so dominant is the 3-Series that it sells about as often as its two most popular alternatives combined. Indeed, in more direct rival terms, the C-Class and Audi A4 didn’t combine to sell nearly as often as the BMW in 2014. (The ES is really targeting a different buyer.)
BMW continues to expand its range of offerings under the 3 and 4-Series’ banners. There are now multiple four-door options, for example. Lacking some of the sharpness of older 3-Series’, the car continues to trade on its reputation for sportiness while catering to the comfort-minded whims of thousands of buyers.
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| Click Chart To Expand |
It’s working.
For the bigger 5-Series and 7-Series, however, BMW’s methods have not met with massive U.S. success of late. After levelling off in 2013, 5-Series volume fell 7% in the United States in 2014, a year in which the auto industry produced 6% gains and the car market itself improved by nearly 2%. (Unable to match the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, 7-Series volume was down 2% in 2014 after falling in 2011, 2012, and 2013.) BMW has also forged ahead with a two-door approach to the entry-level market. As Mercedes-Benz sold 27,365 CLAs in 2014 and Audi sold 22,250 A3s, BMW sold 7345 copies of the 2-Series.
Nevertheless, BMW USA set an annual sales record in 2014. Thank the 3-Series, and thank the SAVs. BMWs five-model X lineup was up 8%, forming just under one-third of all BMW sales.
You can click any model name in the tables below to find historical monthly and yearly U.S. auto sales data. You can also select a make and model at GCBC’s Sales Stats page. These tables are now sortable, so you can rank luxury brand cars any which way you like. Suggestions on how GCBC should break down segments can be passed on through the Contact page.
Click Column Headers To Sort • December 2015 • January 2015 • November 2014 • December 2013
|
Small/Entry
Luxury Car |
December
2014 |
December
2013 |
%
Change |
2014
|
2013
|
%
Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1730
|
1573 | 10.0% | 17,584 | 20,430 | -12.6% | |
|
3834
|
— | — | 19,127 | — | — | |
|
17
|
1019 | -98.3% | 6287 | 17,484 | -64.0% | |
|
2690
|
— | — | 22,250 | 857 | 2496% | |
|
Audi A4 ^
|
3599
|
3979 | -9.6% | 38,679 | 42,130 | -8.2% |
|
Audi A5 *
|
1292
|
1384 | -6.6% | 16,620 | 18,664 | -11.0% |
|
724
|
1039 | -30.3% | 7345 | 7220 | 1.7% | |
|
19,464
|
16,737 | 16.3% | 142,232 | 119,521 | 19.0% | |
|
1013
|
— | — | 6092 | — | — | |
|
2465
|
3887 | -36.6% | 29,890 | 38,319 | -22.0% | |
|
1184
|
1460 | -18.9% | 15,590 | 30,256 | -48.5% | |
|
3855
|
4568 | -15.6% | 36,899 | 17,816 | 107.1% | |
|
658
|
462 | 42.4% | 7740 | 9806 | -21.1% | |
|
1608
|
1787 | -10.0% | 17,673 | 15,071 | 17.3% | |
|
—
|
— | — | — | 5 | -100% | |
|
5939
|
5414 | 9.7% | 51,358 | 35,017 | 46.7% | |
|
1042
|
— | — | 1922 | — | — | |
|
326
|
2 | 16,200% | 776 | 20 | 3780% | |
|
8224
|
7229 | 13.8% | 75,065 | 88,251 | -14.9% | |
|
2664
|
3285 | -18.9% | 27,365 | 14,113 | 93.9% | |
|
—
|
17 | -100% | 66 | 1361 | -95.2% | |
|
1866
|
1776 | 5.1% | 20,457 | 23,210 | -11.9% | |
|
357
|
— | — | 4990 | — | — | |
|
—
|
—
|
— | — | — | — | — |
|
Total
|
64,551
|
55,618 | 16.1% | 566,007 | 499,551 | 13.3% |
|
Midsize Luxury Car
|
July
2014 |
July
2013 |
%
Change |
2014
YTD |
2013
YTD |
%
Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
233
|
597 | -61.0% | 3413 | 5053 | -32.5% | |
|
76
|
1795 | -95.8% | 10,616 | 24,318 | -56.3% | |
|
2945
|
2686 | 9.6% | 23,941 | 22,428 | 6.7% | |
|
Audi A7 *
|
524
|
944 | -44.5% | 8133 | 8483 | -4.1% |
|
5517
|
8102 | -31.9% | 52,704 | 56,863 | -7.3% | |
|
2652
|
3217 | -17.6% | 31,115 | 32,343 | -3.8% | |
|
—
|
— | — | — | 19 | -100% | |
|
—
|
— | — | — | 7 | -100% | |
|
2276
|
2670 | -14.8% | 24,335 | 32,559 | -25.3% | |
|
343
|
352 | -2.6% | 3415 | 3578 | -4.6% | |
|
656
|
367 | 78.7% | 5034 | 5283 | -4.7% | |
|
772
|
805 | -4.1% | 5880 | 7922 | -25.8% | |
|
93
|
— | — | 1330 | — | — | |
|
7782
|
8213 | -5.2% | 72,508 | 72,581 | -0.1% | |
|
2745
|
2604 | 5.4% | 22,198 | 19,742 | 12.4% | |
|
927
|
1074 | -13.7% | 8160 | 10,793 | -24.4% | |
|
2636
|
2823 | -6.6% | 34,009 | 32,361 | 5.1% | |
|
575
|
710 | -19.0% | 6981 | 8032 | -13.1% | |
|
5119
|
8727 | -41.3% | 66,400 | 69,803 | -4.9% | |
|
1
|
— | — | 8 | 30 | -73.3% | |
|
79
|
186 | -57.5% | 1753 | 1935 | -9.4% | |
|
470
|
445 | 5.6% | 5093 | 4882 | 4.3% | |
|
—
|
—
|
— | — | — | — | — |
|
Total
|
36,421
|
46,317 | -21.4% | 387,026 | 419,015 | -7.6% |
Source: Automakers & ANDC
* vehicle also displayed in another GCBC segment breakdown
^ BMW USA, not GCBC, has decided to combine sales figures for the 3-Series and 4-Series, the 1-Series and 2-Series. Acura has done the same with the new RLX and old RL.
^ A4 includes Allroad, without which A4 sales were down 10% to 3197 in December; down 7.5% to 33,993 in 2014.
GCBC isn’t here to break down segments, an impossible task for any group, but to display sales data for the sake of comparison. The more ways sales data can be displayed, the better. This explains why you’ll see the Acura ILX here but also with mainstream cars like the Buick Verano, too, and the Audi A5 is also displayed with coupes and convertibles… because readers have wanted it both ways. Hyundai USA, not GoodCarBadCar, chooses to combine sales figures for the Genesis sedan and Genesis Coupe, forcing us to include the Genesis with volume-brand cars on pricing grounds before we even get to the “brand status” issue. The K900, Equus, and XTS are here not because of their size but because of their price points, their lack of direct comparability with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. You can always find the sales results for EVERY vehicle and form your own competitive sets by using the All Vehicle Rankings posts.
RECOMMENDED READING
Small & Midsize Luxury Car Sales In America – December 2015 & Year End
Small & Midsize Luxury Car Sales In America – January 2015
Small & Midsize Luxury Car Sales In America – November 2014 YTD
Small & Midsize Luxury Car Sales In America – December 2013 & Year End
Top 20 Best-Selling Cars In America – December 2014
U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings – December 2014 & Year End
Large Luxury Car Sales In America – December 2014 & Year End