Taking estimates for the Tesla Model S into account, along with the sales of four other mainstream brand (but clearly very premium) cars and eight super-premium brands, the luxury car market in America is up 12.3% this year. This far exceeds the overall industry’s 6.9% increase. Even when estimates for
Clearly, there is some ignorance: high-end purchases at brands like GMC, with the Denali models, plus the sales generated by $40K+ Volkswagen Touaregs and relatively pricey large cars like the Hyundai Genesis, Toyota Avalon, Nissan Maxima, Chrysler 300, and the Buick LaCrosse, are left out. Where does the line get drawn? It depends who you ask.
The point of this lengthy list, however, is to showcase sales of established premium brands like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Lexus, and Audi. Sales at twelve key premium brands rose 11% in April and are up 11.1% through the first four months of 2013.
In all, we’ve listed 89 different luxury nameplates, plus the $80K Toyota Land Cruiser. Then the list lengthens to include the Tesla, Corvette, Equus, and GT-R, before lengthening again to show estimates for six brands and tallies for Bentley and Maserati, too. None of those eight brands release model-specific sales data.
At the top of the list, you’ll see the emphasis on affordable luxury. The four leading cars account for 21% of the premium brand output. Their base prices range from $32,550 to $39,660. Keep in mind, pricing for the Chevrolet Tahoe, America’s 21st-best-selling SUV, starts at $39,850 and rises to around $60,000. “Luxury” means what you want it to mean.
These are year-to-date rankings, but you can sort luxury autos by April volume by clicking the April 2013 column header, or you can rank cars by improvements or declines using the % columns. Or, most importantly, you can list an automaker’s vehicles together by selecting the Luxury Vehicle column header. Just remember, the list is horizontally flipped from the norm: YTD on the left, monthly data on the right.
As always, you can find historical monthly and yearly sales figures for any of these vehicles by selecting a make and model at GCBC’s Sales Stats page.
|
Rank
|
Luxury Vehicle
|
April 2013 YTD
|
% Change
|
April
2013 |
% Change
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
#1
|
Mercedes-Benz C-Class | 30,250 | + 23.3% | 7338 | + 14.2% |
|
#2
|
BMW 3-Series | 28,898 | – 14.3% | 8236 | – 8.5% |
|
#3
|
Lexus RX | 28,457 | + 15.1% | 7053 | + 3.1% |
|
#4
|
Lexus ES | 21,923 | + 89.8% | 5122 | + 70.7% |
|
#5
|
Mercedes-Benz E-Class | 18,120 | – 5.6% | 4431 | – 16.8% |
|
#6
|
BMW 5-Series | 17,373 | + 6.7% | 5234 | + 46.8% |
|
#7
|
Infiniti G | 16,406 | – 10.2% | 3490 | + 17.8% |
|
#7.1
|
Infiniti G Sedan | 13,080 | – 7.1% | 2696 | + 29.0% |
|
#7.2
|
Infiniti G Coupe/Convertible | 3326 | – 20.8% | 794 | – 8.9% |
|
#8
|
Cadillac SRX | 16,334 | – 5.5% | 3478 | – 13.0% |
|
#9
|
BMW X5 | 15,335 | + 25.3% | 3444 | – 3.3% |
|
#10
|
Audi A4 | 13,406 | + 13.7% | 3611 | + 16.2% |
|
#10.1
|
Audi A4 Sedan/Avant | 11,648 | – 1.2% | 3143 | + 1.1% |
|
#10.2
|
Audi A4 Allroad | 1758 | —– | 468 | —– |
|
#11
|
Acura RDX | 13,247 | + 171% | 4088 | + 106% |
|
#12
|
Cadillac ATS | 12,475 | —– | 2725 | —– |
|
#13
|
Mercedes-Benz M-Class | 12,442 | – 14.4% | 3280 | + 7.3% |
|
#14
|
Acura MDX | 11,605 | – 18.0% | 2877 | – 27.2% |
|
#15
|
Audi Q5 | 11,437 | + 35.6% | 3241 | + 31.6% |
|
#16
|
Cadillac CTS | 10,260 | – 37.0% | 2398 | – 42.9% |
|
#17
|
Mercedes-Benz GLK | 10,212 | + 26.2% | 2702 | + 30.7% |
|
#18
|
Mercedes-Benz GL-Class | 10,099 | + 27.5% | 2481 | – 10.4% |
|
#19
|
Cadillac XTS | 10,021 | —– | 2891 | —– |
|
#20
|
Acura TL | 9752 | – 14.6% | 2959 | – 1.3% |
|
#21
|
Infiniti JX35 | 9483 | + 262% | 2580 | + 24.1% |
|
#22
|
BMW X3 | 9125 | – 0.1% | 1914 | – 22.8% |
|
#23
|
Lincoln MKX | 7806 | – 6.1% | 1740 | – 7.5% |
|
#24
|
Lincoln MKZ | 7770 | – 13.1% | 4012 | + 115% |
|
#25
|
Acura ILX | 7508 | —– | 1894 | —– |
|
#26
|
Volvo S60 | 7494 | – 2.4% | 1547 | – 10.7% |
|
#27
|
Lexus IS | 6970 | – 22.3% | 1797 | – 23.3% |
|
#28
|
BMW X1 | 6967 | —– | 1556 | —– |
|
#29
|
Cadillac Escalade | 6847 | – 0.3% | 1737 | + 9.1% |
|
#29.1
|
Cadillac Escalade | 3609 | – 7.8% | 919 | + 1.2% |
|
#29.1
|
Cadillac Escalade ESV | 2465 | + 1.9% | 619 | + 14.0% |
|
#29.2
|
Cadillac Escalade EXT | 773 | + 44.5% | 199 | + 41.1% |
|
#30
|
Audi A6 | 6280 | + 22.0% | 1905 | + 21.7% |
|
#31
|
Volvo XC60 | 6207 | + 20.9% | 1455 | + 15.4% |
|
#32
|
Porsche Cayenne | 5931 | + 38.5% | 1750 | + 27.2% |
|
#33
|
Audi A5 | 5810 | + 13.2% | 1809 | + 27.4% |
|
#34
|
Acura TSX | 5798 | – 52.2% | 1622 | – 48.3% |
|
#34.1
|
Acura TSX Sedan | 4979 | – 54.2% | 1416 | – 49.6% |
|
#34.2
|
Acura TSX SportWagon | 819 | – 35.2% | 206 | – 37.8% |
|
#35
|
Lexus GS | 5325 | – 24.5% | 1236 | – 38.4% |
|
#36
|
Land Rover Range Rover Sport | 5203 | + 9.0% | 1305 | + 8.8% |
|
#37
|
Lexus CT200h | 4416 | – 32.2% | 1171 | – 27.7% |
|
#38
|
Mercedes-Benz S-Class | 4180 | + 19.2% | 1103 | + 16.4% |
|
#39
|
Infiniti QX56 | 4117 | – 7.1% | 747 | – 18.4% |
|
#40
|
Audi Q7 | 4084 | + 43.7% | 1183 | + 33.4% |
|
#41
|
Land Rover Range Rover Evoque | 3899 | + 30.6% | 832 | + 3.2% |
|
#42
|
Porsche 911 | 3613 | + 16.8% | 891 | – 18.3% |
|
#43
|
Lexus LS | 3560 | + 69.4% | 700 | + 59.8% |
|
#44
|
Lincoln MKS | 3485 | – 24.0% | 730 | – 43.8% |
|
#45
|
Land Rover Range Rover | 3464 | + 27.8% | 674 | + 19.9% |
|
#46
|
BMW 7-Series | 3209 | – 17.6% | 871 | + 68.8% |
|
#47
|
BMW 6-Series | 2831 | + 28.1% | 760 | + 48.1% |
|
#48
|
Lexus GX460 | 2786 | – 14.9% | 655 | – 12.8% |
|
#49
|
Audi A7 | 2728 | – 2.7% | 645 | – 17.3% |
|
#50
|
Infiniti FX | 2703 | – 23.3% | 548 | + 12.8% |
|
#51
|
Jaguar XF | 2608 | + 29.8% | 709 | + 54.5% |
|
#52
|
Lincoln Navigator | 2507 | – 5.5% | 680 | + 26.6% |
|
#53
|
Mercedes-Benz SL-Class | 2422 | + 366% | 938 | + 275% |
|
#54
|
Land Rover LR4 | 2366 | – 4.3% | 588 | + 19.5% |
|
#55
|
Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class | 2335 | – 2.9% | 640 | – 1.1% |
|
#56
|
Volvo XC90 | 2143 | – 34.3% | 492 | – 27.4% |
|
#57
|
Infiniti M | 1956 | – 40.0% | 388 | – 15.8% |
|
#58
|
Lincoln MKT | 1946 | – 9.0% | 453 | – 30.7% |
|
#59
|
Audi A8 | 1929 | + 35.6% | 467 | + 30.4% |
|
#60
|
BMW 1-Series | 1917 | – 32.4% | 626 | – 15.5% |
|
#61
|
Porsche Panamera | 1885 | – 31.1% | 501 | – 42.3% |
|
#62
|
Porsche Boxster | 1795 | + 1210% | 496 | + 1278% |
|
#63
|
BMW X6 | 1618 | + 12.5% | 354 | – 12.6% |
|
#64
|
Mercedes-Benz SLK | 1585 | + 1.7% | 451 | – 3.4% |
|
#65
|
Jaguar XJ | 1568 | – 9.1% | 323 | – 35.5% |
|
#66
|
Volvo XC70 | 1559 | – 7.9% | 439 | + 26.5% |
|
#67
|
Lexus LX570 | 1377 | – 25.8% | 351 | – 32.1% |
|
#68
|
Land Rover LR2 | 1030 | + 2.4% | 144 | – 38.2% |
|
#69
|
Toyota Land Cruiser | 957 | + 46.1% | 217 | + 1.4% |
|
#70
|
BMW Z4 | 854 | – 3.8% | 230 | – 17.3% |
|
#71
|
Volvo C70 | 824 | – 46.5% | 224 | – 44.8% |
|
#72
|
Mercedes-Benz G-Class | 800 | + 133% | 188 | + 129% |
|
#73
|
Audi A3 | 798 | – 65.7% | 55 | – 91.4% |
|
#74
|
Acura RLX | 752 | —– | 400 | —– |
|
#75
|
Volvo C30 | 706 | – 17.7% | 184 | + 10.8% |
|
#76
|
Volvo S80 | 638 | – 39.6% | 123 | – 52.3% |
|
#77
|
Audi TT | 633 | – 16.0% | 170 | – 17.9% |
|
#78
|
Infiniti EX | 555 | – 55.1% | 91 | – 59.7% |
|
#79
|
Jaguar XK | 550 | – 17.5% | 109 | – 3.5% |
|
#80
|
Porsche Cayman | 457 | + 30.9% | 394 | + 488% |
|
#81
|
Audi R8 | 238 | – 29.0% | 71 | – 22.8% |
|
#82
|
Mercedes-Benz CL-Class | 192 | – 29.7% | 37 | – 41.3% |
|
#83
|
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG | 165 | – 57.7% | 46 | – 55.8% |
|
#84
|
Acura ZDX | 151 | – 43.9% | 52 | – 26.8% |
|
#85
|
Acura RL | 39 | – 70.5% | 7 | – 78.8% |
|
#86
|
Mercedes-Benz R-Class | 20 | – 96.5% | —– | – 100% |
|
#87
|
Lexus LFA | 15 | – 21.1% | 6 | + 20.0% |
|
#88
|
Cadillac DTS | 3 | – 98.9% | —– | – 100% |
|
T89
|
Cadillac STS | 2 | – 98.1% | 1 | – 95.0% |
|
T89
|
Lexus HS250h | 2 | – 99.7% | —– | – 100% |
|
—
|
Total
|
521,548 | + 11.1% | 134,093 | + 11.0% |
|
—
|
—
|
— | — | — | — |
|
|
Tesla Model S **
|
6850 | —– | 2100 | —– |
|
|
Chevrolet Corvette | 3915 | – 9.5% | 974 | – 30.2% |
|
|
Hyundai Equus | 1075 | – 15.9% | 261 | – 25.6% |
|
|
Nissan GT-R | 371 | + 7.8% | 103 | – 12.7% |
|
|
SRT (Dodge) Viper | 64 | + 220% | 60 | —– |
|
—
|
Total
|
12,275 | + 106% | 3498 | + 87.6% |
|
—
|
—
|
— | — | — | — |
|
|
Aston Martin *
|
276 | + 1.5% | 69 | + 1.5% |
|
|
781 | + 19.6% | 207 | + 2.0% | |
|
|
Ferrari *
|
648 | + 3.2% | 162 | + 3.2% |
|
|
Lamborghini *
|
184 | + 7.0% | 46 | + 7.0% |
|
|
Lotus *
|
88 | + 10.0% | 22 | + 10.0% |
|
|
753 | – 9.7% | 204 | – 12.1% | |
|
|
Maybach *
|
—– | – 100% | —– | – 100% |
|
|
Rolls-Royce *
|
336 | + 6.3% | 84 | + 6.3% |
|
—
|
Total
|
3066 | + 3.2% | 794 | + 1.5% |
|
—
|
—
|
— | — | — | — |
|
—
|
Overall Total
|
536,889 | + 12.3 % | 138,385 | + 12.1% |
Source: Manufacturers & ANDC
Red font indicates year-over-year declining sales
Italicized unranked lines are nothing more than available breakdowns, already included in the model’s total, not in addition to the model’s total.
* estimate
** HybridCars.com estimate
RECOMMENDED READING
U.S. Luxury Car Sales Rankings – April 2013/YTD
U.S. Luxury SUV Sales Rankings – April 2013/YTD
U.S. Vehicle Sales Rankings – April 2013/YTD
U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings – April 2013