March 2008 Luxury Car Sales - Winners & Losers

Teknik submitted on 04/02/2008 Official AutoSpies Timestamp: 1:56 AM
from: www.autospies.com

[81] user comments | category: Misc News

Tags: March 2008 Luxury Car Sales

March 2008 Luxury Car Sales

March 2008 Luxury Car Sales - Winners & Losers

BRAND TOTAL
1. Lexus - 24,939
2. BMW - 23,115
3. Mercedes-Benz - 20,808
4. Cadillac - 17,453
5. Infiniti - 13,821
6. Acura - 13,288
7. Lincoln - 10,913
8. Volvo - 9,263
9. Audi - 7,987
10. Saab - 2,962
11. Jaguar - 1,752

PRE-ENTRY LEVEL
1. Acura TSX - 2,280
2. Volvo S40 - 1,528
3. BMW 1-Series - 1,496

ENTRY-LEVEL
1. BMW 3-Series - 11,226
2. Infiniti G - 8,269
3. Mercedes-Benz C-Class - 6,713
4. Cadillac CTS - 6,045
5. Lexus ES - 6,019
6. Lexus IS - 4,798
7. Acura TL - 4,269
8. Audi A4 - 4,061
9. Lincoln MKZ - 3,501
10. Saab 9-3 - 2,133
11. Volvo S60 - 1,243
12. Jaguar X-Type - 46

MID-LEVEL
1. BMW 5-Series - 3,667
2. Mercedez-Benz E-Class - 3,039
3. Infiniti M - 1,753
4. Lexus GS - 1,668
5. Volvo S80 - 1,629
6. Cadillac STS - 1,486
7. Jaguar XF - 1,161
8. Audi A6 - 898
9. Acura RL - 548
10. Saab 9-5 - 316
11. Jaguar S-Type - 80

FLAGSHIP
1. Lexus LS - 2,125
2. Mercedez-Benz S-Class - 1,622
3. BMW 7-Series - 1,467
4. Audi A8 - 249
5. Jaguar XJ - 218

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MattB - 4/2/2008 10:12:26 AM

+6 Boost

Lexus sold the most cars last month and the LS outsold the other very high end sedans, but those seem to be the only area in which Lexus leads. I wouldn't call that "most areas". Lexus also has not been doing well overseas.

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silver1 - 4/2/2008 11:49:55 AM

-1 Boost

"xdrive_"

And the Lexus LS 600h? You pricing info on that one out...

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silver1 - 4/2/2008 11:50:41 AM

0 Boost

You left the pricing info out on that one

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zorbeeze - 4/2/2008 1:11:17 PM

-2 Boost

xdrive, you obviously have no clue who the customers are for those cars. And if a difference of $10 000 is what you look at then you CAN NOT afford these cars.

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autopro - 4/2/2008 4:21:18 PMView My AgentSpace

-1 Boost

With 8000 dollar rebates on the 7 series its cheaper than the ls460.The lease deals are much cheaper.

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zorbeeze - 4/2/2008 4:52:09 PM

-3 Boost

xdrive if you actually think a Lexus dealer will sell you the LS at MSRP you are kidding yourself. The price difference is less than most think. People like to pretend they know without actually shopping around.

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Mercedes - 4/3/2008 2:18:49 AM

-1 Boost

Are you blind or just plain stupid? Can you not read the sales numbers? Lexus doesn't lead anything but 1 of categories posted. Overall sales yes, but certain Lexuses are having their assess handed to them in sales.

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S4cabriofoxone - 4/2/2008 9:30:53 AMView My AgentSpace

+1 Boost

The 3 Series sold better than the ES and IS combined :-O

Nice CTS sales!

And LMAO at the S-Type.

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Denali - 4/2/2008 10:33:48 AM

+6 Boost

The 3 Series sold better than the C-Class and A4 combined

Nice Inifiniti G sales

And LMAO at everything under the lexus IS.

r15mohd - 4/2/2008 10:35:04 AM

+3 Boost

hopefully the XF can help change that...

autopro - 4/2/2008 4:22:45 PMView My AgentSpace

+1 Boost

Super cheap lease deals on 3 series,thats the only thing holding up BMW's numbers.

ChicaneShooter - 4/3/2008 1:51:35 AM

+1 Boost

"The 3 Series sold better than the ES and IS combined :-"

by all of 409 units. whoopeeee....

and if there were ANY 2 dr model Lexi, that difference would be obliterated.

how many different 3-ers are there? vs. all of ONE ES and 2.1 IS models? (0.1 for the IS-F, extremely limited production.)

bestofallcad - 4/4/2008 11:12:40 AM

0 Boost

The cadillac CTS sales the dealers cannot keep them in stock! The CTS was motor trend car of the year and there was not one lexus even in the running what does that say about the boring grandma car lexus

bestofallcad - 4/4/2008 12:11:42 PM

0 Boost

Here is a article about Lexus. I am quite surprised to see Lexus suffering so badly, after all if you look at the monthly percentages it doesn’t seem to add up. However the way Lexus reports figures with the DSR method, can lead to deceiving percentages that only are uncovered by raw data comparison. The most disturbing trend is the methodical loss of more and more sales each month. Could it be Lexus buyers are hanging on by their bootstraps weathering the storm? Or are there underlying issues with the brand?

jeffy210 - 4/2/2008 9:56:43 AM

+1 Boost

If you add up the cars listed on this page, BMW beats out Lexus. What this means is Lexus is selling better in the SUV area than in the car segment.

BMW cars: 17,856
Lexus cars: 14,610

I'd like to see the breakdown for the luxury SUV's

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pushrod27 - 4/2/2008 9:59:14 AM

+8 Boost

the RX is Lexus' bread and butter

skinny - 4/2/2008 10:06:46 AM

+12 Boost

jeffy,

look deeper into the numbers. BMW has a BROADER product portfolio than Lexus, hence they sell more cars. How many variations of the 3-series does BMW have? Let's see, they got a 3-series coupe, sedan, convertible and station wagons in different engines. that's 8 models right there, then you have BMW in segments that Lexus doesn't even represent such as the Z4, BMW 6-series. All that should add up to more sales, and it does, not to mention m-series models for every vehicle.

r15mohd - 4/2/2008 10:24:36 AM

+2 Boost

a man with sense...great points!

zorbeeze - 4/2/2008 1:15:30 PM

+4 Boost

"How many variations of the 3-series does BMW have?"

And how is that BMW`s fault. Lexus is the one that decided not to make different variations of their car. Cadillac should be providing a coupe and wagon version of the CTS. Lexus on the other hand decided to make 2 sedans for the same market (entry luxury).
Blame Lexus for leaving so many people out in the cold.

S4cabriofoxone - 4/2/2008 1:39:29 PMView My AgentSpace

+4 Boost

But you forgot to mention that BMW does not have an ES or LX competitor.

Since when is the SC not a 6 Series competitor?

finishline - 4/2/2008 10:01:53 AM

+4 Boost

I'm kind of surprised they sell so few A8s. I've never driven it (and can't see myself ever driving anything in that class), but I think it's a GORGEOUS big sedan.

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altdude - 4/2/2008 10:55:18 AM

+4 Boost

The A8's not bad, I've driven both the current and previous generation. Reminds me of an old American car, except with far better handling and of course, a fantastic interior. It's less 'European' feeling than something like the 7-series, for example, but still a great car. It's also, relative to the other models, reasonably priced. I do think that Audi still doesn't have the reputation of BMW/MB/Lexus. Too many of the A8's potential purchasers remember the 5000, and the young folks who like Audi's are buying A4's, not A8's.

montyz81 - 4/2/2008 10:04:03 AM

+7 Boost

interesting that the Infiniti symbol is the one they show. I would say that is because it is the fastest moving brand in this segment. Anyone notice that Infiniti sold more then Acura?

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r15mohd - 4/2/2008 10:29:07 AM

+1 Boost

acura is becoming a bland brand...only vehicle worth looking is the TL, and with their newly awful concept designs...things don't look all so well for them

hoepfully the intor of the rwd v8 for the RL sparks something.

infiniti has some gems in their lot...the G sedan/coupe are great sellers, the M35/45 needs some refreshening, and possibly the intro of the Q to stir up things in the flagship segment. they can only shoot themselves in the foot, and by the looks of the FX it's like they have the gun aimed at the big toe!

M35MT - 4/3/2008 8:04:44 AMView My AgentSpace

+4 Boost

Infiniti overtaking Acura is amazing! AC use to have quite a lead on them - and look at those G sales - nearly twice IS!

0to60 - 4/2/2008 10:38:42 AM

+8 Boost

Wow the infiniti G is doing well. I think that if they offered a smaller engine version that was more fuel efficient, the G's sales may be able to decrese the gap between its sales and the 3 series and possibly over take the gap. Wow!

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MattB - 4/2/2008 10:44:28 AM

+4 Boost

I agree...Nissan has a 2.5L version of their V6 which would potentially be a good option for the G-class sedan.

cdoke - 4/2/2008 11:31:57 AMView My AgentSpace

+4 Boost

What, no percentages? Were we lazy or did we not like the answers?

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EL34 - 4/2/2008 11:36:03 AM

-4 Boost

In the luxury market segment, Lexus should not be able to include those cars that are rebadged Toyotas.

I call'em, how I see'em :-)

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zorbeeze - 4/2/2008 1:19:54 PM

0 Boost

Same should go for Audi and Lincoln.

ChicaneShooter - 4/3/2008 2:00:59 AM

0 Boost

why not, when high end TOYOTAS have more features and cost more than all the "pre-entry" and "entry level" competitors? meaning full boat Camrys, Avalon, and most especially, the Land Cruiser.

ChicaneShooter - 4/3/2008 2:05:03 AM

-1 Boost

plus, 7 to 10 or 15 years down the road, all those TOYOTAS (as well as contemporary Lexi) will STILL be running almost trouble free, while ALL the non-Japanese overrated "luxury" competitors are spending more and more time in the shop.

and have been LONG SINCE abandoned by the original owners.

ChicaneShooter - 4/3/2008 2:09:26 AM

+2 Boost

...and will have been

lexusrox123 - 4/3/2008 1:37:02 PM

0 Boost

didnt you notice, el34, that the land cruiser is alredy practically a luxo suv?? ever been in one? oh wait... ;)

bestofallcad - 4/4/2008 11:24:02 AM

-1 Boost

I agree with EL34 all lexus is is a toyoto camry do you consider that a luxury car? You can not even tell the difference between the toyoto and the lexus except for the name plates and emblems if I were a lexus buyer save yourself some money and by a toyoto and switch out the name plates and the emblems and wow you have a lexus and just think you saved yourself about $15,000

Hachee2001 - 4/2/2008 11:59:32 AM

+6 Boost

Basically, on this site you have have haters, fanboys, or just the usual shockingly & mind-boggling moronic, plus a few reasonable, insightful, intelligent and entertaining posters, but no matter how you spin it, you can't deny the success of Lexus and the LS. Maybe it's just this country (for now), but this car obviously rings the most bells for the buying public. I see plenty of them on the streets of NYC being used as private, chauffer-driven cars, so they're being embraced by those who would have normally bought a Mercedes or BMW (or Cadillac in the old days).

3 Series sales are insane - that is incredible volume for what's now a pretty expensive car. But again, exclusivity is no longer part of the luxury car equation for this car.

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07G35J - 4/2/2008 12:46:49 PM

+3 Boost

I agree with you. I couldn't have put it better.

lexusrox123 - 4/3/2008 1:39:03 PM

+1 Boost

i've also seen plenty of Ls's in japan while i was there over the summer, however, you also see a lot of bmw's and mb's too.

cdoke - 4/2/2008 12:02:03 PMView My AgentSpace

+3 Boost

Percentages

Brand -Actual %- DSR %

1. Jaguar 5.1 13.2
2. Saab 4.4 12.4
3. Infiniti -0.4 7.3
4. Audi -0.4 7.2
5. Mercedes-Benz -3.7 3.7
6. BMW -5.4 1.8
7. Cadillac -7.9 -0.8
8. Volvo -13.1 -6.4
9. Lexus -13.6 -6.9
10. Acura -21.8 -15.8
11. Lincoln -26.1 -20.4

All the spacing work isn't going to turn out right; oh well.

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dwatson - 4/2/2008 12:35:58 PMView My AgentSpace

+4 Boost

LOL,
Jaguar X-Type: 46
Jaguar S-Type: 80

Poor guys!!!

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cdoke - 4/2/2008 12:46:59 PMView My AgentSpace

+10 Boost

That is really little more than inventory clearing.

The X-type has been removed from the market and the S-type has been replaced by the XF.

ubercool - 4/2/2008 12:58:39 PM

+7 Boost

Jag don't sell the X-Type and S-Type in the US anymore! The rest of the range are looking good.

S4cabriofoxone - 4/2/2008 1:44:01 PMView My AgentSpace

+5 Boost

XJ, XK and XF are all fantastic, but they need a bit more depth in their lineup without resorting to another X-Type. The long-awaited small sports car, perhaps?

cdoke - 4/2/2008 1:57:51 PMView My AgentSpace

+5 Boost

I have read that there will be a small sports car, but there is some debate about where it will be positioned. I have read that it will be a Boxter competitor, but I have also read it will be a 911 competitor. If it is the former, I am sure that it will be based on the XF's chassis. If it is the latter, it will undoubtedly be based on the XK's aluminium monocoque chassis.

I am not so sure that they will be able to squeeze what they need to from the XF's chassis to effectively compete with the Boxter. In either case, it has been suggested that it would be similar in concept to the XK180.

cdoke - 4/2/2008 2:09:40 PMView My AgentSpace

+2 Boost

"...to the XK180."

Well, more often you hear the words F-type. The two are similar. Although I think I prefer the XK180 in the end, I do vascillate between liking the rear of F-type over that on the XK180.

cdoke - 4/2/2008 2:29:53 PMView My AgentSpace

+3 Boost

Gasp...

I just found a video. I want one...I hope what ever they are considering has D-type cues like the XK180.

http://www.tuninglinx.com/videos/car-videos/046-jaguar-xk-180.wmv

NItePhire - 4/2/2008 2:20:09 PM

-1 Boost

dude what kinda sh** are u one?

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bestofallcad - 4/4/2008 11:32:09 AM

-1 Boost

Lexus su--s

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SixxFive - 4/2/2008 12:58:01 PM

+6 Boost

I was surprised to see how much lower Audi's sales volume is from other makes.

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autopro - 4/8/2008 7:35:49 PMView My AgentSpace

+1 Boost

It sucks to be NO#1.

mrmiami - 4/2/2008 1:02:13 PM

+5 Boost

Say what you'll want, howeve why was not Cadillac's DTS included?

It did sell 3370 units last month. See Media.gm.com

So Cadillac sold 10901 sedans.

Please don't make ignorant comments about it's not a luxury please.

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no1listensanyway - 4/2/2008 1:11:26 PMView My AgentSpace

+4 Boost

Im seeing the new C class everywhere. Looks great. The G35 had some really good deals this month.. They were advertising 349 a month and a AWD model. The more I see the car, the more i like it.

Right now, the CTS and G35 have my pick.

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bigTYME - 4/2/2008 3:04:13 PMView My AgentSpace

+3 Boost

You can count me as one CTS and one STS.

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bestofallcad - 4/4/2008 11:49:23 AM

0 Boost

The CTS and STS are Great cars great performance. I really get sick of cadillac being stereo typed of floaty old mans car it has not been that for a long time DO YOU THINK THE HONDA ACCORD IS WOW! NOT! DO YOU THINK THE LEXUS OR TOYOTA ARE WOW THOSE CARS REALLY ARE BORING AND LOOK LIKE A GRANDMA CAR WITH NO EXCITEMENT AT ALL AND WHEN THE CADILLAC WAS THE BIG BOAT WHAT DID TOYOTA OR HONDA LOOK LIKE 70'S AND 80'S THEY WHERE small unsafe UGLY BOXES NO STYLE just okay gas milage is there any classic toyota's, honda's, out there any one would want where old cadillac's, mercedes, and american mucsle cars look at amouch people are paying for a dodge challanger over 100,000 or more do you think lexus or toyota in 50years will have that? are with style and power you cannot say that about toyota or honda

Rupert - 4/2/2008 4:08:12 PMView My AgentSpace

+3 Boost

The A4 only sold 700 less than the Lexus IS - that surprises me.

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S4cabriofoxone - 4/2/2008 10:32:15 PMView My AgentSpace

+3 Boost

It usually sells much better than this anyway--when it's in its prime.

VISO - 4/2/2008 10:53:14 PM

+1 Boost

What are the sales of the A4 compared to the IS in Europe Rupert?

Rupert - 4/3/2008 3:51:41 PMView My AgentSpace

+2 Boost

Roughly 5-10 times higher, I think. That's the ratio for Audi against Lexus as a whole, anyway, and I assume it to be the same for the A4:IS.

huu76 - 4/2/2008 11:15:53 PM

+3 Boost

Good showing by Cadillac.
LS wins the Flagship race. Interesting.

Wow, a BMW328i MSRP's at 32,000 and their designated residual after a 3year lease is $22,000. No wonder they can charge only $369/month and $3250 due at signing.
The IS250 is $501/month with $4100 due at signing. Lexus doesn't post their lease/finance rates though.
These are both from the US websites.

Rupert,
The A4 competes against both the ES and IS (same class, different customer).

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S4cabriofoxone - 4/4/2008 1:11:53 AMView My AgentSpace

-2 Boost

"LS wins the Flagship race. Interesting."

How so? It's always been that way. The LS being $30,000 less than an S550 with 2 options has something to do with it.

sold2early - 4/3/2008 1:36:57 PM

+5 Boost

I didn't realize "Pre-Entry" level was a catagory. Perhaps next year they'll expand the categories to include "Not even f*cking close to luxury"

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lexusrox123 - 4/3/2008 1:42:21 PM

+3 Boost

LOL i was thinkin the same thing

DiamondJim - 4/4/2008 3:15:32 PM

+1 Boost

cute chart, spawned alot of emotions in these posters. useful info thx...

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Porschinator - 4/4/2008 5:11:43 PM

0 Boost

Big deal..this is for one month. Will wait for End of the Year numbers...

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farabira1 - 4/5/2008 4:24:42 PM

0 Boost

I think Lexus has fallen behind a bit, usually they lead in sales volume by quite a margin in the North Amrican Market, and seeing that BMW and MB has almost caught up with Lexus even here in the US is certainly bad news for Toyota, because Lexus doesn't sell pretty much at all in Europe and is quite behind in Japan and China.

Looks like Jaguar sales are completely based on the sale of XF, almost 1100 were sold, compared to the 2000 sales of 5 series, give some more time, and XF will catch up, because really i have seen the car in person almost 4 to 5 times by now, and this car is ultra modern and suave looking, in front of it, the 5 series looks totally dated. And when people go to showroom to check out the XF, they might actually come to appreciate what they have been missing by not buying the XK and instead opting for the 6 series. Really i see good future for Jaguar.

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delan - 4/5/2008 7:08:09 PMView My AgentSpace

+1 Boost

The G is doing better than I thought. Hotness!

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