First Quarter 2010 YTD:
Entry-Luxury
1. BMW 3-Series - 21,648
2. Mercedes C-Class - 14,279
3. Infiniti G - 13,390
4. Audi A4-A5 - 12,236
5. Lexus ES - 9,132
6. Acura TL - 8,313
7. Cadillac CTS - 8,125
8. Lexus IS - 7,331
9. Lincoln MKZ - 5,557
10. Vovlo S60 - 24
Mid-Luxury
1. Mercedes E-Class - 12,909
2. BMW 5-Series - 7,625
3. Lincoln MKS - 3,906
4. Infiniti M - 3,129
5. Volvo S80 - 2,045
6. Audi A6 - 1,813
7. Jaguar XF - 1,807
8. Lexus GS - 1,662
9. Cadillac STS - 965
10. Acura RL - 404
Flagship-Luxury
1. BMW 7-Series - 2,940
2. Lexus LS - 2,785
3. Mercedes S-Class - 2,769
4. Porsche Panamera - 1,485
5. Audi A8 - 149
Quick Analysis:
The BMW 3-Series continues to dominate, plain and simple. It is still the status-quo in this segment with great lease deals and plenty of model variation. It still has class-leading impeccable driving manners. The C-Class continues to be very popular as well. With great exterior styling, this is an exemplary car for people who want to enter the Benz family. Rounding out the top 3, in its fourth year on the market, Infiniti's G line holds a strong third position. This car is once again clearly the best buy in the segment. Refreshed styling, sublime handling, strong performance and cleanly styled interior round out the package.
Mercedes E-Class leads mid-luxury segment. The 9th generation E-Class goes back to the roots of Mercedes-Benz. Built like a bank vault, both the E-Class coupe, sedan, and wagon aim to keep Mercedes on top. BMW's next generation F10 5-Series is posed to shake things up in the top 2 positions. The current E60 is still selling quite well despite its imminent replacement. The next generation 5-Series is sure to be improved in almost every single measure. Surprisingly, Lincoln's MKS is quite popular and in a solid third place. Maybe people should take more notice of this nicely styled vehicle. Ford's remarkable new Ecoboost power-plant is certainly welcome. With only 14 selling days under its belt, Infiniti's brand new M is in striking distance to take the number 3 spot in sales this year. Just like wonderful G line, Infiniti's new M looks to be honing in on the bronze position, right behind Mercedes and BMW.
The S-Class, BMW 7-Series, and Lexus LS keep swapping positions, but it is clear these three are the leaders of the flagship class. BMW's new 7-Series currently holds the top position for the first quarter of this year. Each of these podium finishers have their own unique strengths that standout from the competition. Porsche's Panamera is doing surprisingly well. Stalwart Porsche fanatics might not embrace it, but the new Panamera is making up large portion of Porsche sales. The new Jaguar XJ and Audi A8 will soon be on their way. It is too early to predict their success, but I don't see anything changing in the top 3 positions any time soon. We'll see if Audi and Jaguar can shake things up in the flagship-luxury class.