February 2013 Large Luxury Car Sales In America

Between the seven upper-echelon sedans (for which sales figures are published) available in America, 4389 found buyers in February 2013. 21% of this small market was owned by Mercedes-Benz, the maker of the segment's most well-known car. 9% of the buyers chose a Porsche Panamera, the segment's least attractive car.

All 251 Vehicles Ranked By February & 2013 YTD Sales

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Another 17.5% opted for the BMW 6-Series, the only car here that's available as a coupe or convertible. (Mercedes-Benz sold 48 CL-Class Coupes, a car that is basically an S-Class Coupe, one we show along with the 6-Series in our premium sporty car charts elsewhere on GCBC.) BMW's 6-Series outsold BMW's own 7-Series sedan. The 6-Series Gran Coupe sedan costs more than the 6er coupe but less than the 6-Series sedan. In 640i trim, the Gran Coupe costs $2900 more than a 740i.

GCBC makes the tables below sortable, so you can arrange vehicles by February or year-to-date volume, for example, rather than the present alphabetical order. Historical monthly and yearly sales figures for any of these vehicles can be accessed by clicking the model name or by making a selection at GCBC's Sales Stats page. That's where you'll find out that Maserati sold 159 vehicles in total in February. Bentley sold 180.

The Cadillac XTS is America's 124st-best-selling vehicle through the first two months of 2013. Lexus's LS ranks 167th, one position ahead of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

Click Column Headers To Sort - January 2013's Edition - February 2012's Edition

Large Luxury Car	February 2013	% Change	Year To Date	YTD % Change
Audi A8	395	+ 22.3%	899	+ 38.9%
BMW 6-Series *	770	+ 45.6%	1194	+ 27.3%
BMW 7-Series	709	- 36.9%	1292	- 38.5%
Jaguar XJ	404	+ 22.1%	805	+ 13.7%
Lexus LS	803	+ 55.3%	1880	+ 72.5%
Mercedes-Benz S-Class	923	+ 16.4%	1861	+ 17.9%
Porsche Panamera	385	- 24.7%	973	- 19.9%

Large (Cheaper)  Luxury Cars	February 2013	% Change	Year To Date	YTD % Change
Cadillac DTS *	-----	- 100%	3	- 98.1%
Cadillac XTS *	2169	-----	4069	-----
Hyundai Equus *	270	- 4.9%	523	- 9.2%
Lincoln MKS *	922	+ 7.6%	1831	+ 14.6%

Source: Manufacturers & ANDC 
* Also displayed in another GCBC segment breakdown

RECOMMENDED READING
Large Luxury Car Sales In America - January 2013
Large Luxury Car Sales In America - February 2012
Top 15 Best-Selling Expensive Cars In America - February 2013
U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings - February 2013
Small & Midsize Luxury Car Sales In America - February 2013

January 2013 Large Luxury Car Sales In America

Surging LS sales propelled the biggest Lexus to a segment victory in January 2013. The Lexus LS has a big advantage over cars like the similarly-popular Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Its base price, $71,990, is $23,010 lower than the base price of Mercedes-Benz's least expensive V8 S-Class. 

In fact, the LS's price puts it closer to the Hyundai Equus (shown in a separate table below with other not-quite-Panamera-fighting-sedans) than it is to the S-Class. The same could be said of the Jaguar XJ, Audi A8

All 247 Vehicles Ranked By January 2013 Sales

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During the first ten months of 2012, Lexus couldn't manage more than 1000 units in a month. It's safe to assume that Lexus won't sell 35,000 LS460s and LS600 hybrids this year like they did in 2007, when the overall market was larger. But 13,000-16,000 units seems possible. Last year, the segment-leading S-Class sold 11,794 times.

In this and other segment breakdowns, GoodCarBadCar has made some changes so observers can see all possible comparables in one place. In this large luxury car sales post, however, the accompanying chart does not include the four sub-$60K cars which, on pricing grounds, GCBC also displays with midsize luxury cars.

The tables below are now sortable - click any column's header to arrange by volume or year-over-year change. As always, you can click any model name to find historical monthly and yearly sales figures.

Click Column Headers To Sort

Large Luxury Car	January 2013	% Change	Year  To Date	YTD % Change
Audi A8	504	+ 55.6%	504	+ 55.6%
BMW 6-Series	424	+ 3.7%	424	+ 3.7%
BMW 7-Series	583	- 40.3%	583	- 40.3%
Jaguar XJ	401	+ 6.4%	401	+ 6.4%
Lexus LS	1077	+ 88.0%	1077	+ 88.0%
Mercedes-Benz S-Class	938	+ 19.5%	938	+ 19.5%
Porsche Panamera	588	- 16.4%	588	- 16.4%

Large (Cheaper)  Luxury Cars	January  2013	% Change	Year  To Date	YTD % Change
Cadillac DTS *	3	- 96.6%	3	- 96.6%
Cadillac XTS *	1900	-----	1900	-----
Hyundai Equus *	253	- 13.4%	253	- 13.4%
Lincoln MKS *	909	+ 22.7%	909	+ 22.7%

Source: Manufacturers & ANDC
* Indicates a vehicle that is also shown in another GCBC segment breakdown

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Large Luxury Car Sales In America - February 2013
Large Luxury Car Sales In America - December & 2012 Year End
Large Luxury Car Sales In America - January 2012
Top 15 Best-Selling Expensive Cars In America - January 2013
U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings - January 2013
Luxury Car Sales In America - January 2013

December 2012 And 2012 Year End Large Luxury Car Sales And Large Luxury SUV Sales In America

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class Was The
Best-Selling Large Luxury Car In America In 2012

2012 Large Luxury Car Sales Chart
Click Any Chart For Larger View

For Lexus, using its big LS sedan to outsell the flagship sedans from Europe hasn't turned out to be all that successful a plan in the last couple years. December 2012 was different, however, as sales of the $71,990 Lexus LS were significantly better than that of Mercedes-Benz's S-Class... but still below those of the BMW 7-Series.

At the end of the year, it was the Mercedes-Benz S-Class that once again claimed the title as America's favourite big luxury car. Sales of the S-Class were down, however. That wasn't an uncommon theme in the segment in 2012. BMW 7-Series sales dropped 2% as the 6-Series Gran Coupe likely stole some sales toward the end of the year. Jaguar XJ sales dropped 7%, and the aforementioned Lexus LS slid 13%. Even the gains produced by the Porsche Panamera and Audi A8 were well below the overall industry's 13.4% improvement. 

December 2012 Large
Luxury Car Sales Chart

Again, December was a good month for those in America who sold the largest and most expensive luxury car sales. The Audi A8 had its best month of the year. BMW's 6-Series cracked 1000 units for the first time in 2012. December was the 7-Series' second-best U.S. sales month of 2012 and the fourth-best sales month in the last three years. Lexus sold more LS sedans in November, but December was the LS's third-best sales month in the last three years.

2012 Large Luxury SUV Sales Chart

As far as large luxury SUVs go, don't read too far into the Land Rover Range Rover's year end year-over-year decline. For one thing, Range Rover sales in 2011 were rather strong, stronger than they'd been since 2007. And rather obviously, December marks the beginning of a rather likely Range Rover resurgence, as the fourth-generation SUV is sure to attract plenty of attention from those who seek to buy (by which I mean lease) an expensive luxury SUV. Range Rover sales in December 2012 were stronger than they'd been since March 2011.

All 266 Vehicles Ranked By 2012 Year End U.S. Sales

The Infiniti QX56 outsold the regular-wheelbase Cadillac Escalade in 2012. After outselling the Lincoln Navigator in 2010 and 2011, the long-wheelbase Cadillac Escalade ESV struggled a bit in 2012 and did not accomplish that feat. Sales of the Lexus LX570 and Toyota Land Cruiser are rising quickly (in comparison to what the LX and Land Cruiser managed last year) but they remain low-volume SUVs in a surprisingly high-volume segment. 

December 2012 Large
Luxury SUV Sales Chart

The Mercedes-Benz GL-Class remains the volume king among large SUVs. Sales rose 4% this year to 26,042, just shy of the GL's all-time best year of 2007.

Looking for the Hyundai Equus or Cadillac XTS or Porsche Cayenne or Audi Q7? They're posted alongside vehicles in other segments, with "midsize" luxury cars and "midsize" luxury SUVs, names which mean little but do offer some definition. You can always find the sales figures for any vehicle by selecting a make and/or model at GCBC's Sales Stats home. 

The tables visible after the jump are now sortable: click any heading in either table to rearrange vehicles by December 2012 U.S. sales volume or year-over-year percentage change. Click the headings at the far left to sort back to alphabetical order. It's a small change, but one that makes the surveying of automotive sales data that much easier at GoodCarBadCar.net.

Click On Column Headers To Sort

Large Luxury Car	December 2012	% Change	2012 Year End	YTD % Change
Audi A8	900	+ 32.7%	6002	+ 5.3%
BMW 6-Series	1037	+ 43.4%	8208	+ 110%
BMW 7-Series	1422	+ 16.7%	11,098	- 1.8%
Jaguar XJ	389	+ 1.3%	4852	- 7.3%
Lexus LS	1286	+ 21.8%	8345	- 12.8%
Mercedes-Benz S-Class	1110	+ 3.4%	11,794	- 3.8%
Porsche Panamera	483	+ 1.5%	7614	+ 10.7%

Large Luxury SUV	December 2012	% Change	2012 Year End	YTD % Change
Cadillac Escalade & Escalade ESV/EXT	2554	- 21.9%	22,632	- 11.3%
Infiniti QX56	2232	+ 28.6%	15,310	+ 14.0%
Land Rover Range Rover	1034	+ 6.6%	7843	- 19.6%
Lexus LX570	494	+ 52.5%	5005	+ 58.0%
Lincoln Navigator	1082	+ 7.2%	8371	+ 4.4%
Mercedes-Benz G-Class	168	+ 205%	1330	+ 11.7%
Mercedes-Benz GL-Class	3111	+ 20.7%	26,042	+ 3.6%
Toyota Land Cruiser	316	+ 91.5%	2895	+ 74.2%

Source: Manufacturers & ANDC

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Large Luxury Car Sales In America - January 2013
Large Luxury SUV Sales In America - January 2013
Large Luxury Car & SUV Sales In America - December & 2011 Year End
Large Luxury Car & SUV Sales In America - November 2012
Top 30 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - 2012 Year End
Top 30 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - December 2012
U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings - December & 2012 Year End

November 2012 Large Luxury Car Sales And Large Luxury SUV Sales In America

Large Luxury Car Sales Chart
Click Either Chart For Larger View

Lexus sold more LS sedans in America in November 2012 than at any time since December 2012. While that wasn't enough to make the LS the best-selling luxury limo in the United States - a title once again held by the Mercedes-Benz S-Class - it is more than enough to make it clear that Lexus wants to regain its crown. LS sales jumped 57% compared with October and were up 37% year-over-year.

Porsche's Panamera has sold more often than the LS through the first eleven months of this year but only sold about half as often as the LS in November 2012. 2.4 LS sedans found buyers for every one A8 buyer that Audi secured.

And the Jaguar XJ? Sales have slowed to a crawl, and the LS was nearly five times as popular in November. In a market that's risen 14% this year, Jaguar XJ sales are down 8%. XK sales, by the way, are down 4%. The one Jaguar that's on the rise, the XF, has enjoyed a 6% sales increase this year. But the XF is way down on 2010's pace, which was 18% down on 2009's results.

All 265 Vehicles Ranked By U.S. November 2012 YTD Sales

Large Luxury SUV Sales Chart

Fortunately for Tata, the owner of Jaguar, the company's U.S. interests also include the Land Rover brand. As Jaguar sales fell 1.4% in the first eleven months of 2012, Land Rover sales are up 15%. The Range Rover is a bad example of Land Rover's success, at least right now. As the old model aged and the new version slowly picks up the slack, Range Rover sales fell 23% this year. This should change in a matter of weeks, if not months.

As always, you can click any model name in the tables visible after the jump to see historical monthly and yearly sales figures. Or you can select any make or model at GCBC's Sales Stats home. Any car or SUV you can't find tabled here will be listed elsewhere - you can select from segments like midsize luxury SUVs and small luxury cars at GCBC's The Tally page.

Click either of the two accompanying charts for a larger view. In those charts, cars are ranked by volume - they're listed alphabetically in the tables below.

Large Luxury Car	November 2012	% Change	Year To Date	YTD % Change
Audi A8	541	+ 17.4%	5102	+ 1.6%
BMW 6-Series	919	+ 67.4%	7171	+ 126%
BMW 7-Series	939	- 23.5%	9676	- 4.0%
Jaguar XJ	266	- 22.9%	4463	- 8.0%
Lexus LS	1309	+ 37.2%	7059	- 17.1%
Mercedes-Benz S-Class	1374	- 0.5%	10,684	- 4.5%
Porsche Panamera	680	+ 11.8%	7131	+ 11.4%

Large Luxury SUV	November 2012	% Change	Year To Date	YTD % Change
Cadillac Escalade & Escalade ESV/EXT	1809	- 19.5%	20,078	- 9.7%
Infiniti QX56	2121	+ 46.7%	13,078	+ 11.8%
Land Rover Range Rover	352	- 50.5%	6809	- 22.5%
Lexus LX570	385	+ 45.3%	4511	+ 58.7%
Lincoln Navigator	675	+ 3.4%	7289	+ 4.0%
Mercedes-Benz G-Class	251	+ 325%	1162	+ 2.3%
Mercedes-Benz GL-Class	3077	- 4.9%	22,931	+ 1.6%
Toyota Land Cruiser	246	+ 83.6%	2579	+ 72.3%

Source: Manufacturers & ANDC

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Large Luxury Car & SUV Sales In America - December & 2012 Year End
U.S. Large Luxury Car & SUV Sales - October 2012
U.S. Large Luxury Car & SUV Sales - November 2011
Top 30 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - November 2012
U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings - November 2012

October 2012 U.S. Large Luxury Car Sales And Large Luxury SUV Sales

The Last Q45 Was Not What
You'd Call Conventionally Pretty

Lacking a Q45 to fight Lexus and the Germans at the top end of the luxury category, Infiniti is currently missing out on a huge opportunity to separate the brand from Acura. More importantly, Nissan is missing out on a chance to provide Infiniti with a halo model, a car not only capable of stealing some large luxury market share but also improving the fortunes of other Infinitis.

There is, however, one Infiniti which sells in relatively large numbers, a vehicle that makes Lexus and Acura look more like... well, Infiniti. In almost every premium category, Lexus has a model that sells more frequently than the equivalent Infiniti. The RX outsells the Infiniti JX, EX, and FX combined, and does so with thousands of units to spare. The ES and GS both make the Infiniti M look supremely weak.  Lexus's IS doesn't find as many buyers as the Infiniti G, but Acura sells three different potential G rivals, and together they easily outsell the G.

Large Luxury SUV Sales Chart
Click Either Chart For A Larger View

Infiniti does sell QX56 SUVs very well, however. Out-selling the regular-wheelbase Cadillac Escalade in its home market is no easy feat. True, the Benz GL is way out in front, but the Infiniti QX56 sells 2.7 times for every single Lexus LX570. Yes, 2012 has been a particularly good year for the QX, on track to be nearly as good as its best-ever year, 2005, when the overall market was much larger.

In October 2012, the QX56 outsold its Lexus rival by a 4-to-1 count. The LX570 starts at $80,930. The QX starts at $60K and tops out around $81,000 with all options and accessories. It helps to be the value-priced machine. 

All 265 Vehicles Ranked By October 2012 YTD U.S. Sales

Acura doesn't offer a vehicle in this segment: the MDX starts at $43,280 and doesn't have the African roots of the QX or the Land Cruiser background of the LX.

Large Luxury Car Sales Chart

But again, Infiniti has no S-Class rival, no 7-Series fighter, no LS alternative. 4652 large luxury sedans found buyers in the United States in October 2012. The second-best-selling Lexus owned 18% of the segment. Porsche and Jaguar were feeding from the bottom of the barrel with just 10% and 6% of the category, respectively. Even so, Jaguar grabbed more large luxury car market share than Infiniti and Acura managed. Not that Jaguar should be teaching lessons about total volume.

As will always be the case in the future, historic brand and corporate totals (monthly and yearly going back to 2002) are now available through the dropdown menu at GCBC's Sales Stats page, along with results for more than 260 currently sold vehicles. That's where you'll find out that the Lexus LS was the best-selling large luxury car in America in 2007, 2008, and 2009.

After the jump you'll find detailed October 2012 and year-to-date U.S. sales figures for seven high-end luxury cars and eight premium SUVs. If the vehicle you're looking for isn't grouped together with these premium-priced vehicles, check out this luxury SUV/CUV section or the mainstream alternative.

Large Luxury Car	October 2012	% Change	Year To Date	YTD % Change
Audi A8	591	+ 54.7%	4561	0.0%
BMW 6-Series	770	+ 86.0%	6252	+ 138%
BMW 7-Series	634	- 42.5%	8737	- 1.3%
Jaguar XJ	260	- 15.0%	4197	- 6.9%
Lexus LS	834	- 29.7%	5750	- 23.9%
Mercedes-Benz S-Class	1096	+ 18.2%	9310	- 5.0%
Porsche Panamera	467	- 23.6%	6451	+ 11.3%

Large Luxury SUV	October 2012	% Change	Year To Date	YTD % Change
Cadillac Escalade & Escalade ESV/EXT	1832	- 20.7%	18,269	- 8.6%
Infiniti QX56	1467	+ 17.9%	10,957	+ 6.9%
Land Rover Range Rover	403	- 49.3%	6457	- 20.1%
Lexus LX570	366	+ 37.6%	4126	+ 60.0%
Lincoln Navigator	792	+ 8.5%	6614	+ 4.1%
Mercedes-Benz G-Class	160	+ 100%	911	- 15.4%
Mercedes-Benz GL-Class	2296	+ 7.9%	19,854	+ 2.7%
Toyota Land Cruiser	259	+ 89.1%	2333	+ 71.2%

Source: Manufacturers & ANDC

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Large Luxury Car & SUV Sales In America - September 2012
Large Luxury Car & SUV Sales In America - October 2011
U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings - October 2012 & YTD
Small/Entry & Midsize Luxury Car Sales In America - October 2012
Small & Midsize Luxury SUV Sales In America - October 2012