August 2012 Top 30 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America

Blocked by what some would perhaps rightfully argue aren't luxury cars at all (the Hyundai Genesis and Acura ILX) premium Euro autos from Audi, Land Rover, and Mercedes-Benz were kept off this August 2012 list of the 30 best-selling luxury vehicles in America. The A6, Range Rover Sport, and GL-Class sold 1569, 1530, and 1522 times each, respectively, last month. 

Unlike the statistics on the Canadian version of this list, Hyundai Genesis totals include sales of the Genesis Coupe. Acura sold 136 ILX Hybrids to go along with 1597 conventionally-powered Civic-based ILX sedans. 

BMW USA Sold 3568 X5s In August To Go Along With 3924 Other X-badged Models
For A Total Of 7492 SAVs, Or 44.5% Of The Brand's Total August Output

Want to know how Buick's collection would fit in this group? Use the first dropdown menu at GCBC's Sales Stats home to find historical monthly and yearly sales data for any Buick; for any car currently on sale, in fact.

Back on the subject of which cars actually did make the cut, Lexus certainly controlled the podium. A new ES powered Lexus's midsize front-wheel-drive sedan to the number two spot. The company's long-time best seller, the RX, sat atop the throne after a one month hiatus. Toyota also also landed the Lexus IS and GS passenger cars in the top 30. 

Lexus apparently isn't the only automaker capable of building cars which could outsell the BMW 3-Series. Both the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Infiniti G25/G37 sold more frequently than the 3er in August 2012. Not only was August rough on the 3-Series - sales fell 29% compared with August 2011 - it was a bad month for the whole BMW passenger car division. The 5-Series fell from fourth spot in July to 29th among luxury cars in August. The 1-Series, Z4, and 7-Series also reported declining year-over-year sales.

Among Vehicles In The Top 30, Only The Lexus GS & Acura RDX Recorded
Greater Year-Over-Year Increases Than The Volvo XC60

All vehicles, no matter how you define them, will be ranked by U.S. year-to-date volume in a few days. Until then, specific monthly and yearly sales info for every vehicle currently on sale in North America can be sourced through that previously mentioned menu. Numbers you can find in all sorts of posts throughout GoodCarBadCar.net will enable you to create your own top 30 with your own luxury classification system. You can even publish the order as a comment on this post.

August 2012 YTD Sales - All 262 Vehicles Ranked

Let's be clear on one thing before you examine August 2012's 30 best-selling premium brand vehicles after the jump: none are particularly high-volume vehicles. How did we come to that conclusion? Not a single one of these nameplates is visible on America's list of August's overall 30 best-selling vehicles. 46 vehicles sold in larger numbers than the number one vehicle in the table below.

Rank	Luxury Vehicle	September 2012	% Change	Year To Date	YTD % Change
#1	Lexus RX	8628	+ 32.7%	60,002	+ 15.8%
#2	Lexus ES	7557	+ 94.4%	29,581	+ 26.8%
#3	Mercedes-Benz C-Class	6519	+ 37.9%	49,868	+ 27.0%
#4	Infiniti G	6261	+ 12.9%	42,375	+ 10.5%
#5	BMW 3-Series	6206	- 29.3%	60,621	- 1.1%
#6	Acura MDX	5549	+ 77.5%	33,954	+ 18.1%
#7	Cadillac SRX	5203	+ 12.4%	35,564	+ 1.7%
#8	Cadillac CTS	5136	- 11.2%	35,362	- 5.0%
#9	Mercedes-Benz E-Class	4515	- 19.8%	39,970	- 6.4%
#10	BMW X5	3568	+ 21.2%	25,832	+ 16.5%
#11	Lincoln MKZ	3327	+ 42.4%	20,899	+ 9.3%
#12	Acura TL	3201	+ 33.2%	23,612	+ 15.9%
#13	Audi A4	3187	+ 21.5%	25,195	+ 6.3%
#14	Acura RDX	2926	+ 157%	16,863	+ 80.8%
#15	BMW X3	2829	+ 18.8%	19,557	+ 13.0%
#16	Mercedes-Benz GLK	2775	+ 43.6%	16,935	+ 12.4%
#17	Lincoln MKX	2518	+ 27.8%	16,670	+ 13.4%
#18	Infiniti JX35	2378	-----	12,102	-----
#19	Lexus IS	2369	- 17.3%	18,859	+ 3.7%
#20	Hyundai Genesis	2262	- 30.5%	24,347	+ 9.6%
#21	Mercedes-Benz M-Class	2243	+ 2.4%	24,659	+ 28.7%
#22	Cadillac XTS	2158	-----	4650	-----
#23	Acura TSX	2103	- 7.1%	21,697	+ 16.6%
#24	Volvo S60	2038	+ 32.0%	16,418	+ 15.8%
#25	Audi Q5	2007	- 12.8%	17,641	+ 15.0%
#26	Volvo XC60	1898	+ 101%	12,189	+ 29.0%
#27	Lexus GS	1831	+ 372%	14,563	+ 421%
#28	Acura ILX	1733	-----	4392	-----
#29	BMW 5-Series	1688	- 60.7%	35,139	+ 3.7%
#30	Audi A5	1677	+ 26.9%	11,411	+ 9.1%

Source: Manufacturers & ANDC
Red font indicates year-over-year declining sales 
GCBC qualifies all vehicles from Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Acura, Cadillac, Audi, Infiniti, Lincoln, Volvo, Land Rover, Porsche, and Jaguar while also making exceptions for overtly premium cars like the Chevrolet Corvette, Nissan GT-R, Volkswagen Touareg, Hyundai Equus, and (reluctantly) Hyundai Genesis. Buick's lack of anything truly high-end hinders its value-priced vehicles from qualifying as premium, despite the image Buick held in a previous era. Yes, this means the B-Class is eligible because of the S-Class; the A3 because of the R8, to an extent. Unfortunately the lack of data separating vehicle trim lines from one another (F-150 XL vs F-150 Platinum, for example) means vehicles like the GMC Yukon Denali and Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 aren't included. None of this should lead you to believe the Chrysler 300 and Toyota Avalon and Buick Enclave aren't luxurious, particularly as they're viable competitors for true premium players.

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
September 2012 Top 30 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America
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Top 30 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - August 2011
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Top 30 Best-Selling Vehicles In America - August 2012