February 2013 Luxury Car Sales In America

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class's New
Face, And Some Other Guy's Face

Strong C-Class sales have propelled Mercedes-Benz USA to a meaningful lead in the premium brand sector in the first two months of 2013. The C-Class sedan and coupe have built up a 2712-unit lead over the BMW 3-Series, which also trails the Lexus RX utility by 528 units.

Sales of premium brand hatchbacks have struggled so far this year. The Audi A3, soon to be replaced at least in part by a new sedan, the Lexus CT200h, and the dying Volvo C30 have fallen 41%, 18%, and 37% through two months. In a not dissimilar price bracket, the Buick Verano (reviewed in Turbo form by GoodCarBadCar) and Acura ILX have been wildly more popular. 

All 251 Vehicles Ranked By February & 2013 YTD Sales

Click Either Chart For Larger View

Larger, but still affordable luxury cars like the Acura TL, Lincoln MKZ, and Infiniti G have posted huge declines in early 2013. The MKZ has been replaced, but inventory is low. The G37 will soon be replaced by the gorgeous Q50. In February 2013, the TL posted its fifth consecutive month of year-over-year decline.

GoodCarBadCar breaks down the luxury car segment into multiple categories, not because this is a segment breakdown site, but because we endeavour to display cars alongside their nearest competitors, if not in pricing terms than in size terms. Automakers aren't beholden to specific "midsize" dimensions, nor are they restricted price-wise by the image their logo represents. (You'll find luxury flagship sedans showcased in this post.) We're always open to suggestions on how you would like to see segments broken down, so feel free to contact GCBC Towers at your leisure.

Of this there can be no doubt: the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and BMW 5-Series are direct competitors. Mercedes-Benz brings more bodystyles to the table, but BMW's 5er did outsell the E-Class by 37 units in February. The Benz leads year-to-date standings by 2847 sales. A facelifted E-Class, which includes an all-wheel-drive E63 AMG, should further cement Mercedes-Benz's leadership in the category, one it dominates with the 5-Series' assistance.

Historical monthly and yearly sales figures for all these luxury vehicles, including the mainstream players which make the voyage over from these midsize and large car sales posts, can be accessed by clicking the model names in the table below or by selecting a make and model at GCBC's Sales Stats page.

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

Entry Luxury Car	February  2013	% Change	Year  To  Date	YTD % Change
Acura ILX *	1997	-----	3555	-----
Audi A3	392	- 16.4%	623	- 40.9%
Buick Verano *	4171	+ 147%	7831	+ 215%
Lexus CT200h	1182	- 28.0%	2183	- 18.1%
Volvo C30	157	- 28.6%	323	- 36.7%

Small Luxury Car	February 2013	% Change	Year  To Date	YTD % Change
Acura TSX	1358	- 59.7%	2684	- 52.4%
Audi A4 **	3089	+ 13.6%	5844	+ 8.3%
Audi A5	1173	+ 4.8%	2373	+ 18.8%
BMW 1-Series *	393	- 35.0%	697	- 32.1%
BMW 3-Series	6973	- 13.9%	11,804	- 20.2%
Buick Regal *	1474	- 44.1%	2479	- 44.8%
Cadillac ATS	3382	-----	6163	-----
Cadillac CTS	2566	- 43.9%	5071	- 33.2%
Infiniti G	4529	- 17.7%	7344	- 21.2%
Lexus IS	1532	- 26.9%	2918	- 25.3%
Mercedes-Benz C-Class	7302	+ 39.4%	14,516	+ 23.4%
Volvo S60	2036	+ 5.5%	3990	+ 19.3%

Tweeners/Other	February  2013	% Change	Year  To  Date	YTD % Change
Acura TL	2216	- 31.0%	3713	- 32.4%
Buick LaCrosse *	3667	- 29.9%	7215	- 21.9%
Chrysler 300 *	5023	- 34.5%	10,348	- 18.1%
Hyundai Azera *	795	+ 6015%	1592	+ 5035%
Hyundai Genesis * ^	2517	+ 0.2%	4989	+ 3.9%
Lexus ES	4817	+ 60.7%	10,003	+ 85.0%
Lincoln MKZ	945	- 62.0%	1398	- 66.3%
Nissan Maxima *	4927	- 25.3%	7919	- 25.3%
Toyota Avalon *	5703	+ 63.1%	10,543	+ 57.0%
Volkswagen CC *	1123	- 20.5%	2315	- 18.1%
Volvo XC70 *	355	- 20.8%	689	- 22.7%

Midsize Luxury Cars  &  Large Inexpensive  Luxury Cars	February 2013	% Change	Year  To Date	YTD % Change
Acura RL	11	- 60.7%	24	- 60.7%
Acura RLX	16	-----	16	-----
Audi A6	1370	+ 40.9%	2629	+ 25.1%
Audi A7	588	+ 0.7%	1286	+ 4.8%
BMW 5-Series	4248	+ 5.1%	6833	- 5.9%
Cadillac STS	1	- 97.0%	1	- 98.3%
Cadillac XTS *	2169	-----	4069	-----
Hyundai Equus *	270	- 4.9%	523	- 9.2%
Infiniti M	514	- 55.3%	927	- 49.9%
Jaguar XF	588	+ 22.2%	1099	+ 17.4%
Lexus GS	1108	- 53.8%	2207	- 11.4%
Lincoln MKS *	922	+ 7.6%	1831	+ 14.6%
Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class	579	+ 27.3%	1132	+ 9.2%
Mercedes-Benz E-Class	4211	+ 0.1%	9680	+ 16.6%
Mercedes-Benz R-Class	8	- 95.1%	15	- 94.9%
Volvo S80	151	- 35.7%	327	- 26.7%

Source: Manufacturers & ANDC
* indicates a car that is also shown in another GCBC segment breakdown
** Includes Allroad
^ Includes Genesis Coupe

RECOMMENDED READING
Small & Midsize Luxury Car Sales In America - January 2013
Small & Midsize Luxury Car Sales In America - February 2012
Top 20 Best-Selling Cars In America - February 2013
U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings - February 2013
Large Luxury Car Sales In America - February 2013

January 2013 Luxury Car Sales In Canada

The newest Cadillac accounted for 47.5% of the brand's passenger car sales in January 2013. For the ATS to accomplish that feat, CTS sales basically had to decrease. And decrease they have. Sales of the CTS sedan, coupe, and wagon (if there are in fact sales of the wagon) plunged 59% in January after sliding 53% in December 2012, 44% in November, and 15% in October.

"Small" Luxury Car Sales Chart
Click Chart For Larger View

But is the ATS wholly to blame? Canadian sales of the Cadillac CTS were in decline before the ATS even arrived, falling 34% in September, 39% in August, and 29% in July. GM Canada hasn't reported a year-over-year increase in Cadillac CTS sales since February of last year, when CTS sales rose 8.5%. It's easy to say the ATS is eating up potential CTS buyers in the United States. But north of the border - whether the ATS is cannibalizing or just doing its own thing - the CTS has been struggling for a while.

For every Cadillac CTS sold or leased in Canada in January 2013, BMW sold or leased nearly twelve 3-Series sedans, coupes, convertibles, or Tourings. Compare that with the CTS's results in its home market where, in a rough month for both the Caddy and the BMW, the 3-Series wasn't quite twice as popular.

All 240 Vehicles Ranked By January 2013 Canadian Sales

These results aren't surprising to Canadians who follow GCBC's monthly brand rankings. Cadillac, Lincoln, and the not-quite-there Buick accounted for 2.9% of the U.S. market in January. BMW, Mercedes-Benz (sans Sprinter), and Audi collected 4.7% of total U.S. volume. In Canada, however, where the Germans do own less of a less luxury-oriented market, their 4.4% market share stands tall compared to the dreadful 1.4% market share of the American trio. You read that right: barely more than one out of every 100 automobiles sold in Canada in January was an American brand luxury car, and that includes Buick.

"Midsize" Luxury Car Sales Chart
Click Chart For Larger View

Thus, to see the CTS and ATS totalling just 163 Canadian sales while at the same time combining to outsell the 3-Series by 455 sales in the U.S. seems perfectly appropriate. Canadians simply don't hanker after high-priced American cars. Give us our Fords, Hyundais, and BMWs, thanks.

This luxury car sales post has been wholeheartedly changed. It now includes a number of cars GCBC displays with other segments, too, like the Chrysler 300 and Buick Verano. These additions allow readers to see how cars fare against similarly-priced nameplates, not just the cars that have a lofty brand image. The accompanying charts can be clicked for a larger view. Any model name can be clicked in order to find historical monthly and yearly sales figures. Or select a make and model at GCBC's Sales Stats home. Best of all, the tables below are now sortable. Click any column header to rank vehicles by volume, year-over-year change, or re-sort alphabetically to return to the original.

Click Column Headers To Sort

Entry Luxury Car	January 2013	% Change	Year  To Date	YTD % Change
Acura ILX *	190	-----	190	-----
Audi A3	45	- 65.1%	45	- 65.1%
Buick Verano *	226	+ 160%	226	+ 160%
Lexus CT200h	79	- 10.2%	79	- 10.2%
Mercedes-Benz B-Class *	201	+ 20,000%	201	+ 20,000%
Volvo C30	8	- 86.7%	8	- 86.7%

Small Luxury Car	January 2013	% Change	Year  To Date	YTD %  Change
Acura TSX	78	0.0%	78	0.0%
Audi A4	332	- 23.5%	332	- 23.5%
Audi A5	77	- 24.5%	77	- 24.5%
BMW 1-Series	94	+ 124%	94	+ 124%
Buick Regal *	98	- 55.0%	98	- 55.0%
BMW 3-Series	676	- 3.4%	676	- 3.4%
Cadillac ATS	106	-----	106	-----
Cadillac CTS	57	- 59.0%	57	- 59.0%
Infiniti G	135	- 33.2%	135	- 33.2%
Lexus IS	52	- 57.7%	52	- 57.7%
Mercedes-Benz C-Class	393	- 31.9%	393	- 31.9%
Volvo S60	108	+ 38.5%	108	+ 38.5%

Tweeners	January  2013	% Change	Year  To Date	YTD %  Change
Acura TL	111	- 50.0%	111	- 50.0%
Buick LaCrosse *	52	- 70.3%	52	- 70.3%
Chrysler 300 *	230	- 49.7%	230	- 49.7%
Hyundai Genesis * ^	65	+ 44.4%	65	+ 44.4%
Lexus ES	170	+ 95.4%	170	+ 95.4%
Lincoln MKZ	29	- 31.0%	29	- 31.0%
Nissan Maxima *	103	+ 17.0%	103	+ 17.0%
Toyota Avalon *	105	+ 169%	105	+ 169%
Volvo XC70 *	52	- 11.9%	52	- 11.9%

Midsize Luxury Cars  &  Large Inexpensive  Luxury Cars	January  2013	% Change	Year  To Date	YTD %  Change
Acura RL	-----	-----	-----	-----
Audi A6	48	- 43.5%	48	- 43.5%
Audi A7	38	- 41.5%	38	- 41.5%
BMW 5-Series	191	+ 55.3%	191	+ 55.3%
Cadillac XTS *	60	-----	60	-----
Hyundai Equus *	4	- 55.6%	4	- 55.6%
Infiniti M	26	+ 100%	26	+ 100%
Jaguar XF	10	- 37.5%	10	- 37.5%
Lexus GS	46	+ 360%	46	+ 360%
Lincoln MKS *	24	- 4.0%	24	- 4.0%
Mercedes-Benz  E-Class & CLS-Class	117	- 36.8%	117	- 36.8%
Mercedes-Benz R-Class	31	- 11.4%	31	- 11.4%
Volvo S80	3	- 40.0%	3	- 40.0%

Source: Manufacturers & ANDC
Red font indicates declining year-over-year sales
* Indicates a vehicle which is also displayed in another GCBC segment breakdown
^ sedan only

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Luxury Car Sales In Canada - December & 2012 Year End
Luxury Car Sales In Canada - January 2012
Canada Auto Sales Brand Rankings - January 2013
Top 15 Best-Selling Expensive Vehicles In Canada - January 2013
Large Luxury Car Sales In Canada - January 2013

January 2013 Luxury Car Sales In America

Volvo Sold 10,489 V70 Wagons (Besides 16,066 More XC70s) In
2004, When The Overall Market Was 1.17 Times The Size It Is Now

The Volvo S60 accounted for 40% of U.S. Volvo sales in January 2013, up from 32% a year ago and 38% a month ago. S60 sales shot up 20% in January, a 393-unit increase from January 2012 levels. The  S40, V50, and V70, meanwhile, are dead. S80 sales dropped 17% to 176. The C30 and C70 were responsible for just 7% of Volvo sales last month. The surging XC60 brought about another 32% of Volvo brand sales.

Click Either Chart For Larger View

You've figured it out: Volvo, at least in America, is an S60/XC60-oriented company. This reliance on specific models isn't unusual among semi-premium brands. The MKX accounted for 44% of Lincoln sales in January; the G and JX were responsible for nearly seven out of ten Infiniti sales last month; the ES and RX just under one-third of all Lexus sales in January. 71% of Porsche sales came about as a result of the Cayenne and 911. 

But the biggest luxury players find decent U.S. volume with a wide range of models. BMW possesses four models - two cars and two SAVs which sold more often than the most popular Volvo. Mercedes-Benz had five, including two cars. Cadillac's SRX, ATS, and CTS outsold the leading Volvo. Acura's MDX and RDX did the same. As did Infiniti's G and JX; Lexus's ES and RX; Audi's A4 and Q5.

All 247 Vehicles Ranked By January 2013 Sales

This isn't Volvo bashing. And while plenty of automakers sell fewer cars these days than in the pre-recession era - Volvo sales plunged 51% from 2004 to 2012; Lexus dropped 19% between 2005 and 2012  - Volvo market share slid from 0.8% in 2004 to 0.5% in 2012. And why? It doesn't help that Volvo sold nine different models in 2004 but only sells seven now, and two of the seven are on their way out. This is about Volvo wishing. Wishing that the brand would be inspired by its history. Wishing that it would update aging products. Sure, an S60 Polestar looks like fun. But before Volvo needs an M3-baiter, it might need... you know, a wagon.

This luxury car sales post has been wholeheartedly changed. It now includes a number of cars GCBC displays with other segments, too, like the Chrysler 300 and Buick Verano. These additions allow readers to see how cars fare against similarly-priced nameplates, not just the cars that have a lofty brand image. The accompanying charts can be clicked for a larger view. Any model can be clicked in order to find historical monthly and yearly sales figures. Or select a make and model at GCBC's Sales Stats home. Best of all, the tables below are now sortable. Click any column header to rank vehicles by volume, year-over-year change, or re-sort alphabetically to return to the original.

Click Column Headers To Sort

Entry Luxury Car	January 2013	% Change	Year  To Date	YTD % Change
Acura ILX *	1558	-----	1558	-----
Audi A3	231	- 60.5%	231	- 60.5%
Buick Verano *	3660	+ 360%	3660	+ 360%
Lexus CT200h	1001	- 2.3%	1001	- 2.3%
Volvo C30	166	- 42.8%	166	- 42.8%

Small Luxury Car	January 2013	% Change	Year  To Date	YTD % Change
Acura TSX	1326	- 41.5%	1326	- 41.5%
Audi A4	2755	+ 3.0%	2755	+ 3.0%
Audi A5	1200	+ 36.7%	1200	+ 36.7%
BMW 1-Series	304	- 28.0%	304	- 28.0%
BMW 3-Series	4831	- 27.9%	4831	- 27.9%
Cadillac ATS	2781	-----	2781	-----
Cadillac CTS	2505	- 17.0%	2505	- 17.0%
Infiniti G	2815	- 26.2%	2815	- 26.2%
Lexus IS	1386	- 23.4%	1386	- 23.4%
Mercedes-Benz C-Class	7214	+ 19.6%	7214	+ 19.6%
Volvo S60	1954	+ 38.1%	1954	+ 38.1%

Tweeners	January 2013	% Change	Year  To Date	YTD % Change
Acura TL	1497	- 34.4%	1497	- 34.4%
Buick LaCrosse *	3548	- 11.6%	3548	- 11.6%
Chrysler 300 *	5325	+ 7.4%	5325	+ 7.4%
Hyundai Azera *	797	+ 4328%	797	+ 4328%
Hyundai Genesis *	2472	+ 7.9%	2472	+ 7.9%
Lexus ES	5186	+ 115%	5186	+ 115%
Lincoln MKZ	453	- 72.7%	453	- 72.7%
Nissan Maxima *	2992	- 25.2%	2992	- 25.2%
Toyota Avalon *	4840	+ 50.4%	4840	+ 50.4%
Volkswagen CC *	1192	- 15.8%	1192	- 15.8%
Volvo XC70 *	334	- 24.6%	334	- 24.6%

Midsize Luxury Cars  &  Large Inexpensive  Luxury Cars	January 2013	% Change	Year  To Date	YTD % Change
Acura RL	13	- 60.6%	13	- 60.6%
Audi A6	1259	+ 11.4%	1259	+ 11.4%
Audi A7	698	+ 8.6%	698	+ 8.6%
BMW 5-Series	2585	- 19.6%	2585	- 19.6%
Cadillac XTS *	1900	-----	1900	-----
Hyundai Equus *	253	- 13.4%	253	- 13.4%
Infiniti M	413	- 41.0%	413	- 41.0%
Jaguar XF	511	+ 12.3%	511	+ 12.3%
Lexus GS	1099	+ 1082%	1099	+ 1082%
Lincoln MKS	909	+ 22.7%	909	+ 22.7%
Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class	553	- 5.0%	553	- 5.0%
Mercedes-Benz E-Class	5469	+ 33.5%	5469	+ 33.5%
Volvo S80	176	- 16.6%	176	- 16.6%

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

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Small & Midsize Luxury Car Sales In America - February 2013
Small & Midsize Luxury Car Sales In America - December & 2012 Year End
Small & Midsize 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
Large Luxury Car Sales In America - January 2013