Small Luxury SUV Sales And Midsize Luxury SUV Sales In America - November 2010

The total large luxury SUV category, which no longer includes the $52,345 2011 Lexus GX460 (not sure why it was ever there in the first place), was worth 7794 sales in the United States in November 2010. That's less than the total number of Subaru Outbacks sold in America last month and less than any combination of two somewhat popular SUVs or crossovers from the Graphs below. The small luxury SUV category - which includes the larger but nicely-priced Cadillac SRX - grabbed 11,478 buyers in November. There were just about 30,000 U.S. buyers of midsize luxury SUVs in November, 29,600 to be exact.

It's not easy deciding which vehicles should go in which chart on GoodCarBadCar.net, by the way. It's not a random process nor are there hard and fast lines. In any case, most Graphs on GCBC indicate which vehicles are most likely to be cross-shopped - a fate which wasn't afforded to the Sporty Car Sales chart. The most difficult task? Separating vehicles into the two pie charts you see below.

Is it possible that a Lexus RX owner test drove a Mercedes-Benz GLK350 4Matic? Of course... but it's also possible s/he drove a Lexus ES350. Nevertheless, the potential cross-shopping of non-gigantic luxury SUVs is the most difficult to pinpoint, so there are a lot of vehicles lumped into one chart and a few more directly comparable in another. As you can see, they're all here in one post together. (You get the impression there've been complaints about The Good Car Guy's discrimination against/for the Lexus RX and Cadillac SRX? You better believe it.)

With that over, there are a few specific points of interest in November 2010's edition of this post. Land Rover LR4 sales were up 155% in the U.S. last month. BMW X3 sales plummeted 66% as the new X3 finds its way to dealers. The Lexus RX remains America's best-selling luxury utility vehicle but sales did fall 8.7% compared with November 2009. Finally, even by the abysmal standard of the Acura ZDX, November's total of 156 sales was bad, 117 below the Acura's average monthly sales. Even so, there shouldn't be 156 people ready for a good suckering by an Acura sales consultants in one month.

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Small Luxury SUV & Midsize Luxury SUV Sales In America - November 2011
Small & Midsize Luxury SUV Sales In America - December 2010
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U.S. Auto Sales By Brand - November 2010
Small, Midsize & Large SUV Sales In America - November 2010
Large Luxury SUV Sales In America - November 2010

Small SUV Sales, Midsize SUV Sales And Large SUV Sales In America - November 2010

70% of the full-size sport-utility vehicles sold by non-luxury automakers in the USA in November 2010 were General Motors vehicles. Of that 70%, seven out of every ten GM SUVs was a Chevrolet. Of those Chevrolets, 57% were Tahoes. When GM gets it right, they really, really get it right.

The Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia are also well-executed and rather large. 3810 of the 19,205 Lambda-platform utility vehicles sold by GM in November were Buick Enclaves. 5541 were GMC Acadias, which left 9954 for the Chevrolet Traverse, America's seventh-best-selling utility vehicle in November.

Meanwhile, on the smaller end of the scale, the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain combined to quite adequately smoke the competition. By itself, Chevrolet Equinox sales were up 60.5% to 15,387. Terrain sales were up 60.2% to 5902. 

Many are unwilling to give GM credit when it requires sales figures of two or three or four models to convey market control. GoodCarBadCar.net isn't just willing to discuss GM's specific areas of preeminence but any other automaker's, as well. General Motors obviously feels they wouldn't sell 21,289 Terrains if they abandoned the Chevrolet Equinox nameplate. It's definitely believable that GM would fail to sell 19,305 Enclaves if the Traverse and Acadia were cancelled. But it isn't GM's "fault" that the company's SUV/CUV market share in November 2010 was greater than that of any other company, even if GM went about it with multiple logos. 

And by the way, other automakers did sell SUVs and crossovers in November 2010. Take a look at Suzuki and those 5 XL7s. Details on the sales figures of every mainstream SUV and CUV are in the Graphs below. 

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Small, Midsize & Large SUV Sales In America - 2010 Year End
Small, Midsize & Large SUV Sales In America - November 2011
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Small/Entry Luxury Car Sales And Midsize Luxury Car Sales In America - November 2010

BMW's good months earlier in the year haven't exactly meant a slowing of 3-Series sales late in 2010. Up 10.8% now through the end of November, last month's sales alone rose 2390 units from 6538 in November 2009. GoodCarBadCar.net's post on German luxury vehicle market share in America will help you see just how strong the 3-Series, Audi A4, and Mercedes-Benz C-Class were in November. 

BMW's nearest competitor in the smaller/lesser/entry luxury car sector was the Infiniti G. Now with three bodystyles, two engines, and an IPL G Coupe, the Infiniti couldn't put up half as many sales as the almighty 3-Series. Infiniti G sales, however, did increase 22.8% in November. Cadillac CTS sales were up 27.8%. C-Class Benz sales were down ever-so-slightly. Audi A4 sales were up 9%; the Audi S4 made up 14.3% of A4 family sales.

In the bigger luxury car segment, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class ceded the crown to the new 2011 BMW 5-Series. More attractive than the last-generation 5-Series, the new car posted a 76.4% improvement over two months ago, 58% up on November 2009. 5-Series sales are down slightly compared with last year as the outgoing model fizzled in the marketplace.

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Small/Entry Luxury Car & Midsize Luxury Car Sales In America - November 2011
Small & Midsize Luxury Car Sales In America - December 2010
Entry/Small Luxury Car & Midsize Luxury Car Sales In America - October 2010
U.S. Auto Sales By Brand - November 2010
Small Car & Midsize Car Sales In America - November 2010

Large Luxury Car Sales And Large Luxury SUV Sales In America - November 2010

Wow, and finally, U.S. dealerships started selling the 2011 Audi A8, and did so with some umph. Although low in the context of its competitors, 333 sales in a month is a figure so unlike previous iterations of this Graph that it seems barely believable.

CEOs and Vice-chairmen with the sort of money required to buy a full-size luxury car want the latest and greatest. And why wouldn't they? Regular folk like you and me want the latest iPhone or Gran Turismo edition; large luxury car buyers just happen to be disposing their income on more prestigious and conspicuous gadgets. So, the outgoing Audi A8 had been around for a while.

For whatever reason - it was gorgeous and high-tech - the A8 was never popular. At all. In November 2010, however, Audi A8 sales jumped 220% as, Audi USA says, 310 A8s were "sold in the month's final days." 23 of the A8s sold were Typ 4E generation A8s, the old car. 32.7% of all A8s sold in the United States in 2010 were sold in November. 50% of the Audi A8s on their way to the United States have already been sold. But.... the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and Lexus LS were between three and four times more popular in November, so Audi still has some work for itself if the U.S. market is going to be kind to the A8.

Among large luxury SUVs, the Mercedes-Benz GL-Class continues its surge toward conquering larger slices of the pie. Mercedes-Benz says GL sales were up 47.9% in November and are up 36.6% year-to-date. Although not able to surpass the 3-pronged Cadillac Escalade lineup in November, the GL-Class trails the Escalade by only 4693 sales. At this time last year, the GL was behind the Caddy by nearly 9500 units. 

Get up to speed on the whole large luxury automobile sales story by perusing the data below.

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Large Luxury Car Sales & Large Luxury SUV Sales In America - November 2011
Large Luxury Car Sales & Large Luxury SUV Sales In America - December 2010
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Top 10 Best-Selling European SUVs In America - October 2010
U.S. Auto Sales By Brand - November 2010
Small & Midsize Luxury In America - November 2010

Sporty Car Sales And Premium Sporty Car Sales In America - November 2010

In an effort to clarify matters after The Good Car Guy transferred American Muscle Car Sales data into the two Graphs below, the first group of vehicles separates German sporting cars (black) from American (red) and Japanese (blue). This still doesn't isolate cars by their competitive sets, but at least it offers further definition in what is otherwise a terrifically crowded category. 

The Chevrolet Camaro's 71-sale victory over the 2011 Ford Mustang in November 2010 expands the Camaro's year-to-date lead on the Mustang to 7421 units. By the end of December, GM could be looking at launching its target="_blank"2011 Chevrolet Camaro 11-month sales total of 75,685 to nudge up against the 80K mark, an impressive feat for the former F-body nameplate.

If there weren't other clues to the comparitive personal wealth advantage many Americans hold over Canadians, the Porsche 911 makes a decent case. 911 sales reached 476 in November 2010, up 20.5% from November 2009. 911 sales are down 17% this year, but selling 5228 copies of a high-end sports car ain't bad. Meanwhile, Porsche Canada, competing in a market seven times smaller, has sold 1873 vehicles overall; 500 911s in total. If Porsche USA followed Porsche Canada's lead, there'd only be about 3600 911s sold in the States so far this year. 

Find all the pertinent sports car sales data in the accompanying Graphs.

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Sporty Car & Premium Sporty Car Sales In America - November 2011
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German Luxury Vehicle Market Share By Vehicle Type - November 2010
U.S. Auto Sales By Brand - November 2010
Top 10 Best-Selling European Cars In America - November 2010

Minivan Sales In America - November 2010

America's top selling minivan in November 2010 was the brand new 2011 Honda Odyssey The Good Car Guy complained about in June. Based on auto manufacturing conglomerations, Chrysler sold the most minivans in November, however.

For the first time GoodCarBadCar.net has decided to split up the Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan. They've been kept side-by-side and painted with a similar colour so you can still see the slice of pie they account for if you so desire. When separated, they are the third and fourth most-popular minivans in America. Together they are mighty.

Honda Odyssey sales were up 34.7% in November. Sales of the Mazda 5 fell 22.1%. Kia Rondo sales obviously fell off a cliff - it's been cancelled in the United States - but Sedona sales dropped 32.5%. Swagger Wagon sales, or the popularity of the 2011 Toyota Sienna, went from 7488 sales in November 2009 to the number you'll see in the Graph below, 8125. As for Chrysler, Grand Caravan sales fell 28%; Town & Country sales dropped 9%.

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U.S. Auto Sales By Brand - November 2010

German Luxury Car Market Share In America - November 2010

Which sort of German luxury vehicle sells best? These are the sort of questions The Good Car Guy routinely finds answers for, not always sharing the research with GoodCarBadCar.net's audience due to time constraints. This time, you're in for a treat, an especially purple treat.

No surprise, the volume leader is the smaller luxury cars of Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW's fleets. Though not necessarily number one with each respective fleet, the combined sales of the Audi A4, BMW 3-Series, and Mercedes-Benz C-Class represented 32.3% of the German luxury vehicle market in the USA in November 2010. 

And then it gets interesting. Considering the complete lack of available utility vehicles from German luxury automakers in the mid-90s, it's amazing to see how the Audi Q7, BMW X5 and BMW X6, Mercedes-Benz GL and M-Class (and even the G-Wagen) owned more than a fifth of the German luxury vehicle market in the United States last month. Yes, this means the larger end of the German luxury SUV market in the USA is of numerical equivalence to the filling in any German luxury auto discussion sandwich: the Mercedes-Benz E-Class (and CLS), BMW's 5-Series, and the Audi A6. 

This leaves a little more than one-fifth of all German luxury vehicle sales for sportier models, smaller SUVs, and large sedans like the very popular Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Of course, the small SUV segment will improve when the new BMW X3 can do something about abysmal totals like November's 91 sales. Plus, all of this excludes high-end Volkswagens like the Touareg and the $40K Passat CC VR6 4Motion Executive. Check it all out in the Graph below or find regularly-scheduled Sales Stats info here.

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Sales Of Small Cars, Midsize Cars, Large Cars In America - November 2010

Finally Kia dealerships who've been needing an Optima replacement for years have gotten one. The 2011 Kia Optima is a looker, a prime candidate for a sales boom not unlike that which has gone on with the 2011 Kia Sorento in the past year or so. But where's the Kia Cadenza? The Kia Amanti, one of the ugliest cars of all time, is still languishing on dealer lots. Be gone with you, Amanti. Long live the Cadenza.

If the 2012 Hyundai Accent is anything to go by, the next Kia Rio has a lot of potential. Kia has quite a small car portfolio to begin with. The Kia Forte (and new Forte 5-door) and Kia Soul combined for nearly 11,000 sales in America last month, a figure unmatched by Mazda's small car team of the 2 and 3. A revitalized Rio could really launch Kia to the next level.

Autoblog has driven the 2011 Hyundai Elantra and came away really impressed. Unlike Canada, in which small cars are the best-sellers and the Camry/Accord/Fusion/Sonata sit further back, the Elantra's segment in the United States is more appreciated when gas prices rise and the economy is in a weakening rather than strengthening state. That said, with that smokin' hot body and the distinct possibility of a Touring model in the near future, the Elantra will climb up the Best Sellers list, but probably not as far as Hyundai supporters would like it to.

What of Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, and Dodge? Dodge Caliber sales shot up 666% in November 2010. But is that a story of fervent Caliber-directed desires? Probably not. Caliber sales were only 412 units strong last November, so a return to proper sales levels sounds like huge gains, but Caliber sales were still just 3154 in November 2010, placing the Caliber 17th in its Graph below. Buick LaCrosse sales remain steady even as GM brass get excited over increased Regal sales which, to be honest, are a lot lower than they should and could be. Ford Taurus sales fell back 10.6% in November but are up 64.8% on the year.

Check out the full slate of small car sales, midsize car sales, and large car sales below.

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New Vehicle Market Share By Brand In America - November 2010

The tell-tale sign of dominance is market share. 'Twas quite a day when GM's market share was 41% in 1941 and then soared to 54% in 1954. As the Graph below manifests, General Motors market share in November 2010 in the company's home market was better than that of any company, but below 20%.

Times change. Suck it up. With increased competition comes..... increased competition. On the luxury side, GM's Cadillac brand must face off Mercedes-Benz and BMW - and their umpteen different models - as well as Lexus and its sterling solid reputation for quality. Lower-priced luxury vehicles from Acura, Volvo, and Saab joined high-priced mainstream cars from Honda and Toyota to make life miserable for Buick. Chevrolet's been forced to fight for sales against an onslaught of product from all over the world. GMC's truck portfolio can't exactly fend off the rights of rival automakers who started playing the small and midsize SUV game first and with more skill. 

Of course, GM sales were up 11.4% in November compared with November 2009. Sales of Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac were up 20.8%. Not surprisingly, a somewhat revitalized new vehicle market cooked up sales increases at other brands, too. Thus, new car market share in America looked like this in November 2010.

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Top 10 Best-Selling European SUVs In America - November 2010

Life isn't as easy come, easy go for the Mercedes-Benz GLK350 as it once was. Sales, awfully lofty last year, are hard to match in 2010. Fortunately for Mercedes-Benz, the GLK is still finding buyers and its larger brethren, the M-Class and GL-Class SUVs, are even more popular now than they were a year ago. In November 2010, in fact, the Mercedes-Benz M-Class out-sold the more recently revamped BMW X5, albeit by a narrow margin.

North Americans are accustomed to European vehicles being luxury-oriented. Apart from Volkswagen and semi-premium marques like Volvo and Saab, the only other current European brands we associate with non-luxury are Mini and Fiat. But the Mini Countryman isn't on this list yet, nor is a jacked-up 4x4 version of the 2011 Fiat 500, so the Volkswagen Tiguan is left to fend for itself in a sea of leather-lined, power-hungry SUVs. Although, if we face facts, the Volkswagen Tiguan plays on the premium end of the small SUV/CUV segment, too.

These are the ten most popular European SUVs in America from November 2010. They are nice. Some are nicer than others. Some are bigger than others. Take the Mercedes-Benz GL350 BlueTec, GL450, and GL550 as examples. Gargantuan dimensions don't seem to be forcing consumers to shy away from the GL-Class. In fact, the large luxury SUV segment as a whole doesn't seem to be struggling of late.

Rank	SUV/Crossover	Status	November 2010	% Change
#1	Mercedes-Benz M-Class	↑	3470	+29.5
#2	BMW X5	↓	3436	+24
#3	Audi Q5	↔	2310	+53.1
#4	Mercedes-Benz GL-Class	↔	2096	+47.9
#5	Volkswagen Tiguan	↔	1660	+27.6
#6	Mercedes-Benz GLK350	↔	1590	-7.8
#7	Volvo XC60	↑	1128	+2.7
#8	Land Rover  Range Rover Sport	↓	1109	+12
#9	Audi Q7	↑	1000	+100
#10	Porsche Cayenne	↓	997	+57.8

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Top 10 Best-Selling European SUVs In America - October 2010
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Top 10 Best-Selling Japanese SUVs In America - November 2010

Two of these vehicles were in The Good 12 Supersize last year. The problem they face is the lack of a supersized version of The Good 12 this year, there are only 12 spots for all vehicles, not the 24 total from last year. Subaru Forester, Toyota 4Runner: apologies in advance for your dismissal.

There was no doubt when the 2010 Toyota 4Runner was released that it was going to be a renewed hit. The dramatic 140.5% increase in November 2010 is no surprise. The 4Runner has actually slipped in the context of the most popular Japanese SUVs in America, but sales are way up from last November and should be able to remain steady for some time. The Toyota Highlander also possesses renewed vigor, handing the Honda Pilot its lunch. Take note of the 2011 Nissan Juke not on this list - Juke sales in November were 3373, up from 2103 in its first month on sale, October.

These are the ten most popular Japanese SUVs and crossovers in America from November 2010.

Rank	SUV/Crossover	Status	November 2010	% Change
#1	Honda CR-V	↔	18,263	+30.9
#2	Toyota RAV4	↔	12,306	+6.9
#3	Toyota Highlander	↔	9156	+47.4
#4	Nissan Rogue	↔	8525	+67.1
#5	Honda Pilot	↑	7593	+16.8
#6	Lexus RX	↓	7235	-8.7
#7	Subaru Forester	↔	6260	+26.5
#8	Nissan Murano	↑	4399	+12.1
#9	Acura MDX	↑	4191	+21
#10	Toyota 4Runner	↓	4062	+140.5

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Top 10 Best-Selling European Cars In America - November 2010

Its styling is forgettable to the point that.... wait, what car are we talking about? Oh, right, the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta is quite boring to look at, but that's not going to stop the Jetta from becoming one of America's most popular cars in the next year. As America's most popular European car in November 2010, the Jetta uses value in a way no Volkswagen has in years - unless you want to count the Phaeton.

So what does the Jetta's popularity say about the significantly more expensive BMW 3-Series? Loved by thousands of consumers who have just a little more expendable cash than the buyers of mainstream sedans (or more desire to spend what money they have on a car), the 3-Series is America's best-selling luxury car and sells in great enough quantity to be one of America's more popular models overall. 

Further down the list, the Audi A5 stepped in to boot the Mercedes-Benz S-Class out of Europe's Top 10. The Volkswagen Golf/GTI was also knocked down a peg from October 2010's list of America's best-selling cars from the continent. The numbers are below, so start perusing the list of America's top selling European cars.

Rank	Car	Status	November 2010	% Change
#1	Volkswagen Jetta	↔	11,153	+40.2
#2	BMW 3-Series	↔	8928	+36.6
#3	BMW 5-Series	↑	5042	+58
#4	Mercedes-Benz E-Class	↓	4986	+3.4
#5	Mercedes-Benz C-Class	↑	3930	-2.3
#6	Mini Cooper	↓	2786	+8.7
#7	Audi A4	↔	2761	+9
#8	Volkswagen Passat CC	↑	2601	-18.4
#9	Volkswagen Golf	↓	1754	+28.1
#10	Audi A5	↑	1181	+10

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