Biggest Selling Luxury Brand For 2011

[webby]

Biggest Selling Luxury Brand For 2011...


BMW

BMW and Mercedes were both in a close race during the last few months of 2011, but BMW has been able to take the top spot. Both German carmakers increased their 2011 sales by 13 percent compared to 2010, but the winner was BMW, selling 247,907 units, leaving Mercedes-Benz in second place since with 245,231 sales. According to Edmunds.com, BMW raised its incentives by more than US$200 per vehicle in December, while Mercedes’ incentives remained flat.

Lexus saw its sales fall by 13.4 percent, to 198,552 vehicles, which relegated Toyota’s luxury brand to third place. Nevertheless, on Wednesday, company officials estimated that Lexus’ sales in the U.S. will rise by more than 20 percent this year, putting it back in the race for the top spot.

Here is how the top 9 spots look

BMW - 247,907
Mercedes-Benz - 245,231
Lexus - 198,552
Buick - 177,633
Cadillac -152,389
Acura - 123,299
Audi - 117,561
Infinity - 98,461
Lincoln - 85,643

The two other Japanese luxury brands, Honda’s Acura and Nissan’s Infiniti, also suffered from supply problems and the strong yen, recording an 8 and 4.8 percent drop which placed them in sixth and eighth place respectively.

General Motors performed quite well, with Buick finishing fourth with a 14.3 percent increase to 177,633 units, and Cadillac right behind with a growth of 3.7 percent and sales of 152,389 units.

While Audi managed to increase its sales by 16 percent, it couldn’t manage anything better than seventh place and 117,561 units, less than half of its leading compatriots.

The U.S. luxury segment is rounded off by Lincoln with 85,643 units that amount to essentially flat sales.

 

[KennyGS]

I am continuously surprised by Buick. There can't be that many really old people alive still.

 

[webby]

China is all over Buick...in the way people here view mercedes, bmw, lexus or whatever..

Sales are also growing for luxury import brands in China. Buick sells more cars in China than in the United States, including a unique version of the Buick Park Avenue for the Chinese market that is often chauffeur-driven.

The growth rate in auto sales is expected to increase again in China in the next few years

When Lin Hui and his wife went shopping in Shanghai for their first car, they splurged, spending $17,000 on their dream machine.
It was a Buick.

“It’s safe, it’s comfortable, and the look is beautiful,” Lin said. Buick’s sizzling sales have driven General Motors — even as it closes plants and lays off workers at home — to the top of the pack in China, the world’s fastest-growing automobile market. GM sold 665,000 cars and trucks in China last year. For now, only 1 in 100 Chinese own a car, compared to 9 in 10 in the United States. But the Chinese expect 130 million vehicles to be sold by 2020.
In fact, GM now sells more cars overseas than it does at home.

 

[KennyGS]

But aren't they talking only about sales in the U.S.?

 

[webby]

Yes, that report was purely US sales. I see quite a few newer bucks driving around. The suv and the newer regal

 

[brown_bear]

wow never thought anyone besides americans would buy buicks....At my old job as a vinyl graphics installer, we had a buick account, drove some of thier cars...they arent all bad, but more suited for the older folks....ride real nice too..

 

[webby]

cushy

 

[Nix]

The Riviera was fast. Supercharged from the factory. The new Lacrosse is really nice. I hate the look but I drove my friends rendezvous and I liked it. I felt embarassed though. Almost like getting caught riding a moped.

I will possibly be contributing to the bmw bandwagon at the end of the year.