Mercedes closes gap with BMW in U.S. luxury sales race
Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Automotive News Canada
  • Automotive News Europe
  • Automotive News Mexico
  • Automotive News China
AN-LOGO-BLUE
Subscribe
  • Subscribe
  • Account
  • login
  • HOME
  • NEWS
    • Dealers
    • Automakers & Suppliers
    • News by Brand
    • Cars & Concepts
    • Shift
    • Mobility Report
    • Special Reports
    • Digital Edition Archive
    • Q&A with Chris Bangle
      A penny for your thoughts
      Helping two cultures connect
      SEAT FEAT
    • GM will launch electric bike sales in Europe
      VW seeks to tap potentially lucrative ride-sharing market
      Apple stepped up AV testing to 80,000 miles in 2018
      Self-driving truck startup TuSimple raises nearly $100 million
    • Dealerships owned by ex-NFL stars face collapse, litigation
      Want a luxury car? Try a Kia
      Costly lesson of tortuous legal battle: Get it in writing
      Denny Hecker: A changed man?
    • Access F&I
    • Fixed Ops Journal
    • Marketing
    • Used Cars
    • Sales
    • Best Practices
    • Dealership Buy/Sell
    • NADA
    • NADA Show
    • Automakers
    • Manufacturing
    • Suppliers
    • Regulations & Safety
    • Executives
    • Leading Woman Network
    • PACE Awards
    • CES
    • Management Briefing Seminars
    • World Congress
    • Aston Martin
    • BMW
      • Mini
      • Rolls Royce
    • Daimler
      • Mercedes Benz
      • Smart
    • Fiat Chrysler
      • Alfa Romeo
      • Chrysler
      • Dodge
      • Ferrari
      • Fiat
      • Jeep
      • Maserati
      • Ram
    • Ford
      • Lincoln
    • General Motors
      • Buick
      • Cadillac
      • Chevrolet
      • GMC
      • Holden
    • Honda
      • Acura
    • Hyundai
      • Genesis
      • Kia
    • Mazda
    • Mitsubishi
    • Nissan
      • Infiniti
    • PSA
      • Citroen
      • Opel
      • Peugeot
      • Vauxhall
    • Renault
    • Subaru
    • Suzuki
    • Tata
      • Jaguar
      • Land Rover
    • Tesla
    • Toyota
      • Lexus
    • Volkswagen
      • Audi
      • Bentley
      • Bugatti
      • Lamborghini
      • Porsche
      • Seat
      • Skoda
    • Volvo
    • (Discontinued Brands)
    • Auto Shows
      • Detroit Auto Show
      • New York Auto Show
      • Los Angeles Auto Show
      • Chicago Auto Show
      • Geneva Auto Show
      • Paris Auto Show
      • Frankfurt Auto Show
      • Toronto Auto Show
      • Tokyo Auto Show
      • Shanghai Auto Show
      • Beijing Auto Show
    • Future Product Pipeline
    • Photo Galleries
    • Car Cutaways
    • Design
  • OPINION
    • Blogs
    • Cartoons
    • Keith Crain
    • Automotive Views with Jason Stein
    • Columnists
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Send us a Letter
    • Will Jaguar replace XE, XF sedans with a single EV?
      Could auto tariff threat be a turning point?
      Ram Chassis Cab goes high-tech
      Chevy's 2019 Blazer: More Camaro, less Equinox
    • EVs will come with economic cost
      Spend money on sales, not stores
      Put it on your bucket list
      GM stepped on a land mine
    • Could auto tariff threat be a turning point?
      EVs will come with economic cost
      Spend money on sales, not stores
      Put it on your bucket list
    • Let dealers invest in innovation, not renovations
      Hackett's vision for Ford is still a blur
      The last temptation of Elon Musk
      Path to trade deal didn't have to be so treacherous
    • Deeper issues in tech shortage
      A boycott is not the answer
      Odds poor for Cadillac rebirth
      GM falls short with Cadillac interior
  • DATA CENTER
  • VIDEO
    • AutoNews Now
    • First Shift
    • Special Video Reports
    • Weekend Drive
  • EVENTS & AWARDS
    • Events
    • Awards
    • World Congress
    • Retail Forum: NADA
    • Canada Congress
    • Marketing 360: L.A.
    • Europe Congress
    • Fixed Ops Journal Forum
    • Retail Forum: Chicago
    • Leading Women Conference Detroit
    • 100 Leading Woman
    • 40 Under 40 Retail
    • All-Stars
    • Best Dealership To Work For
    • PACE Awards
    • Rising Stars
    • Europe Rising Stars
  • JOBS
  • +MORE
    • Webinars
    • Leading Women Network
    • Custom Features
    • Classifieds
    • People on the Move
    • Newsletters
    • Contact Us
    • Media Kit
    • Ally: Do It Right
    • Guide To Economic Development
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Automakers & Suppliers
December 02, 2011 12:00 AM

Mercedes closes gap with BMW in U.S. luxury sales race

  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print

    DETROIT (Bloomberg) -- Mercedes-Benz outsold BMW in the U.S. by more than 5,000 vehicles last month, coming within 1,600 units of the lead in annual deliveries of luxury automobiles.

    Mercedes sales, helped by a refreshed C-class sedan and redesigned M-class SUV, rose 47 percent to 26,796 in November, topping BMW for a second straight month.

    BMW's U.S. sales rose 7 percent in November to 21,521.

    With November's results, BMW's lead for the year narrowed to 1,582 units over Mercedes. BMW sales have risen 12 percent to 221,073 in 11 months. The U.S. market as a whole is up 10 percent.

    Deliveries of Mercedes vehicles through November rose 12 percent to 219,491 in the U.S.

    The two automakers are vying to replace Lexus, which has been the annual U.S. luxury sales leader for the past 11 years.

    "It's going to be a very close race," said Jesse Toprak, an industry analyst with TrueCar.com, a U.S. Web site that tracks auto sales. "Based on the current momentum, I think that Benz has a good chance of winning the race this year."

    A March earthquake and tsunami in Japan have not helped Lexus sales this year, restricting supplies of Lexus cars and SUVs to the U.S. market. The brand's year-to-date sales fell 14 percent to 173,197. In November, Lexus increased U.S. deliveries by 6.7 percent to 19,458 units.

    BMW looked 'unreachable'

    Mercedes' surge "is somewhat surprising," Toprak said. "I thought BMW had a strong hold based upon earlier this year. They seemed unreachable."

    The results exclude Daimler's Sprinter vans and Smart cars and BMW's Mini brand, which aren't luxury vehicles.

    Mercedes' product lineup got a boost in September when it began selling a new M class and refreshed C class. The automaker also began offering a two-door version of the C class to compete against BMW's 3-series lineup. C-class sales in November more than doubled to 8,358 from 3,930, the company said. M-class deliveries rose 38 percent to 4,796.

    "By good fortune we have strong availability of brand-new product at a time when the wind shifted slightly in the marketplace," Steve Cannon, Mercedes vice president of U.S. marketing, said on Thursday.

    Mercedes is pushing the C class with lease deals, Toprak added. "They're creating a lot of volume play with the cheap leases they are putting out there," he said.

    'Close' race

    While December is traditionally Mercedes best-selling month, Cannon said that topping BMW's sales was not a major priority. "December will look like November," he said. "It's going to be close. "We have no mandate from Stuttgart that says beat BMW," Cannon said. "If BMW wants to throw everything but the kitchen sink to hold onto a sales crown, we're not going to duke it out with them," he added.

    U.S. deliveries of Audi, a close competitor of both BMW and Mercedes, rose 3.6 percent to 9,700 vehicles last month. With 104,906 sales through November, the brand exceeded 100,000 U.S. deliveries for the second straight year.

    Porsche sold 2,255 vehicles in the U.S., a 6.7 percent decrease, the company said.

    General Motors Co.'s Cadillac luxury brand sales fell 5.6 percent last month to 11,145, according to the automaker. Nissan Motor Co.'s Infiniti sold 8,428 vehicles, 3 percent more than a year earlier, the company said.

    Honda said sales for its Acura brand fell 7.5 percent to 9,909 last month. Land Rover deliveries rose 31 percent to 3,820, while Jaguar sales dropped 18 percent to 915, said Autodata Corp., an industry researcher.

    Related Articles
    Toyota Sienna maintains small edge in U.S. minivan race
    GM to miss Volt sales goal. Should we care?
    Chrysler extends streak, Toyota ends slide; industry looks up
    Toyota, aided by growing stockpiles and new models, sees first increase since A…
    Ford sales rise 13% on SUVs, pickups
    Chrysler Group surges 45% in November
    Pickups, SUVs drive GM's 7% Nov. gain
    VW brand's U.S. sales rise 41% in November
    Chrysler, Hyundai-Kia, VW lead industry to 14% gain
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Send us a letter

    Have an opinion about this story? Click here to submit a Letter to the Editor, and we may publish it in print.

    Recommended for You
    Digital Edition
    THIS WEEK'S EDITION
    See our archive
    Fixed Ops Journal
    Thumbnail
    Read the issue
    See our archive
    Sign up for free newsletters
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    Get Free Newsletters

    Sign up and get the best of Automotive News delivered straight to your email inbox, free of charge. Choose your news – we will deliver.

    Subscribe Now

    Get access to in-depth, authoritative coverage of the auto industry from a global team of reporters and editors covering the news that's vital to your business.

    Subscribe
    Connect With Us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter

    Our Mission

    The Automotive News mission is to be the primary source of industry news, data and understanding for the industry's decision-makers interested in North America.

    AN-LOGO-BLUE
    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit, Michigan
    48207-2997

    (877) 812-1584

    Email us

    Resources
    • About us
    • Contact Us
    • Media Kit
    • Subscribe
    • Manage your account
    • Reprints
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    Copyright © 1996-2019. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • HOME
    • NEWS
      • Dealers
        • Access F&I
        • Fixed Ops Journal
        • Marketing
        • Used Cars
        • Sales
        • Best Practices
        • Dealership Buy/Sell
        • NADA
        • NADA Show
      • Automakers & Suppliers
        • Automakers
        • Manufacturing
        • Suppliers
        • Regulations & Safety
        • Executives
        • Leading Woman Network
        • PACE Awards
        • CES
        • Management Briefing Seminars
        • World Congress
      • News by Brand
        • Aston Martin
        • BMW
          • Mini
          • Rolls Royce
        • Daimler
          • Mercedes Benz
          • Smart
        • Fiat Chrysler
          • Alfa Romeo
          • Chrysler
          • Dodge
          • Ferrari
          • Fiat
          • Jeep
          • Maserati
          • Ram
        • Ford
          • Lincoln
        • General Motors
          • Buick
          • Cadillac
          • Chevrolet
          • GMC
          • Holden
        • Honda
          • Acura
        • Hyundai
          • Genesis
          • Kia
        • Mazda
        • Mitsubishi
        • Nissan
          • Infiniti
        • PSA
          • Citroen
          • Opel
          • Peugeot
          • Vauxhall
        • Renault
        • Subaru
        • Suzuki
        • Tata
          • Jaguar
          • Land Rover
        • Tesla
        • Toyota
          • Lexus
        • Volkswagen
          • Audi
          • Bentley
          • Bugatti
          • Lamborghini
          • Porsche
          • Seat
          • Skoda
        • Volvo
        • (Discontinued Brands)
      • Cars & Concepts
        • Auto Shows
          • Detroit Auto Show
          • New York Auto Show
          • Los Angeles Auto Show
          • Chicago Auto Show
          • Geneva Auto Show
          • Paris Auto Show
          • Frankfurt Auto Show
          • Toronto Auto Show
          • Tokyo Auto Show
          • Shanghai Auto Show
          • Beijing Auto Show
        • Future Product Pipeline
        • Photo Galleries
        • Car Cutaways
        • Design
      • Shift
      • Mobility Report
      • Special Reports
      • Digital Edition Archive
    • OPINION
      • Blogs
      • Cartoons
      • Keith Crain
      • Automotive Views with Jason Stein
      • Columnists
      • Editorials
      • Letters to the Editor
      • Send us a Letter
    • DATA CENTER
    • VIDEO
      • AutoNews Now
      • First Shift
      • Special Video Reports
      • Weekend Drive
    • EVENTS & AWARDS
      • Events
        • World Congress
        • Retail Forum: NADA
        • Canada Congress
        • Marketing 360: L.A.
        • Europe Congress
        • Fixed Ops Journal Forum
        • Retail Forum: Chicago
        • Leading Women Conference Detroit
      • Awards
        • 100 Leading Woman
        • 40 Under 40 Retail
        • All-Stars
        • Best Dealership To Work For
        • PACE Awards
        • Rising Stars
        • Europe Rising Stars
    • JOBS
    • +MORE
      • Webinars
      • Leading Women Network
      • Custom Features
        • Ally: Do It Right
        • Guide To Economic Development
      • Classifieds
      • People on the Move
      • Newsletters
      • Contact Us
      • Media Kit