For more than a decade, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus have battled for the U.S. luxury sales crown. And for 2021, BMW won for the third time in a row. Mercedes held the title for the three years prior — and so on back to 2010 when Lexus triumphed.
But the perennial luxury champions are looking in their rearview mirrors as California-made Teslas are coming up fast.
Tesla doesn't break out its U.S. sales, making year-end comparisons challenging. But vehicle registration data — due in the coming weeks — likely will show a fourth-quarter Tesla surge that challenges the traditional luxury order.
For 2021, based on reported sales results, BMW has declared victory in the U.S. luxury race with 336,644 sales. Lexus came in at 304,475, and Mercedes reported 276,102. For Tesla, all the industry currently has are third-party estimates. But the Automotive News Research & Data Center estimates Tesla deliveries at 313,400 — that would put the young electric vehicle maker in second place for 2021.