Is Lexus Actually the Best-Selling Luxury Brand in America?
Lexus is returning as a main competitor in the luxury car sales race.
Mostly dominated by BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi in recent years, a recent report from Bloomberg shows that Lexus might actually be the best-selling luxury brand in America, despite sales figures showing differently.
Through April, Mercedes reported 107,344 in sales while BMW said its sold 105,444 units. Lexus on the other hand, has reported 103,056 in sales but registration numbers in the U.S. tell a different story.
In fact, according to IHS Automotive, the Japanese automaker leads U.S. registrations with 106,549 while the BMW brand has 103,581 and Mercedes is at 103,393. Interestingly enough, that’s a complete flip compared to the sales figures.
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The discrepancy between registrations and sales is caused by vehicles being reported as sold when delivered to dealerships instead of only to consumers. Sales figures are typically reported immediately and month-to-month differences typically smooth over time. Through April 2015, Lexus is the only brand that had more registered vehicles than sales.
Helping contribute to the Lexus brand’s resurgence in the luxury car sales race is its new NX crossover, an affordable offering in a growing and highly competitive segment.
[Source: Bloomberg]
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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I'm sure the new NX has been selling like hot cakes. And just imagine what's gonna happen to sales when the new RX is released.
Don't forget the other two big reasons BMW and MB are not always registered: Some are going to be dedicated track-day cars, others are being put away for future Barret-Jackson auctions as Never Been Registered. - I don't see too many Lexus LS460 track cars or collection queens :p * and then there's the Steve Jobs reason: Steve Jobs was always driving around in a brand new Merc with no plate. In his state; he had a very generous amount of time before the vehicle needed to be registered after purchase, so he kept purchasing a new one every few months. (yes he could've been driving around in a lesser Lexus instead of a new Mercedes, but I'm glad he didn't save his money for a rainy day)