luxury car sales

BMW Catching up to Lexus in Luxury Car Sales

Only a decade or so ago, it would have been unfathomable for a Japanese automaker to come even close to outselling the established German marques in the luxury automobile market. But it's a new millennium, and today Lexus sits at the top of the hill. However Toyota's premium division shouldn't get too comfortable in that position, as BMW's sales trends indicate that the Bavarian automaker could surpass its Japanese rival and take the top spot yet again.

Sales have been down across the market, so the real winner here will be the one that has lost the least, not gained the most. While Lexus has seen its sales decline by a whopping 40% recently, BMW's have dropped a comparably low 28%. The trend has placed BMW within spitting distance of Lexus, with less than 2300 units separating the two. So while it may not be a done deal yet, it could be in the very near future.

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REPORT: BMW Threatening To Oust Lexus As #1 Luxury Automaker In U.S.

by Jeremy Korzeniewski (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

2009 BMW Z4 sDrive35i - Click above for high-res image gallery

Life is hard at the top, whether that precipice happens to be at the top of the overall sales chart or of a specific market niche, such as Lexus' position as the best-selling luxury automaker in the United States. Toyota's Japanese brand has held the top spot since the year 2000, with BMW perpetually trailing in second place. Could 2009 finally be the year that BMW breaks through to number one?

So far this year, BMW's 76,819 total sales in the States puts the German brand slightly ahead of Lexus, which has moved a total of 73,186 units so far in '09. Both brands are down somewhat from 2008, though BMW's 30.5-percent decline is not quite as severe as Lexus' 37.2-percent fall. Neither automaker is interested in boasting of its successes in this market, though BMW will gladly accept the extra market share. Speaking to Automotive News, Jan Ehlen, a spokesman for BMW of North America, said:

This year's emphasis is on maintaining our market share and even growing our share a bit. If this results in remaining in the top spot of the premium market, that would be a nice bonus.

Gallery: Quick Drive: 2009 BMW Z4 sDrive35i