Large Luxury Car Sales In America - March 2016 YTD

Across the large luxury car sector in March 2016, declining sales in March 2016 and the first-quarter of 2016 were the norm in the United States.

Audi A8 sales fell by 39 units in March; by 82 units in the first-quarter. At BMW, midst the new 7-Series' rise, sales of the similarly pricey and prone-to-fluctuation 6-Series fell by 2045 units in March; by 3343 units in Q1. The Lexus LS lost nearly a third of its sales in March; almost exactly a third in the first-quarter. Porsche Panamera volume plunged 23% in March and 27% in Q1. 

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U.S. Vehicle Sales Rankings By Model - March 2016 YTD
U.S. Car Sales Rankings By Model - March 2016 YTD

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As for the class leader, Mercedes-Benz lost more than a third of its March S-Class volume, and S-Class sales are down 18% so far this year.

The 7-Series is, as mentioned, on the rise. But even a surging 7-Series reveals just how much this sector has changed. BMW USA is on track to sell 11,000 7-Series sedans in 2016, which would be a three or four-year high. But BMW USA sold more than 20,000 copies of the 7-Series back in 2003.

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Meanwhile, HybridCars.com estimates that Tesla sold more than 3000 copies of the Model S in March, the second-highest figure ever. Other estimates, from the Wall Street Journal/Motor Intelligence, for example, were significantly lower, but at 2100 units, the Model S was still estimated to be on the rise.

Is the Model S a direct rival for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class? Perhaps not. But at the very least, the Model S is a potential alternative to the S-Class and its direct rivals.

You can click any model name in the tables below to find historical monthly and yearly U.S. auto sales data. You can also select a make and model at GCBC's Sales Stats page. This table is sortable, so you can rank large luxury cars any which way you like. Suggestions on how GCBC should break down segments can be passed on through the Contact page.

Click Column Headers To Sort • April 2016 • February 2016 • March 2015

Large Luxury Car	March 2016	March 2015	% Change	2016 YTD	2015 YTD	%  Change
Audi A8	422	461	-8.5%	985	1067	-7.7%
BMW 6-Series *	389	2434	-84.0%	839	4182	-79.9%
BMW 7-Series	850	732	16.1%	2313	1941	19.2%
Jaguar XJ	441	434	1.6%	1089	952	14.4%
Lexus LS	469	676	-30.6%	1240	1848	-32.9%
Mercedes-Benz S-Class	1332	2098	-36.5%	4167	5096	-18.2%
Porsche Panamera	334	433	-22.9%	963	1312	-26.6%
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Total	4237	7268	-41.7%	11,596	16,398	-29.3%

Source: Automakers & ANDC
GCBC isn't here to break down segments, an impossible task for any group, but to display sales data for the sake of comparison. The BMW 6-Series is listed here as it now features a "mainstream" sedan bodystyle in addition to its two-door variants, just like the larger S-Class. You can always find the sales results for EVERY vehicle and form your own competitive sets by using the All Vehicle Rankings posts. Sales data for brands such as Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lotus, Rolls-Royce etc. are unfortunately not broken down by model. ANDC estimates say sales for Aston Martin and Lotus were 258 and 42, respectively, in the first three months of 2016. Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Rolls-Royce, in the first three months of 2016, sold 262, 516, 253, and 222 units, respectively. Tesla, unfortunately, doesn't release model-specific monthly U.S. sales data, but HybridCars.com estimates 3400 Tesla Model S sales in March, 6600 YTD.

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Large Luxury Car Sales In America - April 2016 YTD
Large Luxury Car Sales In America - February 2016 YTD
Large Luxury Car Sales In America - March 2015 YTD
Top 20 Best-Selling Cars In America - March 2016
U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings - March 2016 YTD
Small & Midsize Luxury Car Sales In America - March 2016 YTD