Did GM grab Luxury Sales lead in March? #Motorama #GMChat

Buick Logo

Is Buick a luxury car brand?  Buick is certainly up-market.  Some Buicks do cost more than some BMWs, or Mercedes models.  Can it be considered as a competitor for the Luxury Sales Lead? Buick describes itself as

Craft of Modern Luxury. Vehicles built with thought and care for those who live with thought and care. Focus on full family of vehicles.

Wikipedia says Buick is a luxury brand.  So at least that is what GM claims for Buick.

Buick sales in March 2013 were 18,007 vehicles.  This is very close to the Cadillac total of 15,751.   Cadillac still has room to go, and I suppose Buick sales should be 1.5x to 2x Cadillac sales — so Buick has a lot of room to grow.

But let’s consider the two marques together as GM luxury sales.  Now, the Corvette could be considered a luxury vehicle as well, and some other models, but let’s limit the list to Buick and Cadillac as luxury marques within GM.  So total luxury car sales for GM in March would be 33,758.  How does that compare?

The Luxury Competitors

BMW sold 33,149 vehicles in the US in March 2013 — 27,078 for BMW itself and the rest for Mini.

Mercedes sold 24,646 vehicles in March 2013, a 6.5% advance from 2012.

Toyota’s Lexus sold 23,190 vehicles in March, a 15% increase.

GM’s luxury vehicle sales of 33,758 (including Buick and Cadillac) would appear to put GM just in the lead of BMW, Mercedes, and Toyota/Lexus for luxury vehicle sales.

Luxury Sales Lead?

What do you think?  Can you argue that Buick is less of a luxury brand than a base model Lexus or Mini?  Do you agree with my assessment that GM has the lead in luxury model sales? Hit the comments and share!

 

2 thoughts on “Did GM grab Luxury Sales lead in March? #Motorama #GMChat

  1. I was looking a those figures today (particularly the Mini cult). Trying to quantify “Luxury” is like trying to define “quality”. I apply the term “premium” to that grey area and Buick, Mini, and, the lower end of BMW, MB and Lexus fit the bill.

    The XTS is kind of a pain in the back side. One the one hand it has all the ticks in the features boxes, but it doesn’t have the same presence as the A8s and the S Classes etc.

    Therefore, until there is an equally elegant and omnipotent, range topping Stanza for Cadillac, I give them the “premium” crown, but not the luxury crown.

    ….is that a cop out? 😉

  2. Thanks for commenting! Now if we were arguing GT cars maybe the XTS is missing the upcoming Turbo V6 variant yet, but Luxury cars? Hard to argue the XTS is not luxurious.

    I think Mini is a sporty economy car brand, but even if counted they don’t put BMW ahead.

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