BMW overtakes Lexus as best-selling luxury brand in 2009

Posted: Jun 03, 2009
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BMW, the makers of the ‘Ultimate Driving Machines,’ has over taken Toyota’s Lexus brand to become the best-selling luxury marquee in the U.S. so far this year. According to Autodata Corp., Lexus has held the title since 2000, but sales are now down 37.2 percent.

BMW, which hasn’t held the No.1 title in the U.S. since 1997, also beat German rival Mercedes-Benz. While BMW sales are also down 30.5 percent, it sold more units than Lexus coming in with a total of 76,819 through the month of May. Lexus sold 73,186.

Nonetheless, luxury automakers still have many months to go before the year is over. Lexus has just rolled out its new 2010 RX 350 SUV and is also looking to introduce its first dedicated hybrid model, the HS 250h, by the end of the summer.

Oh, and Volkswagen-owned Bentley and Daimler’s Maybach – your uber-luxury brands – are down 60 percent so far this year. Maybach sold only three vehicles in May.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Detroit News


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  • kevin

    BMW has never been the number one. and the year is not even over yet.
    Cadillac was the top selling until 1998, Lincoln, then MB for 1999, then Lexus since 2000.

  • zermatt

    Bloomberg has a story on the sales race:

    “The top ranking in the U.S. has “never been our goal,” Mark Templin, manager of the Lexus brand, said on a conference call yesterday. He declined to comment about BMW outselling the Toyota division so far this year.”

    What difference would it make if BMW out sold Lexus for the year?

  • saddayinamerica

    It probably due to the introduction of the 1-series and coupled that with the 3-series and they might have something. The sad part is that owners will find out reliability will be an issue in a few years.

    I am still betting Lexus will hit number 1 at year end. It has just introduced the new RX350.

  • neil

    Oh come on!

    Publically they can say what they like and it doesn't really matter but privately everyone at Lexus wants to stay #1

  • kevin

    BMW has never been the number one. and the year is not even over yet.
    Cadillac was the top selling until 1998, Lincoln, then MB for 1999, then Lexus since 2000.

  • zermatt

    Bloomberg has a story on the sales race:

    “The top ranking in the U.S. has “never been our goal,” Mark Templin, manager of the Lexus brand, said on a conference call yesterday. He declined to comment about BMW outselling the Toyota division so far this year.”

    What difference would it make if BMW out sold Lexus for the year?

  • saddayinamerica

    It probably due to the introduction of the 1-series and coupled that with the 3-series and they might have something. The sad part is that owners will find out reliability will be an issue in a few years.

    I am still betting Lexus will hit number 1 at year end. It has just introduced the new RX350.

  • neil

    Oh come on!

    Publically they can say what they like and it doesn't really matter but privately everyone at Lexus wants to stay #1