Top 15 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - January 2014

Among vehicles with base prices above $45,000, two of the six best-selling nameplates in January 2014 were Chevrolets. Corvette sales jumped 149% to 2261 units in January; Suburban volume slid 26% to 1705, slightly more than what the Range Rover Sport managed. 

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The best-selling $45K+ vehicle in America in January was the Mercedes-Benz E-Class: sedan, wagon, coupe, and convertible. The E-Class was joined by three other Benzes - ML, GL, S - in the top eleven.

In terms of premium brand nameplates overall, regardless of price, the BMW 3-Series (and its 4-Series coupe offshoot) outsold the Mercedes-Benz C-Class (coupe included) by 746 units in January 2014. Infiniti sold 4264 Q50s, Q60s, and G37s combined. Audi sold 2194 A4s, 304 A4 Allroads, and 925 A5s for an A4/A5 total of 3423 January sales.

• All 248 Vehicle Ranked By January 2014 U.S. Sales

Eight of America's 15 best-selling premium brand vehicles in January 2014 were utility vehicles, from the third-ranked Lexus RX to the 15th-ranked BMW X3, which sold a little less than half as often as the RX.

Historical monthly and yearly sales figures for any of these top-selling luxury vehicles can always be accessed through the dropdown menu at GCBC's Sales Stats page, and for those not viewing the mobile version of this site, near the top right of this page, as well.

January 2015 - February 2014 - December 2013 - January 2013

Rank	Luxury Vehicle	January 2014	January 2013	% Change	2014 YTD	2013 YTD	% Change
#1	BMW 3-Series/4-Series *	6494	4831	34.4%	6494	4831	34.4%
#2	Mercedes-Benz C-Class	5748	7214	-20.3%	5748	7214	-20.3%
#3	Lexus RX	5607	5394	3.9%	5607	5394	3.9%
#4	Mercedes-Benz E-Class	5266	5469	-3.7%	5266	5469	-3.7%
#5	Cadillac SRX	4446	4380	1.5%	4446	4380	1.5%
#6	Acura MDX	4241	2575	64.7%	4241	2575	64.7%
#7	Lexus ES	3959	5186	-23.7%	3959	5186	-23.7%
#8	BMW 5-Series	3269	2585	26.5%	3269	2585	26.5%
#9	Lexus IS	3048	1386	120%	3048	1386	120%
#10	Infiniti Q50 ^	2949	---	---	2949	---	---
#11	Mercedes-Benz M-Class	2824	2928	-3.6%	2824	2928	-3.6%
#12	Audi Q5	2774	2344	18.3%	2774	2344	18.3%
#13	BMW X5	2754	4084	-32.6%	2754	4084	-32.6%
#14	Acura RDX	2730	2489	9.7%	2730	2489	9.7%
#15	BMW X3	2699	2005	34.6%	2699	2005	34.6%

For the purposes of the above list, premium brands include Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Infiniti, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Volvo. Brands like Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Lotus don't report specific monthly sales data. Bentley and Maserati only report brand totals. Buick has been excluded with a bunch of other automakers that don't sell vehicles with base prices higher than $40K.

Rank	Vehicles With Base Prices Above $45K	January 2014	January 2013	% Change	2014 YTD	2013 YTD	% Change
#1	Mercedes-Benz E-Class	5266	5469	-3.7%	5266	5469	-3.7%
#2	BMW 5-Series	3269	2585	26.5%	3269	2585	26.5%
#3	Mercedes-Benz M-Class	2824	2928	-3.6%	2824	2928	-3.6%
#4	BMW X5	2754	4084	-32.6%	2754	4084	-32.6%
#5	Chevrolet Corvette	2261	908	149%	2261	908	149%
#6	Chevrolet Suburban	1705	2292	-25.6%	1705	2292	-25.6%
#7	Land Rover Range Rover Sport	1612	1251	28.9%	1612	1251	28.9%
#8	Mercedes-Benz GL-Class	1541	2015	-23.5%	1541	2015	-23.5%
#9	Lexus GX460	1443	733	96.9%	1443	733	96.9%
#10	Lexus GS	1300	1099	18.3%	1300	1099	18.3%
#11	Mercedes-Benz S-Class	1281	938	36.6%	1281	938	36.6%
#12	Audi Q7	1268	889	42.6%	1268	889	42.6%
#13	Land Rover Range Rover	1221	1156	5.6%	1221	1156	5.6%
#14	Porsche Cayenne	1158	1500	-22.8%	1158	1500	-22.8%
#15	Cadillac Escalade & ESV/EXT ^	1110	1547	-28.2%	1110	1547	-28.2%

Source: Automakers & ANDC
Red font indicates year-over-year declining sales
$45,000 USD (before delivery) is an arbitrary borderline, but if GCBC was to follow this system of designating only expensive vehicles as luxury vehicles, adding approximately $15,000 to the average new car transaction price seemed like a fitting place to begin. Plenty of less expensive vehicles with specific models feature prices above $45,000 - M, RS, and AMG models come to mind, specifically - but in the case of the second list, we know that none of the registrations were of cars priced at $32,750, as would be the case with the new BMW 320i, which costs less than a Honda Accord V6 Touring. The biggest problem with a $45,000 minimum price of entry? Cars like the Cadillac XTS, which starts at $44,600.
^ In January, Infiniti also sold 902 copies of the Q50's predecessor, the G sedan, and 413 Q60s.
^ Regular-wheelbase Escalade, the best-selling Escalade, found 704 buyers in January fewer than the 1023 Infiniti's QX80 managed.
* BMW USA, not GoodCarBadCar, has chosen to combine sales of the 3-Series and 4-Series.
Cadillac's new CTS - 2232 January sales - starts at $45,100, but the lingering CTS Coupe is a sub-$40K car, and the wagon starts at $42,195.

RECOMMENDED READING
Top 15 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - January 2015
Top 15 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - February 2014
Top 15 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - 2013 Year End
Top 15 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - December 2013

Top 15 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - January 2013
U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings - January 2014