The LS has been #1 for much of its life. It has fallen to #3 due to age.

 

Top 15 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - April 2016

Among the 15 best-selling premium brand vehicles in America in April 2016, 7 sold less often than in April 2015, despite a 3.5% growth rate across the industry.

Among vehicles with base prices above $50,000, nine of the top 15 posted declining April volume. Anyone who studied the list of brand-by-brand April and year-to-date results won't be surprised at this discovery. Through the 1st 4 months of 2016, U.S. sales at Cadillac, BMW, Lexus, Infiniti, Acura, and Mercedes-Benz are down.

The losses are most keenly felt on the passenger car side of the ledger. Mercedes-Benz C-Class sales are down 15% this year. The BMW 3-Series has lost 31% of its volume. The Lexus ES and Acura TLX, the 2 best-selling cars at America's 2 best-selling Asian premium brands, are in decline.

Volume and profits are therefore increasingly sought after on the SUV/crossover side of the premium spectrum. Lexus RX sales, for instance, are up 12%, and the RX has built up a 9079-unit lead as America's top-selling premium brand vehicle through the 1st 1/3 of 2016. Lexus' 4 utility vehicles are up 14% to 56,924 units so far this year. Lexus' 6 cars are down 20% to 42,179 units.

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.

PHP Code:

Rank
    
Premium Brand Vehicle
    
April 2016
    
April
2015
    
% Change
    2016
YTD     2015
YTD     % Change
#1
    
Lexus RX
    
8,767
    
6,810
    
28.7%
    
32,563
    
29,046
    
12.1%
#2
    
Acura RDX
    
5,905
    
3,972
    
48.7%
    
18,117
    
15,314
    
18.3%
#3
    
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
    
5,645
    
6,665
    
-15.3%
    
23,484
    
27,608
    
-14.9%
#4
    
Mercedes-Benz E-Class &
CLS-Class *
    
4,882
    
4,004
    
21.9%
    
14,467
    
16,534
    
-12.5%
#5
    
Acura MDX
    
4,733
    
4,970
    
-4.8%
    
16,689
    
19,407
    
-14.0%
#6
    
BMW 3-Series
    
4,681
    
6,866
    
-31.8%
    
18,781
    
27,086
    
-30.7%
#7
    
BMW 5-Series
    
4,454
    
4,294
    
3.7%
    
14,164
    
16,359
    
-13.4%
#8
    
Lexus ES
    
4,442
    
4,701
    
-5.5%
    
17,460
    
18,746
    
-6.9%
#9
    
Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class &
GLK-Class
    
4,439
    
3,071
    
44.5%
    
15,437
    
8,728
    
76.9%
#10
    
Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class &
M-Class
    
4,327
    
4,945
    
-12.5%
    
16,668
    
15,428
    
8.0%
#11
    
Audi Q5
    
3,991
    
3,762
    
6.1%
    
12,831
    
13,116
    
-2.2%
#12
    
Lexus NX
    
3,815
    
3,421
    
11.5%
    
15,190
    
12,532
    
21.2%
#13
    
Acura TLX
    
3,779
    
4,093
    
-7.7%
    
12,866
    
13,834
    
-7.0%
#14
    
BMW X5
    
3,771
    
4,095
    
-7.9%
    
13,814
    
15,846
    
-12.8%
#15
    
Infiniti Q50
    
3,670
    
2,991
    
22.7%
    
15,538
    
13,507
    
15.0% 

 

Thats actually not really the case. I've been watching sales figures of this segment for a long time and there is not really one clear winner who is always on top. The LS may lead for a few years, then the S Class may lead, some years sales are all very similar. The reason its #3 is age like I and you have said, but the fact that it still holds on at 3#, and before the all new 7 came out, it was #2/#3 alternating as close as 2013 is actually pretty good given how old it is.

 

Completely disagree - LS has been selling bad for the past several years and it is $20-25k CHEAPER than a comparable Sclass/7series. Thats a big difference compared to 10-15 years ago. I highly doubt you would get your LS if the Sclass was the same money.

Also - besides sales, the LS is just a much inferior product at this point compared to competition.
This is very sad - because original LS is what made Lexus and now it just seems its an afterthought.

 

The price difference today is no different than it always has been. There has always been a significant premium for the S Class and 7 over the LS. I've been comparison shopping these vehicles for getting close to 20 years.

Our 98 LS400 was $58k. At that time a comparable S Class was ~ $75k+. The 2004 LS was a fully loaded UL that stickered for $67k. The S430 at that time started around $68k base, and a fully optioned one in the low 80s, with the S500 taking it from there. The S Class and 7 Series have always been a step up in size and price from the LS.

As for the price difference today, its not quite as much as you're saying. My LS is pretty basic, sticker was just under $80k. A base S550 which is better optioned is $96k...a difference of $16,000. If you option up an LS460L to what a base S550 is going to have (the LS460 SWB is smaller), you're just over $90k...

You can negotiate great deals on the LS, but you can also on the S Class. The difference optioned similarly is about $10,000...less than it has been.

Would I have gotten my LS if the S Class had been the same price? Absolutely not. The S Class is a far superior car and I've said that many times. I've also said and I believe that the value to the LS is in a car optioned like mine, a car that can be had in the 70s, or even high 60s. When you get into an LS460L with a sticker approaching or over $90k I think its worth it to stretch to the S or the 7.

The LS does not have a price advantage over the A8 or the XJ though, the XJ is also old but the A8 is very modern and it still outsells them. I drove everything in the segment last year, and yes the LS is older but it still holds up, its a silent, well built, beautifully riding car that can be had for a great price. Still a compelling package and I thoroughly enjoy mine every day.

Of course I would like to see Lexus put more emphasis on the LS, but you can understand why. Look at the sales figures in the segment...the 7 Series is all new and they sold 870 of them last month. 870. MB, BMW and Audi have the entire world to sell the car to as well and Lexus doesn't really have that market to the LS, they need to make their money on it here. The entire segment just isn't what it used to be...thats why you see them stretching the lifespan of the LS and LX.

You mention its sold poorly "the last few years"....remember it should have been an all new car in 2013 instead of the heavy refreshed car we got teased on Lexus' lifecycle. So that makes sense why you haven't seen really strong sales "for the last few years". If you look back through the sales figures, all large luxury cars took a huge hit from 2007-2008 when the financial collapse happened and sales in general are a fraction of what they were before 2008.

LS Sales since 1998:



7 Series Sales since 1998 (US sales are to the right):



S Class Sales since 1998:

 

The sale charts back up my point that LS was a sales leader from 98 up to about mid-2000s.
The 3rd Gen LS (2001-2006) was an amazing car especially the ones that had the refresh.
My father had 05 LS and it was still prob the best car he ever owned. The 08 LS (4th Gen) he got to replace it caused him to leave Lexus. There was a HUGE drop in+ fit/finish and cost cutting was very apparent. This was L-Finesse era.
This is also the time the Sclass raised its game and really became a better car than the LS.

Luxury SUVs and more competition have diluted the large-lux segment sales but current Sclass sales are over 20k / year so its still an important segment and one that Toyota/Lexus bean counters have put the LS at a huge disadvantage!

BTW the new 7 is not selling bec the exterior styling is almost identical to the previous generation, it has same engines, and overall is not impressive for an ALL NEW flagship. They need to get Bangle back as their current designs are very stagnant.
Also a s you see based on the charts - the 7 was never a huge seller in the US historically.

 

My father had an 04 LS too. The L-finesse era for Lexus overall was a disappointment, but they've steadily improved it since the first run of the 460. My 2015 is every bit as nice as his 2004 was.

But like I said, it is an old platform and car at this point which is why its still impressive it holds on to third place.

BTW, the S Class is significantly down this year so far as well. The segment overall is quite weak.

 

Some funky luxury hybrid sales numbers for April I saw elsewhere. Holly crap this is bad..

RLX SH-SH-AWD: 19; +26.7%

GS 450h: 16; +100%

Q70 11; -8.3%

BMW 535ih 2; +100%

E400h 0; -100%