Strong IS Sales Prove the Sports Sedan Isn't Dead Yet

Sticking With It

In recent years, car buyers have cast aside their long love affair with the sedan in favor of crossovers and SUVs. As sedan sales have dwindled, some automakers have abandoned them completely. But Lexus has stuck with it, despite discontinuing the GS, and recently doubled down with a refreshed IS and even the V8-powered IS 500. Now, that diligence appears to be paying off.

Photos: Lexus

Moving Fast

According to iSeeCars data, the IS 350 was the second-fastest selling car in the U.S. in February, while the IS 300 came in at 17th. Both dipped a bit in March and the IS 300 fell out of the top 20, but the IS 350 still came in tenth place as the model averages 17.5 days to sell on dealer lots.

Photos: Lexus

>>Join the conversation about the revamped IS doing numbers right here in the Club Lexus forum.

Large Sample Size

That last tidbit is particularly impressive when we consider that the average new car takes 47.4 days to sell and the average used car takes 39.4 days to move. iSeeCars derived this information from 1.5 million new and used vehicles sold each month, so this isn't some small sample size, either.

Photos: Lexus

>>Join the conversation about the revamped IS doing numbers right here in the Club Lexus forum.

Several Factors

"March was a strong month for auto sales as consumers received their government stimulus checks and are likely looking to purchase vehicles ahead of anticipated inventory constraints from computer chip shortages," said iSeeCars Executive Analyst Karl Brauer. "While the demand for large SUVs and luxury vehicles has continued for the third consecutive month, many alternative fuel vehicles debuted on the list as gas prices continue to rise."

Photos: Lexus

>>Join the conversation about the revamped IS doing numbers right here in the Club Lexus forum.

Big Winner

March's list was led once again - for the third consecutive month - by the Chevrolet Corvette, which has been in high demand for over a year now and finished March with an average of 9.4 days to sell. In addition to the IS, the Lexus RX 450h also made the cut last month by spending 22.9 days on dealer lots.

Photos: Lexus

>>Join the conversation about the revamped IS doing numbers right here in the Club Lexus forum.

Going Green

The RAV4 Prime continues to be a hot commodity as well amid rising gas prices. "Toyota's alternative-powered vehicles, led by its hybrid lineup, continue to gain in popularity and account for nearly a quarter of Toyota’s total sales," said Brauer. "Dealers have had trouble keeping up with demand for the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid even before the pandemic-related production shortages. The Sienna minivan debuted as a hybrid vehicle for 2021 and sales have increased by over 270 percent over March of 2020."

Photos: Lexus

>>Join the conversation about the revamped IS doing numbers right here in the Club Lexus forum.

Lining Up

None of these trends are terribly surprising, of course, save for the incredible popularity the 2021 IS has enjoyed so far. And that just proves that the sedan isn't dead yet - automakers just need to produce compelling options, and then buyers will line up to purchase them.

Photos: Lexus

>>Join the conversation about the revamped IS doing numbers right here in the Club Lexus forum.

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