Monthly Car Sales news
01-04-2011, 03:09 PM
#2001
The TSX sold almost as many wagons as the RL 
01-04-2011, 04:02 PM
#2002
The sizzle in the Steak
2010 Overall Numbers
2010 Overall Numbers
Acura – Up 27 percent to 133,606
Audi –
BMW – Up 12 percent to 220,113
Buick – Up 52 percent to 155,389
Cadillac – Up 35 percent to 146,925
Chevrolet – Up 16 percent to 1,565,632
Chrysler – Up 12 percent to 197,446
Dodge – Up 17 percent to 383,675
Ford – Up 22 percent to 1,756,439
GMC – Up 29 percent to 334,981
Honda – Up 6 percent to 1,096,874
Hummer – Down 58 percent to 3,812
Hyundai – Up 24 percent to 538,228
Infiniti – Up 28 percent to 103,411
Jaguar – Up 12 percent to 13,340
Jeep – Up 26 percent to 291,138
Kia – Up 19 percent to 356,268
Land Rover – Up 21 percent to 31,864
Lexus – Up 7 percent to 229,329
Lincoln - Up 4 percent to 85,828
Maserati –
Mazda – Up 11 percent to 207,767
Mercedes-Benz –
Mercury – Up 1 percent to 93,195
Mitsubishi – Down
MINI – Up 1 percent to 45,664
Nissan – Up 17 percent to 805,159
Pontiac – Down 99 percent to 1,182
Porsche – Up 29 percent to 25,320
Ram – Up 9 percent to 212,952
Saab – Down 62 percent to 5,446
Saturn – Down 91 percent to 6,698
Smart –
Subaru – Up 22 percent to 263,820
Suzuki – Down 38 percent to 23,994
Toyota (Includes Scion) – Down 0.6 percent to 1,534,266
Volkswagen – Up 20 percent to 256,830
Volvo – Down 12 percent to 53,948
Acura – Up 27 percent to 133,606
Audi –
BMW – Up 12 percent to 220,113
Buick – Up 52 percent to 155,389
Cadillac – Up 35 percent to 146,925
Chevrolet – Up 16 percent to 1,565,632
Chrysler – Up 12 percent to 197,446
Dodge – Up 17 percent to 383,675
Ford – Up 22 percent to 1,756,439
GMC – Up 29 percent to 334,981
Honda – Up 6 percent to 1,096,874
Hummer – Down 58 percent to 3,812
Hyundai – Up 24 percent to 538,228
Infiniti – Up 28 percent to 103,411
Jaguar – Up 12 percent to 13,340
Jeep – Up 26 percent to 291,138
Kia – Up 19 percent to 356,268
Land Rover – Up 21 percent to 31,864
Lexus – Up 7 percent to 229,329
Lincoln - Up 4 percent to 85,828
Maserati –
Mazda – Up 11 percent to 207,767
Mercedes-Benz –
Mercury – Up 1 percent to 93,195
Mitsubishi – Down
MINI – Up 1 percent to 45,664
Nissan – Up 17 percent to 805,159
Pontiac – Down 99 percent to 1,182
Porsche – Up 29 percent to 25,320
Ram – Up 9 percent to 212,952
Saab – Down 62 percent to 5,446
Saturn – Down 91 percent to 6,698
Smart –
Subaru – Up 22 percent to 263,820
Suzuki – Down 38 percent to 23,994
Toyota (Includes Scion) – Down 0.6 percent to 1,534,266
Volkswagen – Up 20 percent to 256,830
Volvo – Down 12 percent to 53,948
Looks like the asian import buyers are moving toward Hyundai.
Hey Honda, Hyundai is eating your lunch!!!!
01-04-2011, 04:38 PM
#2003
OG Member
Thread Starter
December 2010 Sales
Entry-Level
1. BMW 3-Series - 10,067
2. Infiniti G - 7,073
3. Lexus ES - 5,469
4. Cadillac CTS - 5,171
5. Audi A4/5 - 4,968
6. Mercedes-Benz C-Class - 4,924
7. Lexus IS - 3,782
8. Acura TL - 3,275
9. Lincoln MKZ - 2,502
11. Saab 9-3 - 815
11. Volvo S60 - 398
Mid-Level
1. Mercedes-Benz E-Class - 5,638
2. BMW 5-Series - 5,045
3. Infiniti M - 1,741
4. Lincoln MKS - 1,193
5. Audi A6/S6 - 828
6. Lexus GS - 777
7. Cadillac STS - 329
8. Saab 9-5 - 259
9. Volvo S80 - 243
10. Acura RL - 141
11. Jaguar XF - N/A
Flagship
1. Lexus LS - 1,516
2. BMW 7-Series - 1,024
3. Mercedes-Benz S-Class - 969
4. Porsche Panamera - 700
5. Audi A8/S8 - 502
6. Jaguar XJ - N/A
The Panamera is selling very well, no one can touch the E-Class and 5-Series, and the Infiniti G is killed this month, as did the 3-Series as usual.
Entry-Level
1. BMW 3-Series - 10,067
2. Infiniti G - 7,073
3. Lexus ES - 5,469
4. Cadillac CTS - 5,171
5. Audi A4/5 - 4,968
6. Mercedes-Benz C-Class - 4,924
7. Lexus IS - 3,782
8. Acura TL - 3,275
9. Lincoln MKZ - 2,502
11. Saab 9-3 - 815
11. Volvo S60 - 398
Mid-Level
1. Mercedes-Benz E-Class - 5,638
2. BMW 5-Series - 5,045
3. Infiniti M - 1,741
4. Lincoln MKS - 1,193
5. Audi A6/S6 - 828
6. Lexus GS - 777
7. Cadillac STS - 329
8. Saab 9-5 - 259
9. Volvo S80 - 243
10. Acura RL - 141
11. Jaguar XF - N/A
Flagship
1. Lexus LS - 1,516
2. BMW 7-Series - 1,024
3. Mercedes-Benz S-Class - 969
4. Porsche Panamera - 700
5. Audi A8/S8 - 502
6. Jaguar XJ - N/A
The Panamera is selling very well, no one can touch the E-Class and 5-Series, and the Infiniti G is killed this month, as did the 3-Series as usual.
Last edited by DrewSRX; 01-04-2011 at 04:44 PM.
01-04-2011, 05:16 PM
#2004
Safety Car
Playing w/ Math
Hmmm, looking @ the math by the logic floating around here:
Acura must be eating Lexus's lunch.
Hyundai sales are 49% of Honda's. Hyundai is up 24% while Honda is up 6%.
Acura sales are 58% of Lexus's. Acura is up 27% while Lexus is up 7%.
Therefore, Asian luxury import buyers are moving towards Acura.Acura sales are 58% of Lexus's. Acura is up 27% while Lexus is up 7%.
Acura must be eating Lexus's lunch.
Go Acura! 
01-04-2011, 05:25 PM
#2005
I can't believe the Panamera is doing that well. It looks an inverted jellybean. Or a bloated turd. Or a beached humpback whale. I think it's safe to say the badge helps a lot, and it's safe for me to say that's one of the (very) few Porsches from past to present that I really dislike.
01-04-2011, 05:41 PM
#2006
Trolling Canuckistan
01-04-2011, 06:18 PM
#2008
The sizzle in the Steak
Hmmm, looking @ the math by the logic floating around here:
Acura must be eating Lexus's lunch.
Hyundai sales are 49% of Honda's. Hyundai is up 24% while Honda is up 6%.
Acura sales are 58% of Lexus's. Acura is up 27% while Lexus is up 7%.
Therefore, Asian luxury import buyers are moving towards Acura.Acura sales are 58% of Lexus's. Acura is up 27% while Lexus is up 7%.
Acura must be eating Lexus's lunch.
Go Acura!
Honda got screwed this year thanks to...well.....ugly car designs and old power trains.......and Hyundai.....who is the new "better" Honda.
The numbers don't lie.....nor do the events and products that effect car makers.
01-04-2011, 06:19 PM
#2009
The sizzle in the Steak
I can't believe the Panamera is doing that well. It looks an inverted jellybean. Or a bloated turd. Or a beached humpback whale. I think it's safe to say the badge helps a lot, and it's safe for me to say that's one of the (very) few Porsches from past to present that I really dislike.
on wheels.
01-04-2011, 07:18 PM
#2010
say what you will, but I've seen 2 Panamera's on the road already. And they definitely have road presence.
01-04-2011, 08:19 PM
#2011
Race Director
When the initial sales numbers came out right after the stories died down I thought Toyota had weathered this - obviously those issues have had long lasting effects.
01-04-2011, 08:39 PM
#2012
Doesn't mean it's pretty though. To each his own.... I don't think road presence is necessarily equated with attractive styling, as evidenced by the notes in that one thread that the GT-R has road presence. Again, to each his own, and for the most part I don't think most people didn't associate the two together either
I definitely notice a Panamera when it's on the street. I also definitely notice an Accord Crosstour. Same with a Pontiac Aztek.
01-04-2011, 08:41 PM
#2013
01-04-2011, 09:40 PM
#2014
http://www.leftlanenews.com/december...s-figures.html
Looks like the asian import buyers are moving toward Hyundai.
Hey Honda, Hyundai is eating your lunch!!!!
Looks like the asian import buyers are moving toward Hyundai.
Hey Honda, Hyundai is eating your lunch!!!!
Look at Genesis. It is barely touching TL despite having three engines. 2.0T/V6/V8.
Sonata is a big failure . It was 2011 MY in January 2010 with all technology/fuel economy advantage. It is like lunching 2012 Honda Accord in january 2011 with 6speed/DI and upto 40mpg and 10 year warranty.
01-04-2011, 09:54 PM
#2015
Not bad, even one of the most maligned car in the family, the TL, still managed to sell 34K units in spite of itself. A far cry from the heyday of 2005, but that was an all time high for the model. TLs through the generations have sold between 40k-78k so this performance seems reasonable considering the negative reaction to the styling and the fact that the overall auto market went from 17 million vehicles in 2005 to 9 million in 2009. (11 million for 2010).
01-05-2011, 12:14 AM
#2018
OG Member
Thread Starter
The RX and ES made up about 64% of Lexus sales in December.
The RX is a smash hit for Lexus, the 3-Series can't even touch it in volume.
01-05-2011, 01:21 AM
#2019
Je t'aime...
Join Date: Feb 2010
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Then again I always keep in mind that as Americans we brand whore. A lot of people buy the IS250 because of brand, but really I think the IS250 is a joke car. In terms of performance, I rather have the IS300 which shits on the IS250.
01-05-2011, 01:46 AM
#2020
5th Gear
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In Europe, Audi Q5 outsold the entire Lexus brand ! Audi still outsold Lexus at least 2 to 1 globally.
01-05-2011, 06:19 AM
#2021
AZ Community Team
Not bad, even one of the most maligned car in the family, the TL, still managed to sell 34K units in spite of itself. A far cry from the heyday of 2005, but that was an all time high for the model. TLs through the generations have sold between 40k-78k so this performance seems reasonable considering the negative reaction to the styling and the fact that the overall auto market went from 17 million vehicles in 2005 to 9 million in 2009. (11 million for 2010).
01-05-2011, 07:20 AM
#2022
AZ Community Team
Infiniti did a great job on the 2G G, nice evolution and added luxury that was missing on the 1G. To be in #2 slot behind the 3 series is pretty good. Interesting to note how Lexus has over 9K/month with the IS and ES combined, smart move introducing the IS RWD to appeal to the younger market.As we all know looks are subjective, but I've grown to like to Panamera. It's success is no surprise given how well Porsche did on the Cayenne.
December 2010 Sales
Entry-Level
1. BMW 3-Series - 10,067
2. Infiniti G - 7,073
3. Lexus ES - 5,469
4. Cadillac CTS - 5,171
5. Audi A4/5 - 4,968
6. Mercedes-Benz C-Class - 4,924
7. Lexus IS - 3,782
8. Acura TL - 3,275
9. Lincoln MKZ - 2,502
11. Saab 9-3 - 815
11. Volvo S60 - 398
Mid-Level
1. Mercedes-Benz E-Class - 5,638
2. BMW 5-Series - 5,045
3. Infiniti M - 1,741
4. Lincoln MKS - 1,193
5. Audi A6/S6 - 828
6. Lexus GS - 777
7. Cadillac STS - 329
8. Saab 9-5 - 259
9. Volvo S80 - 243
10. Acura RL - 141
11. Jaguar XF - N/A
Flagship
1. Lexus LS - 1,516
2. BMW 7-Series - 1,024
3. Mercedes-Benz S-Class - 969
4. Porsche Panamera - 700
5. Audi A8/S8 - 502
6. Jaguar XJ - N/A
The Panamera is selling very well, no one can touch the E-Class and 5-Series, and the Infiniti G is killed this month, as did the 3-Series as usual.
Entry-Level
1. BMW 3-Series - 10,067
2. Infiniti G - 7,073
3. Lexus ES - 5,469
4. Cadillac CTS - 5,171
5. Audi A4/5 - 4,968
6. Mercedes-Benz C-Class - 4,924
7. Lexus IS - 3,782
8. Acura TL - 3,275
9. Lincoln MKZ - 2,502
11. Saab 9-3 - 815
11. Volvo S60 - 398
Mid-Level
1. Mercedes-Benz E-Class - 5,638
2. BMW 5-Series - 5,045
3. Infiniti M - 1,741
4. Lincoln MKS - 1,193
5. Audi A6/S6 - 828
6. Lexus GS - 777
7. Cadillac STS - 329
8. Saab 9-5 - 259
9. Volvo S80 - 243
10. Acura RL - 141
11. Jaguar XF - N/A
Flagship
1. Lexus LS - 1,516
2. BMW 7-Series - 1,024
3. Mercedes-Benz S-Class - 969
4. Porsche Panamera - 700
5. Audi A8/S8 - 502
6. Jaguar XJ - N/A
The Panamera is selling very well, no one can touch the E-Class and 5-Series, and the Infiniti G is killed this month, as did the 3-Series as usual.
01-05-2011, 08:08 AM
#2023
Race Director
01-05-2011, 08:40 AM
#2024
Race Director
Some of their models like the Genesis and Equus (which outsold the RL) should be on these charts.
01-05-2011, 11:36 AM
#2025
I can't believe the Panamera is doing that well. It looks an inverted jellybean. Or a bloated turd. Or a beached humpback whale. I think it's safe to say the badge helps a lot, and it's safe for me to say that's one of the (very) few Porsches from past to present that I really dislike.
100% agree, the car is simply uuuggly... but the interior is great...
01-05-2011, 11:39 AM
#2026
01-05-2011, 12:29 PM
#2027
The sizzle in the Steak
01-05-2011, 12:54 PM
#2028
Honda Fanboy
The IS has had two MMC's since its debut (Both of which were mostly "ostensible"). The IS debuted as an IS250 (RWD and AWD) and IS350 (RWD). We now have the addition of an IS350 AWD, IS250 Convertible, IS350 Convertible, and IS-F. Additionally, even with all the changes made, IS sales have dropped 10% since last year while the TL's has actually gone up. The IS has had A LOT of changes since it's debut. With $300/mo lease deals to back it all up, selling 80 more units than the one-horse TL (also consider all negative comments made about TL), there isn't much to love here.
01-05-2011, 01:01 PM
#2029
I agree Colin. There has clearly been a mishandling of production and dealer supply this year (as a whole) compared to past years. In fact, that's probably an understatement because I honestly don't know if they could have managed inventory any worse this year. They seem to have overreacted to the recession and under manufactured. They screwed up and made a bad situation worse.
from Automotive News
For example, Honda held back production and inventory in February when the economy began to show signs of life, giving an opening to more aggressive manufacturers.
John Mendel, American Honda executive vice president, says a lull in Honda's product cadence arrived with the recession. Combine older products with Honda's aversion to discounting -- at a time when people were looking for deals -- and the division failed to keep pace with brands willing to dicker and sell volume to commercial fleets.
Honda was wary of cranking up production too soon, and it paid a price for that cautiousness.
"We had the capacity. We saw a blip in the truck market, but we wanted to make sure it was sustainable, so we were six months late," Mendel said.
Read more: http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dl...#ixzz1ABlTtgez(it's a pay site)
For example, Honda held back production and inventory in February when the economy began to show signs of life, giving an opening to more aggressive manufacturers.
John Mendel, American Honda executive vice president, says a lull in Honda's product cadence arrived with the recession. Combine older products with Honda's aversion to discounting -- at a time when people were looking for deals -- and the division failed to keep pace with brands willing to dicker and sell volume to commercial fleets.
Honda was wary of cranking up production too soon, and it paid a price for that cautiousness.
"We had the capacity. We saw a blip in the truck market, but we wanted to make sure it was sustainable, so we were six months late," Mendel said.
Read more: http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dl...#ixzz1ABlTtgez(it's a pay site)
This has been an ongoing discussion for a long time, but it doesn't surprise me that if we have more MDXs to sell, that we sell more.
01-05-2011, 01:02 PM
#2030
Safety Car
I can't believe the Panamera is doing that well. It looks an inverted jellybean. Or a bloated turd. Or a beached humpback whale. I think it's safe to say the badge helps a lot, and it's safe for me to say that's one of the (very) few Porsches from past to present that I really dislike.
i held my judgement until i saw them in person.. and thought they looked good
but yea.. i agree second half of your statements.. badge and least favorable of all porsches
01-05-2011, 01:04 PM
#2031
So any competitor planning to dethrone the RX would need to have A) a suitable chassis available to defray the development costs B) be able to produce an equal or better interior, and finally C) be able to bring it to market at a lower price. Because, in the American market, buyers by the brand as much as the product. So if "Competitor A" costs the same as the RX, the mindset is "we might as well by the Lexus."
01-05-2011, 01:54 PM
#2032
Safety Car
Top 10 of the Month
1. Ford F-Series (includes Super Duty) 54,888
2. Chevrolet Silverado (includes Heavy Duty) 42,518
3. Honda Accord (includes Crosstour, Coupe) 32,381
4. Toyota Camry (includes Hybrid) 31,223 327,804
5. Honda Civic (includes Coupe, Hybrid) 28,263
6. Ram Pickup (includes Heavy Duty) 23,241
7. Honda CR-V 23,125
8. Nissan Altima (includes Coupe, Hybrid) 23,016
9. Ford Fusion (includes Hybrid) 22,629
10. Toyota Corolla (includes Matrix) 22,058
01-05-2011, 05:50 PM
#2033
Honda Fanboy
2010 YTD Sales
Sub Entry Level Luxury
IS-34,129 DOWN 10% for the year despite two MMC's and additional variants.
TSX- 32,076 UP 13%
1-Series- 13,132 UP 17.4%
HS-10,663 UP 60.2% but selling at less than half of target.
A3- 6,558 UP 69%
Entry Level Luxury
3-Series- 100,910 UP 11%
C-Class- 58,785 UP 12.1%
G37- 58,143 UP 20% Lease deals were the same all year so G25 probably contributed nicely.
ES- 48,652 UP 1% Just had a MMC.
A4-34,672 DOWN 6.5%
TL-34,049 UP 2.0%
Mid-Size Luxury
E-Class-60,922 UP 41.4%
5-Series- 39,488 DOWN 1.5% Most likely a supply issue.
M- 14,618 UP 72% A very successful model for Infiniti considering the competition.
A6- 8,675 UP 30%
GS- 7,059 DOWN 4.4% A failure from day one. Many magazines even rated the RL higher.
RL- 2,037 UP.4%
Full-Size Luxury
S-Class- 13,6008 UP 21.5% The most expensive by far yet clearly the class leader!
LS- 12,275 UP 9% The cheapest car in its class by far yet still not enough to be a leader.
7-Series- 12,253 UP 32.4% Supply limited due to model transition earlier in the year.
Entry Level SUV
RX- 95,790 UP 3.3%
Q5- 23,518 UP 70.5%
GLK- 20,946 DOWN 4.5%
RDX- 14,975 UP 48.5% Huge increase from beak or 2WD model?
EX-8,312 UP 4.6%
X3- 6,075 UP .1% Should see a nice increase with the 2nd Gen
Mid-Size SUV
MDX- 47,210 UP 52.4% Sales jumped when the beak was added.
X5- 35,776 UP 32.2%
ML- 29,698 UP 15.1%
GX- 16,450 UP 165.6%
FX- 10,420 DOWN 4.4%
X6- 6,257 UP 30.7%
ZDX- 3,259 UP 4,052%
Full-Size SUV
GL-19,943 UP 33%
QX- 11,918 UP 85% A continued surprising hit for Infiniti.
Q7- 7,976 UP 9.3%
LX- 3,983 UP 11%
IS-34,129 DOWN 10% for the year despite two MMC's and additional variants.
TSX- 32,076 UP 13%
1-Series- 13,132 UP 17.4%
HS-10,663 UP 60.2% but selling at less than half of target.
A3- 6,558 UP 69%
Entry Level Luxury
3-Series- 100,910 UP 11%
C-Class- 58,785 UP 12.1%
G37- 58,143 UP 20% Lease deals were the same all year so G25 probably contributed nicely.
ES- 48,652 UP 1% Just had a MMC.
A4-34,672 DOWN 6.5%
TL-34,049 UP 2.0%
Mid-Size Luxury
E-Class-60,922 UP 41.4%
5-Series- 39,488 DOWN 1.5% Most likely a supply issue.
M- 14,618 UP 72% A very successful model for Infiniti considering the competition.
A6- 8,675 UP 30%
GS- 7,059 DOWN 4.4% A failure from day one. Many magazines even rated the RL higher.
RL- 2,037 UP.4%
Full-Size Luxury
S-Class- 13,6008 UP 21.5% The most expensive by far yet clearly the class leader!
LS- 12,275 UP 9% The cheapest car in its class by far yet still not enough to be a leader.
7-Series- 12,253 UP 32.4% Supply limited due to model transition earlier in the year.
Entry Level SUV
RX- 95,790 UP 3.3%
Q5- 23,518 UP 70.5%
GLK- 20,946 DOWN 4.5%
RDX- 14,975 UP 48.5% Huge increase from beak or 2WD model?
EX-8,312 UP 4.6%
X3- 6,075 UP .1% Should see a nice increase with the 2nd Gen
Mid-Size SUV
MDX- 47,210 UP 52.4% Sales jumped when the beak was added.
X5- 35,776 UP 32.2%
ML- 29,698 UP 15.1%
GX- 16,450 UP 165.6%
FX- 10,420 DOWN 4.4%
X6- 6,257 UP 30.7%
ZDX- 3,259 UP 4,052%
Full-Size SUV
GL-19,943 UP 33%
QX- 11,918 UP 85% A continued surprising hit for Infiniti.
Q7- 7,976 UP 9.3%
LX- 3,983 UP 11%
Last edited by VTEC Racer; 01-05-2011 at 06:00 PM.
01-05-2011, 05:53 PM
#2034
Midnight Marauder
Beating the RX is a tough nut to crack. All that 'refinement' costs money, the RX leverages the Highlander chassis to cut costs and puts that savings into making it a Lexus in terms of fit and finish.
So any competitor planning to dethrone the RX would need to have A) a suitable chassis available to defray the development costs B) be able to produce an equal or better interior, and finally C) be able to bring it to market at a lower price. Because, in the American market, buyers by the brand as much as the product. So if "Competitor A" costs the same as the RX, the mindset is "we might as well by the Lexus."
So any competitor planning to dethrone the RX would need to have A) a suitable chassis available to defray the development costs B) be able to produce an equal or better interior, and finally C) be able to bring it to market at a lower price. Because, in the American market, buyers by the brand as much as the product. So if "Competitor A" costs the same as the RX, the mindset is "we might as well by the Lexus."
01-05-2011, 07:13 PM
#2035
אני עומד עם ישראל
Infiniti had some crazy lease deals and finance specials. Not sure if they do every year, but I definitely took advantage of the financing on my G. I can't believe it's #2 in entry level sales great car I guess other feel the same way. TL use to be #2-3 back in its hey-day.
01-05-2011, 07:31 PM
#2036
01-05-2011, 07:48 PM
#2037
01-06-2011, 12:20 AM
#2039
Always consider Input=Output.
Honda Accord is its 4th year. 2008-2011
Honda Civic is 2006-2011 is in 6 the year.
Honda Pilot is in 3rd Year.
CRV is in 5th year. 2007-2011
MDX is in its 5th year. 2007-2011.
RDX is in 5th Year.
All of them are quite old for the sales performance and worth of MMC.
Honda/Acura MMCs are not that extensive as Toyota/Lexus. Lexus IS got LEDs but TSX didnot got LED in MMC etc. this is just one example.
Honda/Acura investments are at minimum across the board.
Some of their models like the Genesis and Equus (which outsold the RL) should be on these charts.
Consider this when RL was introduced in 2004. It was $50k V6 sedan. $50K in 2004 was alot more money with 5speed auto than $60k
2011 V8 Equus. and Acura RL sold more than 1000 per month for about 3 years on avg.
01-06-2011, 12:43 AM
#2040
5th Gear
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Acura finds sales, still seeks luxury identity
SAN FRANCISCO -- As Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and BMW battle for luxury brand sales leadership this year, Acura has been flying below the radar -- as usual.
Honda's upscale division has had a solid year. Sales are up 24 percent over 2009, outpacing the gains made by luxury's big 3. But the recession knocked Acura's ambition to become a first-tier luxury player way off course.
To hold down costs, two years ago Honda executives in Japan halted plans for a V-8 engine and rear-wheel drive. Now Acura is still trying to figure out "who we are and who we want to be," said Vicki Poponi, American Honda Motor Co.'s assistant vice president for product planning.
The industry crisis changed everything for Acura.
"The direction we were going became irrelevant within 60 days," said Steve Center, chief marketing officer for American Honda, referring to the economic crash after the collapse of Lehman Brothers in the fall of 2008. "We missed the window. We've had to reconnoiter. We had to go with our strengths."
Acura does have strengths. Automotive Lease Guide has rated it the top luxury brand for residual value for the past two years. It shot from 14th to second in J.D. Power's Initial Quality Study, trailing only Porsche.
And Acura spends just $2,600 per vehicle on incentives, the lowest of any luxury brand except Lexus, according to TrueCar and Autodata.
But while those strengths would appeal to a mass-market brand, they do not solve Acura's image problem, which is the lack of a defined prestige image.
The best Poponi can muster is that Acura is the brand "for people not comfortable wearing BMW or Mercedes."
"Nobody really needs a luxury car," she said in an interview at the introduction of the TSX Sport Wagon. "It's a more emotional purchase. But there are more rational buyers who want all the accoutrements of luxury but who want stealth wealth."
At the same time, Poponi said, marketing to "anti-snobs" probably isn't the best formula. Instead, Acura is aiming its "smart luxury" message squarely at Gen Y, the generation struggling with diminished earning power and a mountain of college loan debt.
"Attainability is still cool to them, and they like nice things," Poponi said. "But they're happy with a Coach bag; they don't need Louis Vuitton."
At Acura's recent national dealer meeting in Denver, executives unveiled an attitude closer to the brand's original slogan in the 1980s: "precision-crafted performance."
"Lexus may hit the mark on luxury on the prestige side," said dealer Doug Fox, president of Ann Arbor Automotive near Detroit. "But Acura is still moving toward a performance-oriented vehicle that is a great value, with normal maintenance and ownership costs."
That still doesn't gain Acura credence in the luxury-vehicle fight. Acura buyers' two most cross-shopped brands are Honda and Toyota, although BMW, Audi, Infiniti and Lexus are close behind, according to Edmunds.com.
Also, Acura's average transaction price of $37,665 is $5,000 less than its nearest luxury competitor, according to TrueCar. Edmunds says the most traded-in vehicles for an Acura -- besides another Acura -- are Honda, Toyota and Nissan.
All this categorizes Acura as a move-up brand from the mass market, but not something aspired to by other luxury customers.
"Acura's identity isn't clear to many luxury buyers," said Jesse Toprak, TrueCar vice president of industry trends and insights. "If I'm spending that kind of money, do I want an Acura, or a BMW or Benz? Acura simply doesn't have the same prestige. Once you hit the $45,000-plus market, many buying decisions are based on image."
Styling errors
Acura's biggest leap toward a more defined luxury image was its aggressive "keen edge" design, launched in mid-2008 with the 2009 TL. The look included a prominent fascia, disparagingly called "the beak" by detractors.
Acura executives defended the styling, seen most prominently on the TL sedan and ZDX crossover. But consumers have had their own ideas.
Unappealing exterior styling was by far the most-cited reason that shoppers walked away from Acura, according to the 2010 J.D. Power Avoider Study. Nearly half of Acura avoiders cited that reason, far above the industry average and well above most premium brands. The No. 2 reason for not buying an Acura? Interior styling.
"Styling is hurting them," said Kerri Wise, Power's director of research. "It's their biggest hurdle."
That may be a reason that the midcycle change of the TL, arriving in March or April, has had more than a scalpel's worth of rhinoplasty.
Dave Conant, a multiline dealer with a new Acura store in Mission Viejo, Calif., has seen the new, "cleaned-up" version and said, "If it had looked like this in the beginning, we wouldn't have missed a beat."
While consumers have been polarized by the styling of Acura's sedans, the smart packaging of the MDX and RDX crossovers has allowed the brand to ride the wave of consumers returning to light trucks. RDX sales have soared 52 percent this year, while MDX sales are up 46 percent.
Acura's overall gain of 24 percent means it continues to outsell Audi, Infiniti and Lincoln. Last year, Acura sold barely half of its 2005 peak of 209,610 vehicles. But dealers are confident the brand is on its way back toward the old mark.
Yet TrueCar's Toprak said Acura missed a golden opportunity to expand its leasing. While the luxury leaders routinely lease well over half their volume, Acura's proportion is closer to one-third. Typically, its incentives are focused on dealer cash and stair-step bonuses instead of lease subvention.
With its strong residual values, Acura could have made hay with aggressive lease deals that wouldn't have cost them much, Toprak said.
New products soon
At the Denver dealer meeting, Honda executives promised additions to the product lineup, not just from hybrid powertrains but also in new segments. Dealers were told that 2012 would be a big year for new products, likely including the redesign of the ancient RL flagship.
Jim Smail, president of Smail Auto Group in Greensburg, Pa., said dealers were reassured by Honda Motor Co. CEO Takanobu Ito, who was involved in engineering the original NSX supercar and MDX crossover.
"There are going to be more nameplates over the next couple years, more segments we are going to compete in," Smail said. "There were times when we were starved for product, but there is a commitment from Honda now. The company is going to put money behind Acura."
American Honda's Center said future sedans will be more distinct from one another, admitting that the current TL and RL are too close in size.
"Within two or three years, it will be quite clear which Acura is which," he said.
Acura probably will return to the compact sedan and hatchback segment currently occupied by the Audi A3, Volvo C30 and BMW 1 series. Once Acura dominated the class with the Integra and RSX but now doesn't compete. That will change, "if the car has the character of the brand," Center said.
One thing an RSX revival won't be is a reprise of the Canadian market Acura CSX, which is scarcely more than a rebadged Honda Civic.
"That is a poster child for how not to do it," Center said. "Acura needs to be more than Honda-plus."
Luxury bargain
Acura's average transaction price through November trails those of other luxury brands.
• BMW: $52,255
• Mercedes-Benz: $49,065
• Cadillac: $48,256
• Audi: $43,831
• Infiniti: $43,796
• Lincoln: $43,533
• Lexus: $42,794
• Acura: $37,665
Source: TrueCar
Read more: http://europe.autonews.com/apps/pbcs...#ixzz1AEd6wgEj
Read more: http://europe.autonews.com/apps/pbcs...#ixzz1AEc39QM5
Mark Rechtin
Automotive News -- December 20, 2010 - 12:01 am ET
Automotive News -- December 20, 2010 - 12:01 am ET
SAN FRANCISCO -- As Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and BMW battle for luxury brand sales leadership this year, Acura has been flying below the radar -- as usual.
Honda's upscale division has had a solid year. Sales are up 24 percent over 2009, outpacing the gains made by luxury's big 3. But the recession knocked Acura's ambition to become a first-tier luxury player way off course.
To hold down costs, two years ago Honda executives in Japan halted plans for a V-8 engine and rear-wheel drive. Now Acura is still trying to figure out "who we are and who we want to be," said Vicki Poponi, American Honda Motor Co.'s assistant vice president for product planning.
The industry crisis changed everything for Acura.
"The direction we were going became irrelevant within 60 days," said Steve Center, chief marketing officer for American Honda, referring to the economic crash after the collapse of Lehman Brothers in the fall of 2008. "We missed the window. We've had to reconnoiter. We had to go with our strengths."
Acura does have strengths. Automotive Lease Guide has rated it the top luxury brand for residual value for the past two years. It shot from 14th to second in J.D. Power's Initial Quality Study, trailing only Porsche.
And Acura spends just $2,600 per vehicle on incentives, the lowest of any luxury brand except Lexus, according to TrueCar and Autodata.
But while those strengths would appeal to a mass-market brand, they do not solve Acura's image problem, which is the lack of a defined prestige image.
The best Poponi can muster is that Acura is the brand "for people not comfortable wearing BMW or Mercedes."
"Nobody really needs a luxury car," she said in an interview at the introduction of the TSX Sport Wagon. "It's a more emotional purchase. But there are more rational buyers who want all the accoutrements of luxury but who want stealth wealth."
At the same time, Poponi said, marketing to "anti-snobs" probably isn't the best formula. Instead, Acura is aiming its "smart luxury" message squarely at Gen Y, the generation struggling with diminished earning power and a mountain of college loan debt.
"Attainability is still cool to them, and they like nice things," Poponi said. "But they're happy with a Coach bag; they don't need Louis Vuitton."
At Acura's recent national dealer meeting in Denver, executives unveiled an attitude closer to the brand's original slogan in the 1980s: "precision-crafted performance."
"Lexus may hit the mark on luxury on the prestige side," said dealer Doug Fox, president of Ann Arbor Automotive near Detroit. "But Acura is still moving toward a performance-oriented vehicle that is a great value, with normal maintenance and ownership costs."
That still doesn't gain Acura credence in the luxury-vehicle fight. Acura buyers' two most cross-shopped brands are Honda and Toyota, although BMW, Audi, Infiniti and Lexus are close behind, according to Edmunds.com.
Also, Acura's average transaction price of $37,665 is $5,000 less than its nearest luxury competitor, according to TrueCar. Edmunds says the most traded-in vehicles for an Acura -- besides another Acura -- are Honda, Toyota and Nissan.
All this categorizes Acura as a move-up brand from the mass market, but not something aspired to by other luxury customers.
"Acura's identity isn't clear to many luxury buyers," said Jesse Toprak, TrueCar vice president of industry trends and insights. "If I'm spending that kind of money, do I want an Acura, or a BMW or Benz? Acura simply doesn't have the same prestige. Once you hit the $45,000-plus market, many buying decisions are based on image."
Styling errors
Acura's biggest leap toward a more defined luxury image was its aggressive "keen edge" design, launched in mid-2008 with the 2009 TL. The look included a prominent fascia, disparagingly called "the beak" by detractors.
Acura executives defended the styling, seen most prominently on the TL sedan and ZDX crossover. But consumers have had their own ideas.
Unappealing exterior styling was by far the most-cited reason that shoppers walked away from Acura, according to the 2010 J.D. Power Avoider Study. Nearly half of Acura avoiders cited that reason, far above the industry average and well above most premium brands. The No. 2 reason for not buying an Acura? Interior styling.
"Styling is hurting them," said Kerri Wise, Power's director of research. "It's their biggest hurdle."
That may be a reason that the midcycle change of the TL, arriving in March or April, has had more than a scalpel's worth of rhinoplasty.
Dave Conant, a multiline dealer with a new Acura store in Mission Viejo, Calif., has seen the new, "cleaned-up" version and said, "If it had looked like this in the beginning, we wouldn't have missed a beat."
While consumers have been polarized by the styling of Acura's sedans, the smart packaging of the MDX and RDX crossovers has allowed the brand to ride the wave of consumers returning to light trucks. RDX sales have soared 52 percent this year, while MDX sales are up 46 percent.
Acura's overall gain of 24 percent means it continues to outsell Audi, Infiniti and Lincoln. Last year, Acura sold barely half of its 2005 peak of 209,610 vehicles. But dealers are confident the brand is on its way back toward the old mark.
Yet TrueCar's Toprak said Acura missed a golden opportunity to expand its leasing. While the luxury leaders routinely lease well over half their volume, Acura's proportion is closer to one-third. Typically, its incentives are focused on dealer cash and stair-step bonuses instead of lease subvention.
With its strong residual values, Acura could have made hay with aggressive lease deals that wouldn't have cost them much, Toprak said.
New products soon
At the Denver dealer meeting, Honda executives promised additions to the product lineup, not just from hybrid powertrains but also in new segments. Dealers were told that 2012 would be a big year for new products, likely including the redesign of the ancient RL flagship.
Jim Smail, president of Smail Auto Group in Greensburg, Pa., said dealers were reassured by Honda Motor Co. CEO Takanobu Ito, who was involved in engineering the original NSX supercar and MDX crossover.
"There are going to be more nameplates over the next couple years, more segments we are going to compete in," Smail said. "There were times when we were starved for product, but there is a commitment from Honda now. The company is going to put money behind Acura."
American Honda's Center said future sedans will be more distinct from one another, admitting that the current TL and RL are too close in size.
"Within two or three years, it will be quite clear which Acura is which," he said.
Acura probably will return to the compact sedan and hatchback segment currently occupied by the Audi A3, Volvo C30 and BMW 1 series. Once Acura dominated the class with the Integra and RSX but now doesn't compete. That will change, "if the car has the character of the brand," Center said.
One thing an RSX revival won't be is a reprise of the Canadian market Acura CSX, which is scarcely more than a rebadged Honda Civic.
"That is a poster child for how not to do it," Center said. "Acura needs to be more than Honda-plus."
Luxury bargain
Acura's average transaction price through November trails those of other luxury brands.
• BMW: $52,255
• Mercedes-Benz: $49,065
• Cadillac: $48,256
• Audi: $43,831
• Infiniti: $43,796
• Lincoln: $43,533
• Lexus: $42,794
• Acura: $37,665
Source: TrueCar
Read more: http://europe.autonews.com/apps/pbcs...#ixzz1AEd6wgEj
Read more: http://europe.autonews.com/apps/pbcs...#ixzz1AEc39QM5