Let’s just face it, the best selling luxury cars aren’t putting up the numbers they used to. Back in the day, automakers lived and died by how well their sedans fared in the market.
While they’re still important, the surge in demand for crossovers has definitely diminished the magic of sedans in general. That’s true for luxury sales, where people still want at least the perception of utility. Thanks to this increased competition, automakers are spicing up their luxury sedans more than ever, which is a big win for anyone who prefers a trunk over a tailgate.
Following are the top 10 best selling luxury cars, ranked by sales figures for 2017.
Edging out the Lexus IS by just under 1,000 sales, Lincoln’s midsize luxury sedan makes an appearance on this list. It achieved 27,387 sales for 2017, down from 30,534 for the previous year. That is a 10.3 percent drop.
Lincoln freshened up the exterior and interior for the 2017 model year. It also introduced an optional 400-horsepower engine to generate some excitement. Draw your own conclusions about how effective those moves were.
At one point, people tried to claim this fully electric sedan was the best selling luxury car in America. As you can clearly see, for 2017 that just isn’t the case. Nevertheless, the Model S still had a strong showing with 28,800 sales for the No. 9 spot on this list. It’s worth noting that total was 9.1 percent higher than sales for 2016.
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Arguably, the Model X electric crossover ate into Model S sales, which is just the industry trend. For 2018, it’s possible the Model 3 will erode Model S sales further, but we’ll see.
The replacement for the TL and TSX, the Acura TLX is a little bit of an odd duck. That’s not to say being different is bad. With 34,856 sales, the strategy seems to be working reasonably well. But, that total is 6.2 percent lower than the previous year. And that’s even after adding the sporty A-Spec trim.
Many complain the TLX doesn’t look or feel luxurious. It’s admittedly pretty plain, but enough people apparently like that.
Seeing the A4 on this list should surprise no one. After all, this little sedan has long been Audi’s go-to car for those who want a luxurious experience, but don’t want to pony up the cash for something like the A6.
The A4 captured 37,674 sales for 2017, which was 1.9 percent higher than 2016, for an overall good showing.
With a complete redesign for 2017, Audi really pushed the tech side of the A4 to a new level. Sadly, the car still looks pretty plain on the outside, albeit not unattractive.
The tech-heavy BMW 5 Series was able to rack up 40,658 sales for 2017, which was a 25 percent bump versus the 2016 total. You can thank a dramatic redesign that really pushed the envelope for that increase.
The car boasts all kinds of autonomous driving aids, which is exactly what people in the luxury segment want. BMW also included a plug-in hybrid and the mighty M550 xDrive in the mix, covering all the bases.
This sporty sedan from Infiniti gobbled up 40,739 sales for the No. 5 spot on the list of best selling luxury cars. Less and 100 cars separate the Q50 from the 5 Series. While that might be a good showing, sales were down 7.4 percent versus the previous year.
The car itself is a mixed bag. There’s great room up front and poor backseat space. You get good road dynamics but no shockingly great track capabilities. There’s lots of impressive technology, but poor fuel economy.
These two sedans share a platform and sales figures, which totaled 51,312 for 2017. It’s a good showing, considering that means a 0.8 percent increase versus the 2016 total.
Full redesigns of both the E-Class and the Mercedes-Benz CLS likely fueled increased attention, even with the trend toward crossovers. They’re loaded with more tech than the S-Class, which is a surprising move. And the interior for either one is one of the best in the industry. Still, don’t expect 2018 numbers to be nearly as high.
Once nothing more than a rebadged Toyota Avalon, the Lexus ES has really grown up. That improvement has helped the sedan survive the onslaught of crossover popularity.
It grabbed 51,398 sales for the year, which isn’t half bad. Still, that’s down more than 11 percent compared to 2016. But then that’s just the trend these days for the best selling luxury cars, or sedans of any kind.
It probably doesn’t hurt sales knowing that it’s the first Lexus to be manufactured in the United States, either.
The 3 Series has long been one of the best selling luxury cars. It’s also been one of the most popular BMWs on the market, but that’s changing. The sedan only racked up 59,449 sales for 2017. While that’s enough for a second-place finish, it’s a big difference compared to the over-70,000 sales from 2016.
A few factors are feeding into this downward trend. Obviously, the fascination with crossovers is a big one. But BMW has also released the 4 Series, so anyone who wants a sportier flavor for their car will choose that instead of the 3 Series.
Once again, the mighty C-Class comes in as the best selling luxury car for the year. There were 77,447 units sold in 2017.
It was a slight 0.4 percent bump over sales for 2016, and enough to outdo everyone else. The C-Class lineup is huge, with a little bit of something for everyone. That, combined with a solid offering of tech, interior luxury and good exterior looks makes for one compelling package.
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