doublehh03

BMW is too overpriced these days. I went with a friend who "really" wanted a brand new 3 series. At both of the dealers we went to, the "least" expensive carried an MRSP of $45k. I was like are you kidding me?

And how can we get monthly fleet sales data? I think actual retail sales matter more than overall total sales b/c fleet sales can change the overall sales quite significantly.

RXSF

the fact that the 328 starts at 36+ thousand is ridiculous. However, it is a good motor...

you used to be able to buy the higher end motor for that kind of money

LexFather

MSRP doesnt matter when they offer crazy leases and very high incentives. All car pricing is high, the ES is now a
45k car with a couple of options.

doublehh03

That's not the point. The point is that's the "least" expensive option the dealers have on the lot.

It's like you're going in to buy a Civic, but only EX-Ls are on the lot. I think that's one of the reasons why the 3-series aren't selling as well despite a redesign.

TRDFantasy

Nice try, but no, I highly doubt 5 Series is going back to 5000 soon. I think the E Class is definitely hurting it, and the new GS is also taking a few sales away.

There is no shortage for BMW right now, that's a lie. Check the inventory levels for the 5 Series across the US. Hint: the inventory levels are not low.

As already pointed out by other members, the weird August sales for BMW likely are related to the equally weird July sales for BMW, where some shady accounting was involved, with BMW manipulating the numbers to make sales look bigger.

Not surprised. If Benz, Lexus, or BMW do any fleet sales, it must be a small percentage. I've never even heard of Lexus fleet cars personally. I have heard of Benz and BMW fleet cars on rare occasion.

That's their problem. Nobody is forcing Hyundai to be capacity constrained. Compare that to last year where a natural disaster of biblical proportions in Japan forced the Japanese automakers into huge capacity problems for many months.

Fact remains, Hyundai/Kia overall US marketshare continues to drop.

So Kia up over 21%, definitely solid, but Hyundai up only 4%. So overall, Hyundai group sales up 12%.

The entire industry was up 20% for last month. So the industry average increase in other words was 20% for the month. Kia was just above the industry average increase, but Hyundai wayyyy below it. So yes, in the context of the whole industry, my point stands that overall Hyundai group sales were mediocre for the month. They continue to lose market share.

Yes, I too am VERY curious where all those cynical and hateful posters disappeared to? Will they admit they were wrong, or that they were purposely trying to incite arguments? Of course not, this is the internet after all.

LexFather

Right. So let's just talk MSRP and not incentives or lease deals. Bmws have always cost more and have always sold well.

Maybe you forgot that the new 3 series coupe is not here so they selling all old coupe inventory. Basically it's just the new sedan for now.

Maybe it's the styling? Could be a bunch of factors.

I think the only BMW sticker shock happens to people not in the market. Bmws always had a
Premium.

TRDFantasy

http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dl...120909964/1448

Less than 3% total fleet sales, and top retail brand 6th month in a row ... amazing!

Mr Johnson

It's not a question of low inventory it's a question of having pulled sales forward. That means they had incentives that were soo.... good that people bought last month rather than wait until this month. It will take them a month or two to recover to "normal" levels of *customers*/*buyers*.

LOL... Right they should snap their left hand AKA factory fairy to have a new factory and then the right hand AKA trained workforce fairy so they can instantly have new capacity! Of course. Why didn't I think of that?!

It takes years to bring a factory online. Think back years. Was that the time to be building new factories?

I'm sure they would love to have additional capacity. They are working on it. But honestly not a bad problem to sell every car you make. You can drive up transaction prices AKA "profit" on each unit. That's the route Ford has taken the past several years and it's working out reasonably well for them.

natnut

I suspect the drop in 5 series sales are due to the new ES. As I've said in the past, the new F10 5 series has effectively become a German Buick : large,bloaty, overweight and more luxurious then sporty. It has effectively surrendered the enthusiast segment to chase Mercedes E-class sales. Hence the majority of its then 5000/mth sales came from buyers who view cars as appliances rather than from a driving enthusiast standpoint.

Once a cheaper, just-as-luxurious appliance with a prestige badge came on the scene ( the new ES350), erstwhile 5 series owners who only drove the 5 series for its luxury abandoned it for the cheaper alternative. And with the once-loyal car enthusiast market largely abandoning the 5 series due to it being so overweight, the bottom really fell out of the 5 series sales this month.

GS69

US Light Vehicle Demand Jumps 20%

U.S. auto sales -- led by Honda Motor Co., the Volkswagen Group and Toyota Motor Corp. -- jumped 20 percent last month for the strongest monthly pace in three years.

The Detroit 3 also posted double-digit sales gains for August, signaling the auto industry's recovery remains solidly on track despite sluggish economic growth, rising gasoline prices and widespread consumer uncertainty.

The seasonally adjusted sales rate for August accelerated to 14.53 million from 14.1 million in July and 12.5 million a year earlier. The results topped most analysts' forecasts and marked the highest SAAR since the U.S.-sponsored cash-for-clunkers program in August 2009.

U.S. new car and light-truck sales have advanced 15% to 9.7 million this year through August and remain a bright spot amid mixed economic signals and lackluster job growth.

"The auto industry continued to outperform the general economy in August," Bill Fay, Toyota group vice president and general manager, said in a statement. The company posted a 46% sales increase last month as it continued its recovery from an earthquake-hampered 2011.

Honda Motor Co. reported a 60% increase from a year earlier, when it also suffered from quake-related inventory shortages. Volume at the Honda brand jumped 58% to 115,675 units; Acura deliveries climbed 73% to 15,646 units.

Among major brands, VW led the way with a 63% jump, its 12th straight month of gains of at least 25%. Including Audi, up 13%, and other luxury brands, VW Group sales jumped 48%.

Pent-up demand, consumer discounts, new models, fleet deliveries, and more favorable credit are aiding light-vehicle sales.

In some cases, automakers are also offering aggressive incentive programs that reward dealers for selling more cars and light trucks.

Chrysler sales chief Reid Bigland attributed his company's 14% increase in part to an "incredibly resilient" climate for auto sales.

Paul Taylor, chief economist for the National Automotive Dealers Association, said low interest rates, ample inventories and healthy incentives are driving the market.

"These factors support higher rates of growth of light vehicle sales growth this year and next," Taylor said today.

August sales at the VW brand surged to 41,011 as the automaker continued to benefit from redesigned models in key segments, notably small and mid-sized sedans.

Toyota's 46% increase followed advances of 60% in June and 87% in May.

Chrysler was helped by a 21 percent gain in car deliveries and an 18% increase in Ram brand volume.

Ford Motor reported a 13% increase in sales last month, with retail volume up 19% over August 2011. Sales rose 13% at the Ford division and 2% at Lincoln.

The company said it also plans to boost 4th-quarter North American output by 7% -- or 50,000 vehicles -- to 725,000 over 2011 levels.

GM -- aided by Olympics advertising and a Chevrolet promotion -- said its sales rose 10%. GM's retail sales rose 11% while fleet deliveries climbed 6%.

Strong month

Nissan Motor Co. said its U.S. sales for August totaled 98,515, up 8% from a year ago, while Subaru climbed 36%.

Hyundai Motor Co. said it set an August sales record of 61,099 units for the Hyundai brand, an increase of 4% from a year earlier.

At Jaguar Land Rover, sales jumped 31% last month, helped by new models such as the Range Rover Evoque.

"Clearly, August was a strong auto shopping month in the United States and for Jaguar Land Rover," Andy Goss, head of Jaguar Land Rover North America, said in a statement.

Honda, like Toyota, was expected to be among the industry's biggest gainers as it continues to recover from inventory shortages following the March 2011 earthquake in Japan.

Civic sales rose 106% to 24,897 units last month, Honda said.

"Honda is finishing the summer on a high note," John Mendel, American Honda's executive vice president of sales, said in a statement.

August marked Chrysler's 29th consecutive monthly increase in U.S. sales, though the gains have slowed this summer from their torrid pace early this year.

The automaker continues to benefit from new or refreshed models, notably a stronger passenger car lineup, as well as generous incentives, fleet shipments and easing credit terms.

Chrysler said volume rose 25% at the Chrysler brand, 34% at Fiat, 13% at Dodge and 5% at Jeep.

Sales of the all-new Dodge Dart compact sedan totaled 3,045 units, the automaker said.

Chrysler's U.S. sales have advanced 26% this year, with car volume up 49% and truck deliveries rising 18%.

'Iron Man' strikes again

Chrysler's U.S. sales have advanced 26% this year, with car volume up 49% and truck deliveries rising 18%.

"Our Iron Man streak continued last month," Reid Bigland, head of the Dodge brand and U.S. sales operations for Chrysler, said in a statement. "An incredibly resilient U.S. new vehicle sales industry doesn't hurt."

TrueCar.com estimates industry incentives averaged $2,457 last month, down 2% from July and off 6% from August 2011. Chrysler, GM and Nissan offered some of the biggest deals in August, while Hyundai, Toyota, and Honda were less generous with discounts, TrueCar said.

"Underlying consumer demand remains solid," TrueCar analyst Jesse Toprak said, pointing to falling discounts and rising transaction prices compared to August 2011. "It could not be a better environment for automakers."

Toprak said the only negative facing the new-vehicle market right now is higher gas prices. Average U.S. gasoline prices rose 21 cents a gallon in the past month, Reuters says.

Among major automakers, Toyota, Honda and Chrysler have gained share this year while Ford, GM, and Hyundai-Kia have lost ground. Nissan's share remains flat.

While some analysts say the sales pace could slow in the second half compared with early in the year, the industry remains on track to produce sales of 14 million units or more in 2012.

The SAAR has now topped 14 million each month this year except for January and May.

And industry sales have advanced each year since 2009, when sales plunged to a 27-year low of 10.4 million.

You can reach David Phillips at dphillips@crain.com.

rogers2

I honestly doubt the 5 series sales are low due to the new ES or the GS. I stay in the DC metro area and I haven't seen one new ES. I have only seen 2 new GS and I stay less than 15 miles from a Lexus dealership. The luxury sales this month should tell us a lot about a U.S luxury car buyer. People prefer luxury, style, and a prestige name over sport. Congrats to Lexus on the RX&ES sales. Now can someone tell me where I can lease a Camry for $99.00? I will jump on that ASAP.

GS69

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ame...les-2012-09-04

American Suzuki Motor Corporation (ASMC) today reported August 2012 sales of 1,968 units. SX4 continues to lead sales with a 2% year to date sales increase.

speedflex

WAY too much speculation here on where the 5 sales went based on a single month.

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

The GS should be a hot seller.It's a completely new model.
Let's see if it has legs before celebrating one month sales over a 5 Series.

LexFather

I think we can all reasonably speculate the BMW "fire sale" last month hurt 5 sales this month. Its still nice to see the GS sell 2nd in class and sales did rise compared to July.

That said speculation on the ES taking sales from everyone and not just the GS sounds reasonable. I've driven it, it no longer feels like a Camry based car at all. The interior is very well done with TONS of room in the rear. Surely the hybrid has is appealing with 40MPG average. Hard to argue with that figure. The sport mode helps tremendously.