January 2013 segment sales numbers
 

MB C Class: 7,214
BMW 3 Series: 4,831
Audi A4/5: 3,955
Infiniti G: 2,815
Cadillac ATS: 2,781
Acura TSX: 1,806
Lexus IS: 1,386

source?

C class is killing it.

Yeah, as soon as BJ opened his mouth in some publication. Just wait till he sees the new CLAs during Super Bowl have at it with Kate:)

BMW needs to bring us the new 2 series sedan ASAP, and get Kate to come over.

Sourced from all manufactures' reports.

C class is selling like hot cakes

How will a "2" series sedan increase "3" series sales?

Cuz Kate won't be aroused by the bigger 3 series designed for BJ, who is getting older and wider.:)

I believe even # series are mostly reserved for coupe, cabriolet & GC. The sedan or saloon shall remain under odd series.

I saw 2 brand new (temporary tags) C Class Mercedes today when I was out and about.

Not surprised. Every other car I see on the road is a C300.

There are mostly C250 bare bone 1.8L 4 banger down here.

What helped MB is the C250. This is why the new CLA could be a greater threat.

Maybe calling the 2 Series a sedan is against the naming convention, let's call it 2 Series 4-door coupe.

Here is how 90% of buyers of these cars answer when asked about what makes their cars great.

- "It's a BMW!"
- "Meaning?"
- "It drives like a BMW"
- "Meaning?"
:dunno:

- "It's a Benz"
- ....


Those are the most common and best explanations you will hear about what makes these cars great.

But at least his wrists have been spared the widening fat.

It drives like BMWs used to! :)

It's a Benz.
Meaning?
The door shut sounds like a Benz.

It's an Audi.
Meaning?
It looks like an Audi.

It's an ATS.
Meaning?
It's not a Cadillac anymore.

Not too surprising, the C250/350 looks better than the F30 and MB has more status and a better reputation in the US.

Wouldn't buy one myself, it's a car for older folk. CLA on the other hand looks awesome.

They will still lump the sales of the 2 and 3 together methinks.

What is occurring now is no different than what happened in 2006 when BMW transitioned the coupe and convertible after the sedan. Customers see the new body style sedan, know that the new body style isn't available yet for the others in the series, they don't want to drive an old car, so they wait.

We covered this ground in past threads, there's nothing to talk about here. The ATS, however, is now proven to be an utter failure.

BJ

TSX is not in the same class as the rest. Acura does not target the 3 series.

I knew sooner or later you would come up with a reason, but it took awhile because supply is no longer an excuse, and 4,800 is about the lowest monthly in the 3 series past several years history.

Although I hardly think ATS hit it out of the park, but nearly 3k with only a sedan version to show for, in its 4th month since inception, no coupe, no convertible and no wagon, an utter failure? It sold more than Audi A4. Is Audi A4 an utter failure?

Great... any reasons for BMW to hold prices/keep offering incentives and eliminate the stupid Lines, would be appreciated. :thumbup:

For quite some time the 3 Series had its segment essentially to itself. There are now a number of direct competitors and BMW has a smaller share of a much larger market. I think the 3 will continue to sell well but the competition, particularly Audi and Mercedes, is coming on strong. I think the ATS has made a remarkable showing both in the reviews that have been published and in sales. It took BMW 30 years to get to its position and Cadillac has been at it for about 6 months.

CA

Wow, I'm real glad the ATS is doing so well already. I'm not suprised about the C class the facelift really helped. It is a very good looking sedan.

This is why BMW brought the 320i. It might not make too much sense to me, but it can square off with the C250....

Here is the link to the MT article, BJ should be happy to know the reason for the slowdown for the 3 series is because they were trying to get rid of all the E90s and make room for the new F30s:)

http://wot.motortrend.com/january-20...ss-324269.html

I missed an entry, the Volvo S60, which was one of the very few that had a large sales gain last month at 1,954.

I think MB did a good job at styling lately, just read the comments on the CLA. Personally, since the brands in this segment are so close than ever before, the exterior design will have a greater impact on sales. The fact the C class has kept the sales strong shows how important to keep a model fresh looking throughout the model years.

Sooner or later this segment will resemble the mainstream family car segment, in which cars like Honda Accord facelift itself every year:)

The pressure of downward movement is huge, with the 320i beating the ATS base by $500, and CLA starts at below $30k. The line between the entry level luxury and mainstream is blurry.