BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus are locked in a battle for the best-selling luxury brand in America, and as of August, it appears that BMW is on top.
Lexus has been the front-runner in the high-end segment for 11 straight years, but the brand stumbled badly at the end of 2010 and BMW and Mercedes nearly passed it. Now, both German automakers look to be well on their way to being the first and second-largest luxury marquees in the U.S. by year's end. The only question is which one will end up winning.
According to data through August, BMW is the frontrunner for the moment, reports Bloomberg. The brand sold 20,815 during August, which was its fifth-straight month of beating its rivals. Mercedes only managed 18,477 vehicles sold, while Lexus was still in the running at 18,103.
TrueCar reports that BMW spent heavily on incentives to help move their vehicles. One deal in particular lowered the price of a 3-Series nearly to that of a Honda Accord.
"They’re being aggressive: $299 a month for a 3-Series versus what you’re going to get for a Honda Accord?" TrueCar analyst Jesse Toprak told the news source. "Of course you’re going to get a BMW."