Q1 2026 US Luxury Car Sales Report: BBA Sees Overall Decline While
During the first three months of 2026, the U.S. luxury car market performed poorly. The traditional top three brands—BMW, Lexus, and Mercedes—all experienced sales declines, while Japanese brand Acura showed steady performance during this period, becoming a focus of market attention.
🔹 Market Dark Horse: Acura Shows Steady Performance
Acura's first quarter sales increased by 5.2%, with a total of 32,352 vehicles sold. The sales growth was primarily driven by the Integra (up 25.6%) and MDX (up 2.7%). Additionally, ADX sales grew by 4,318%, mainly because it had an extremely low baseline when it was first launched in 2025.
Currently, Acura has surpassed Cadillac to become the fourth best-selling luxury brand in the U.S. market. Cadillac's sales during the same period decreased by 25.5%.
| 2026 Q1 First-Tier Sales Rankings |
| BMW — 84,231 vehicles (down 3.9%) |
| Lexus — 80,952 vehicles (down 2.5%) |
| Mercedes-Benz — 70,000 vehicles (down 3.0%) |
| Acura — 32,352 vehicles (up 5.2%) |
🔹 Trend Insights: SUV Demand Remains Strong
BMW sedan sales declined by 17.3%, while SUV sales grew by 9.5%. Lexus sedan sales also dropped by 43%, but SUV models such as the RX, TX, and LX continued to see growth. This reflects the sustained preference for crossover models among Chinese Americans and the mainstream market in North America.
🔹 Performance of Other Brands
Audi sales declined by 30%, with its electric vehicle sales showing particularly significant drops. Ford's luxury brand Lincoln performed relatively stable, with a slight decrease of 0.5%.
| 2026 Q1 Other Brands Sales Rankings |
| Cadillac — 31,098 vehicles |
| Audi — 29,886 vehicles |
| Lincoln — 23,610 vehicles |
| Volvo — 22,651 vehicles |
| Infiniti — 12,750 vehicles |
🔹 Editor's Note: Car Buying Advice
Due to tariff policies, most brands assembled outside the United States (such as Audi) have been forced to increase their prices, directly impacting market performance. We recommend that readers planning to purchase a vehicle in the near future should focus on models produced in North America to avoid potential price fluctuation risks.
