U.S. Auto Sales Brand-By-Brand Results: March 2016 YTD
Against expectations that auto sales would rise by at least 7 percent, March 2016 volume in the United States increased just 3 percent. Modest growth at General Motors and noteworthy drops at Toyota, Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz didn’t stop auto sales from increasing by more than 50,000 units, year-over-year. But the possibility that auto sales in March would climb to one of the highest levels ever failed to materialize despite an additional two selling days compared with March 2015.
Indeed, the daily selling rate achieved by the auto industry decreased even as March 2016 hosted 27 official selling days on the auto sales calendar, up from 25 one year ago.
Bucking the declining DSR trend were brands such as Dodge, Honda, Infiniti, Jeep, Lincoln, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Ram, Scion, and Volvo. No auto brand grew at a greater clip — relative to its own March 2015 performance — than Scion, though Jeep topped all volume brands with a 15-percent improvement. Mazda’s 27-percent decline was the worst decline among volume brands, as the Mazda3, Mazda6, and CX-5 combined for an 8,635-unit decrease.
Ford Motor Company ended March as America’s best-selling automaker. General Motors, the perennial top dog, leads the year-to-date standings by more than 42,000 units.
Auto BrandMarch 2016March 2015% Change2016 YTD2015 YTD% ChangeAcura 14,85214,6701.20%37,87539,644-4.50%Alfa Romeo5373 -27.4%169217-22.10%Audi 18,39217,1027.50%41,96040,0984.60%BMW 30,03334,310-12.50%70,61378,492-10.00%Buick 18,20720,526-11.30%54,28750,4977.50%Cadillac 13,05313,756-5.10%35,63337,175-4.10%Chevrolet 176,283173,8861.40%472,730476,556-0.80%Chrysler 26,23630,038 -12.7%65,50681,933-20.00%Dodge 51,14946,049 11.1%140,509123,511 13.8%Fiat 3,4224,494 -23.9%9,00911,038 -18.4%Ford 243,375 226,091 7.6% 616,682 570,422 8.1%GMC 44,58541,7076.90%121,048119,8111.00%Honda 123,369111,62310.50%319,828294,2998.70%Hyundai 75,310 75,0190.40% 173,330172,0290.80%Infiniti 13,775 12,525 10.0% 32,660 33,842-3.50%Jaguar 2,1331,66028.50%4,9974,33615.20%Jeep 82,33771,584 15.0%209,597178,749 17.3%Kia 58,27958,771-0.80%146,321141,1003.70%Land Rover 8,7336,77828.80%20,80516,97622.60%Lexus 30,19831,054-2.80%74,22177,180-3.80%Lincoln 9,6898,69511.40%24,90521,47816.00%Maserati 9979960.10%2,2501,92916.60%Mazda 23,39632,121-27.20%64,64378,042-17.20%Mercedes-Benz 28,16429,921-5.9%75,76978,156-3.10%Mercedes-Benz Vans 3,0722,37929.1%7,2405,55930.20%Total Mercedes-Benz 31,23632,300 -3.3% 83,009 83,715 -0.8%Mini 4,7625,829-18.30%10,83912,777-15.20%Mitsubishi 11,0789,764 13.5%25,21223,790 6.0%Nissan 149,784 132,560 13.0% 367,544 333,786 10.1%Porsche 4,3234,2910.70%12,23811,4307.10%Ram 49,99045,023 11.0%126,313110,406 14.4%Scion 7,2614,42464.10%18,24211,97852.30%Smart 479 583-17.80%1,3001,533-15.20%Subaru 49,28549,1110.40%132,397131,2810.90%Toyota 182,383 190,481 -4.3% 476,616486,462 -2.0%Volkswagen 26,91430,025-10.40%69,31479,239-12.50%Volvo 6,8575,91615.90%16,36113,72219.20%————— ——BMW-Mini 34,79540,139-13.30%81,45291,269-10.80%Fiat Chrysler Automobiles 213,187197,261 8.1%551,103505,854 8.9%Daimler AG31,71532,883-3.60%84,30985,248-1.10%Ford Motor Co. 253,064 234,786 7.8% 641,587 591,900 8.4%General Motors 252,128249,8750.90%683,698684,039 -0.05%Honda Motor Co. 138,221126,2939.40%357,703333,9437.10%Hyundai-Kia 133,589 133,790 -0.2% 319,651 313,129 2.1%Jaguar-Land Rover10,8668,43828.80%25,80221,31221.10%Nissan Motor Co. 163,559 145,085 12.7% 400,204 367,628 8.9%Toyota Motor Corp.219,842225,959-2.70%569,079575,620-1.10%Volkswagen Group * 49,748 51,666-3.70% 123,774 131,307 -5.7%———————Industry Total1,595,0651,546,4633.10%4,087,1803,957,1643.30%Source: Manufacturers
* Volkswagen Group includes sales figures for Audi, Bentley, Porsche, and Volkswagen brands
** Industry total takes into account Automotive News figures/estimates for brands such as Tesla (2,250 March units) and other low-volume, high-priced manufacturers.
Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures.
More by Timothy Cain
Comments
Join the conversation
Ford channeled 37% of its product through fleet sales despite increased retail incentives. Nothing to see here. Ford beats GM in March with high fleet sales http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2016/04/01/ford-motor-company-march-2016-auto-sales/82509024/
*I* almost outsold Alfa-Romeo in March...