BMW 3-Series Still Top Dog despite Strong Competition

[PanterroR]

In the ingloriously named, “small premium car segment”, the BMW 3-Series is king. A good all-rounder with sporting pretensions and cred, a nice assortment of engine and equipment options, and perhaps most importantly, a variety of body styles including a coupe and station wagon derivative that have ensured its market supremacy.

All 3-Series models are doing their bit to keep sales high. According to a study released by R.L. Polk & Co., from 2008 through this past February, the 3-Series sedan covered around 60 percent of the model's retail registrations, with the coupe, convertible and station wagon versions accounting for the rest of the sales.

Unfortunately for the Bavarian automaker, the queen (Audi), prince (Mercedes-Benz), princess (Lexus) and duke (Cadillac) have not been sitting on their laurels.

There’s a coupe and station wagon variant of the Cadillac’s meaty CTS sedan, while Audi has added the weirdly named A5 Sportback and A5 / S5 coupe to compliment the A4 range. Even Lexus has a folding hardtop IS convertible and Mercedes-Benz will soon bring the C-Class coupe to market. So without the body style thing to fall back on, there’s not a whole lot to differentiate – say – a BMW 3-Series from an Audi A4 / A5 except for personal driving preferences and brand identity.

However, at least for now, the 3-Series is retaining its place as America’s (and indeed, the world’s) favorite small premium car. This in spite of strong competition, changing tastes in the market and the slump in the premium segment following the GFC.





Source: BMW 3-Series Still Top Dog despite Strong Competition - Carscoop

 

[Human]

3

 

[Wolfgang]

C

"20.965 units of the C-Class sedan were delivered, capturing the market leadership in its segment right from the start."

klick

 

[Beemer B773ER]

C

"20.965 units of the C-Class sedan were delivered, capturing the market leadership in its segment right from the start."

klick

Funny thing is, this always only happens in the final year of a 3er's life cycle.

The other 6 years, well.....

 

[HighestOfHigh]

the 3-Series is retaining its place as America’s (and indeed, the world’s) favorite small premium car.

HGH: I will never understand why!

 

[Beemer B773ER]

 

[Beemer B773ER]

One more time ....just for HoH.

 

[K-A]

I don't get it either. The E90 hasn't aged very well to me.

 

[mini_cooper4]

I can understand why people are buying S class instead of 7er
I CAN'T understand how you can choose C or A4 when there is a BMW 3 for sale in all BMW dealerships

 

[K-A]

Lol. To me the 3 is in a far last place compared to the current C and A4. I wouldn't even consider it VS the other two. Respect to the 3 for being the quintessential though, it's like the cars cache is so strong, people will buy it by default.

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

I don't see C-class figures in that table?

 

[mini_cooper4]

Lol. To me the 3 is in a far last place compared to the current C and A4. I wouldn't even consider it VS the other two. Respect to the 3 for being the quintessential though, it's like the cars cache is so strong, people will buy it by default.

I appreciate your opinion but people ain't buying it by default
A test drive in the 3er wins most of the people.
I'm selling cars, believe me I know what I'm talking.

 

[martinbo]

In a segment where a strong emphasis and weighting is placed on sportiness and dynamic appeal, the BMW 3 Series remains the benchmark. However, I feel that the C-Class runs it very close and is probably the better all-rounder with a better offering of petrol and diesel engines at the bottom end of the range.

So that's my stance; for lesser models the Merc C-Class has the better value proposition but when you move up into the six cylinder bracket the pendulum swings back in favour of the massively impressive 330i, 330d and 335i.

Right now, there's too much of a state of flux in this segment though to make a clear judgement. I feel it needs to settle and see in the introduction of the four cylinder petrol turbos in the BMW range and then see how the F30 goes head-to-head with the facelifted W204.

 

[Zafiro]

In Sweden and Germany the best selling 3-series are 318d and 320d. Good balance between economy and ownership costs are the main reasons why 3-series are selling well.

 

[martinbo]

I rate BMW's diesels highly, their petrol fours less so compared with Merc's sophisticated 1.8 litre turbocharged engines in the 180, 200 and 250 CGI models. I think that the C-Class is ahead of the 3er in this respect.

 

[LaArtist]

This is BMW´s domain.. Small cars.. they do it like no other..
Competition has come to the point where its more about taste now..
But still the 3er has what this market craves..
They nailed it.. and next year there will be a new one to rule for 6 years..

Just like the S class.. Or actually the 3ers competition come closer to challenging the king..than the S class competition

 

[ACE]

Does anyone have the Global 2010 sales figures for the 3 series vs C-class vs A4/5? I can see 399k for the 3 series but can't find the other 2 on Google.

Stating that the BMW 3 series is ahead of the competition (in terms of sales) in the US is not really newsworthy imo, it's a bit like stating that bears shit in the woods.

 

[klier]

I don't get it either. The E90 hasn't aged very well to me.

That's the whole point. You're a Mercedes fanboy (admit it or not, I don't care), and MB fanboys are getting increasingly rare on this planet.


Artist: don't know what you're talking about, since the F01 is basically better than W221 on all accounts.

Martinbo: surely you are aware of the new 4cylinder turbo engines coming from BMW lately? They will crush the MB efforts, make no mistake about that The Z4 2.8 and X1 2.8 already have this wonderful new, superior engine.


lol at all the BMW haters on this forum. They are becoming increasingly strong. Oh well, hating on the best is only logical. Can't blame some sorry fanboys here.

 

[Human]

lol at all the BMW haters on this forum. They are becoming increasingly strong. Oh well, hating on the best is only logical. Can't blame some sorry fanboys here.

 

[K-A]

Lol, of course it's "to me", just as your opinion is "to you".

"To me", the W204 slaughters the E90 in looks and quality, along with the obvious safety (I don't care what badge it wears in this), yet it still gets slaughtered by the 3-Series in sales in the U.S (3'er is a better performance oriented machine, fun to drive, is the benchmark for the Class, so take your pick as to why people choose it).

"Fanboy'ing" is for children, most of us here who can think objectively along with passionately subjectively are "Fans", and M-B is doing pretty damn well for themselves, so I don't see a diminishing of "fans" or "fanboys" of the brand going anywhere, anytime soon.