tachyon

April sales of the 5 series were down only 9.7% from the same month last year, and YTD sales also are only down 9.7%. No other BMW Group model has held up as well, not even the Mini. (While the X6 is technically up in YTD sales, it was launched in April 2008 ... and April sales this year are down).

Passanger car sales are down 37% this year ... and yet the E60 still sells strong. In fact, there are only a few other models sold in the U.S. that have held up as well, and most of the better performers are new models. Go figure.

What's Hot
Pontiac G8 ... goodbye Pontiac?
Subaru Forester
Everything sold by Audi
Everything sold by Hyundai
Honda Insight

What's Not
Porsche Boxter/Cayman (-65% in April compared to April last year) ... new models soon?
Toyota Prius (-61%) ... new model soon
Corvette (-56%)
Smart ForTwo (-48%)
BMW 3 series (-47%)
MB E-Class (-44%) ... new model soon.

DD_545i

OMG what happened to the Z4? Did they stop selling it one week into the year? -97.7% is unbelievable.

tachyon

I guess I should add that 1 series sales also are technically up YTD, but that model started selling here in the U.S. last March (so it's four months of sales in 2009 versus two months in 2008) ... and April sales were down slightly this year.

txag_530i

I think this is proof that the Z4 is a "fun" 3rd car that nobody has money for anymore. That's only 6 cars per month!

devioustrap

Yup, that's just representing leftover cars that are still on dealer lots; Z4 production stopped in August of 2008. The new generation Z4 (E89) should be hitting dealer lots any day now.

sdg1871

Not only are E60s the most fun to drive car in their class but BMW has been aggressive subsidizing E60s leases and offering $2,500 rebates on 2009 E60s. Its competitors, such as MB (for the E Class) and Infiniti (for the M Class) have not nearly as aggressive on lease pricing. In particular, the residual values offered for leases of the MB E Class and the Infiniti M Class have been in the toilet, which skyrockets the monthly payment. BMWFS, by contrast, has, for example, kept the residual value on leases of the 550 near 60 percent.

BMW is getting not only repeat business but crossover customers from its competitors.

Go E60.

westcoast550

...........hmmm, negative trend is accelerating .................AUDI ,is pushing the design and engineering front , and personally I find BMW really flat footed on the design end , I'm shopping !!

craigm1841

in light of the mood around the forums tonight, With regards to your thread title:

it is "okay" vice "OK", but "well" would have sounded better

sdg1871

Competition is a good thing. I've driven ths Audi A6 on a number of occasions (in fact, I often rent it when I travel to LA) and, while I really like its interior, I find it to be slow and not be nimble as the E60. To me, it is is a lovely, nice looking car that is very boring to drive. But to each his own.

tachyon

I stand (or more precisely, sit) corrected. We all are now on our best grammatical behavior.

By the way, is saw several new Z4s at the local BMW shop the other day - it's a very, very good looking machine both inside and out. The Z3 was certainly a chick car, and the old Z4 was nearly exclusively purchased by dudes, but I think both genders will find this new one very appealing - it's just right.

There were a bunch of new 7ers there too, which looks much better in the flesh than pictures can convey. And when you see an old E65 sitting right next to a new F01, it's like seeing a Neanderthal standing next to a homo sapien at the natural history museum - and you are glad that old branch of evolution is over.

Well done BMW.