December 2014: Mercedes-Benz USA

[William Maley]

Mercedes-Benz Delivers Record-Breaking 2014 Sales Volume Of 330,391, Up 5.7%

• MBUSA up 6.7%; Sprinter, smart post double-digit gains

MONTVALE, N.J., Jan. 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Mercedes-Benz today reported record-breaking 2014 sales of 330,391, up 5.7% from the 312,534 units sold in 2013. Annual Sprinter sales increased 18% to 25,745, combining with 10,453 units at smart, up 12.8%, for a best-ever year-to-date grand total of 366,589 for Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA).

 

"The past year brought key milestones for Mercedes-Benz on both the product and customer service fronts," said Stephen Cannon, president and CEO of MBUSA. "Capped by another round of record sales, we're more aligned than ever in pairing a 'best or nothing' model lineup with the best ownership experience in the business."

 

Sales of Mercedes-Benz passenger cars, ranging from the entry-level CLA four-door coupe to the brand's S-Class flagship, increased to 212,086 from the 206,221 vehicles sold in 2013. On the light truck side, retail volumes hit 118,305, up 11.3% from 106,315 units last year.

 

Annual volume leaders included the C-, E- and M-Class model lines. The C-Class, which received a full redesign for the 2015 model year, took the top spot with 75,065 units, followed by the E-Class at 66,400. The best-selling Mercedes-Benz SUV, the M-Class, rounded out the top three at 46,726, up 13.1% from the 41,326 vehicles sold the previous year. At the high end, the S-Class saw yearly sales increase 90% to 25,276 from 13,303 in 2013.

 

A best-ever December for Mercedes-Benz delivered monthly sales of 34,009, compared to 33,007 in December 2013. The C-Class remained the volume leader with 8,224 units, up 13.8% from 7,229 the same month last year. The M-Class came second at 5,625—an increase of 25.4%—followed close behind by the E-Class at 5,119.

 

December sales for Sprinter Vans hit a record 3,288, climbing 16.3% from the 2,828 units sold the same month last year. Adding 973 units for smart, up 13.8% from 855 in December 2013, MBUSA posted a monthly grand total of 38,270.

 

Mercedes-Benz AMG high-performance models closed out 2014 with an annual volume of 11,303, jumping 44.9% from 7,802 units the previous year. For the month, AMG sales totaled 1,122, compared to 1,109 in December 2013. Mercedes-Benz BlueTEC diesel models delivered a total of 14,544 vehicles in 2014, with December sales reaching 1,183.

 

Separately, Mercedes-Benz Certified Pre-Owned (MBCPO) vehicles recorded annual sales of 119,257, an increase of 20.4% from the 99,075 units sold in 2013. On a monthly basis, MBCPO achieved a record December with 11,379 units, up 17% from the same month last year.

 

[G. David Felt]

So I wonder how SMK justifies MB as being the best when they cannot even deliver double digit sales growth compared to GM.

 

For the Month MB only has a 4.73% sales Growth

 

For the year MB only has a 6.7%

 

Negative Growth by model

 

C Class -14.9%

E Class -4.9%

CL Class -53.6%

SL Class -28.2%

SLS Class -48.6%

SLK Class -.04%

CLS Class -13.1%

R Class -73,3%

GL Class -11.1%

 

Positive sales

B Class 780%

CLA Class 93.9%

S Class 90%

M Class 13.1%

G Class 23.9%

GLK 7.5%

Sprinter 18%

Smart Car 12.8%

 

More losses than gains and compared to Cadillac bigger looser.

[Cmicasa the Great]

So I wonder how SMK justifies MB as being the best when they cannot even deliver double digit sales growth compared to GM.

 

For the Month MB only has a 4.73% sales Growth

 

For the year MB only has a 6.7%

 

Negative Growth by model

 

C Class -14.9%

E Class -4.9%

CL Class -53.6%

SL Class -28.2%

SLS Class -48.6%

SLK Class -.04%

CLS Class -13.1%

R Class -73,3%

GL Class -11.1%

 

Positive sales

B Class 780%

CLA Class 93.9%

S Class 90%

M Class 13.1%

G Class 23.9%

GLK 7.5%

Sprinter 18%

Smart Car 12.8%

 

More losses than gains and compared to Cadillac bigger looser.

 

 

Wow. Its almost as if Benz's growth is completely about mainstream type vehicles. Well with exception to the S

[Drew Dowdell]

I'm surprised about the C-Class. It is easily the best model in years. 

[Cory Wolfe]

I'm surprised about the C-Class. It is easily the best model in years. 

 

I would probably chalk that up to the new model transition, and maybe a few sales that went to the CLA. For the month, it was up. 

 

 

So I wonder how SMK justifies MB as being the best when they cannot even deliver double digit sales growth compared to GM.

 

For the Month MB only has a 4.73% sales Growth

 

For the year MB only has a 6.7%

 

Negative Growth by model

 

C Class -14.9%

E Class -4.9%

CL Class -53.6%

SL Class -28.2%

SLS Class -48.6%

SLK Class -.04%

CLS Class -13.1%

R Class -73,3%

GL Class -11.1%

 

Positive sales

B Class 780%

CLA Class 93.9%

S Class 90%

M Class 13.1%

G Class 23.9%

GLK 7.5%

Sprinter 18%

Smart Car 12.8%

 

More losses than gains and compared to Cadillac bigger looser.

 

Pardon my ignorance, but how exactly is MB the bigger *loser? Mercedes brand sales were up 5.7% YTD while Cadillac brand sales were down 6.5% YTD. Total sales for the Mercedes brand? 330k total. Cadillac? 170K total. Of those losses you mentioned, the CL, SLS, and R lines are all being replaced or discontinued. After that things even out a bit, especially with the addition of the GLA sales you omitted. Cadillac on the other hand only has the Escalade to thank for any positive sales growth. 

 

I will stand up for Cadillac all day long, but I simply can't understand your logic most of the time. 

[G. David Felt]

Cadillac is not perfect, yet with all the changes they have gone through over the last 4-6 years, they have come a long way in a short time and the most recent changes have not affected them as much as some people would like everyone to think. With 8 auto lines down double digits, saying MB is the worlds best and can not be faulted I have to raise the BS flag. You have 5 or 6 with my missed GLA sales that have double digit growth, then you have growth in the van and sub compact eco car area but over all MB is not perfect auto company many like to say.

 

For all that GM has done since 2007, they have really made some impressive gains.

[Cory Wolfe]

Cadillac is not perfect, yet with all the changes they have gone through over the last 4-6 years, they have come a long way in a short time and the most recent changes have not affected them as much as some people would like everyone to think. With 8 auto lines down double digits, saying MB is the worlds best and can not be faulted I have to raise the BS flag. You have 5 or 6 with my missed GLA sales that have double digit growth, then you have growth in the van and sub compact eco car area but over all MB is not perfect auto company many like to say.

 

For all that GM has done since 2007, they have really made some impressive gains.

 

You can't expect every model to have sales increases, especially with a line-up as large as Mercedes'. For what its worth, overall sales matter more than individual models. If the tables were turned and those figures were for Cadillac, you'd be touting the overall increased sales and not resorting to nitpicking over which models are down and making a story of it.

 

Also, just some fuel for the fire because I love analyzing sales figures... Let's compare 2007 to 2014.

 

[Drew Dowdell]

Cadillac is not perfect, yet with all the changes they have gone through over the last 4-6 years, they have come a long way in a short time and the most recent changes have not affected them as much as some people would like everyone to think. With 8 auto lines down double digits, saying MB is the worlds best and can not be faulted I have to raise the BS flag. You have 5 or 6 with my missed GLA sales that have double digit growth, then you have growth in the van and sub compact eco car area but over all MB is not perfect auto company many like to say.

 

For all that GM has done since 2007, they have really made some impressive gains.

 

I think what Dfelt is inelegantly saying (sorry) is that Mercedes is making great inroads into Buick's market (GLA/CLA), Chevy's market (SMART) and GMC's market (Sprinter) but not so great at the core business that they're known for. 

[Cory Wolfe]

 

Cadillac is not perfect, yet with all the changes they have gone through over the last 4-6 years, they have come a long way in a short time and the most recent changes have not affected them as much as some people would like everyone to think. With 8 auto lines down double digits, saying MB is the worlds best and can not be faulted I have to raise the BS flag. You have 5 or 6 with my missed GLA sales that have double digit growth, then you have growth in the van and sub compact eco car area but over all MB is not perfect auto company many like to say.

 

For all that GM has done since 2007, they have really made some impressive gains.

 

I think what Dfelt is inelegantly saying (sorry) is that Mercedes is making great inroads into Buick's market (GLA/CLA), Chevy's market (SMART) and GMC's market (Sprinter) but not so great at the core business that they're known for. 

 

 

Stated as such, I would be inclined to agree.

 

Just for fun, take out the sales of the GLA/CLA and Mercedes sees a modest 0.7% decline. Since I still believe the CLA probably stole a few sales from the C-Class, they'd probably be just about even for the year with relatively stagnant growth through the rest of the line-up. Still, that's better than Cadillac could manage and nearly 300k sales for year. The S-Class, E-Class, C-Class alone nearly outsell Cadillac's entire line-up.

Edited January 6, 2015 by blackviper8891

[Drew Dowdell]

296142 29842

 

 

Cadillac is not perfect, yet with all the changes they have gone through over the last 4-6 years, they have come a long way in a short time and the most recent changes have not affected them as much as some people would like everyone to think. With 8 auto lines down double digits, saying MB is the worlds best and can not be faulted I have to raise the BS flag. You have 5 or 6 with my missed GLA sales that have double digit growth, then you have growth in the van and sub compact eco car area but over all MB is not perfect auto company many like to say.

 

For all that GM has done since 2007, they have really made some impressive gains.

 

I think what Dfelt is inelegantly saying (sorry) is that Mercedes is making great inroads into Buick's market (GLA/CLA), Chevy's market (SMART) and GMC's market (Sprinter) but not so great at the core business that they're known for. 

 

 

Stated as such, I would be inclined to agree.

 

Just for fun, taking out the sales of the GLA/CLA and Mercedes sees a modest 0.7% decline. Since I still believe the CLA probably stole a few sales from the C-Class, they'd probably be just about even for the year with relatively stagnant growth through the rest of the line-up. Still, that's better than Cadillac could manage and nearly 300k sales for year.

 

But what is it if you drop smart and sprinter too?  (I'd also argue against B-Class, but that is insignificant at this point). Mercedes Benz is competing outside their "box" so to speak.  Cadillac is never going to get to the volume Mercedes does unless they fold Buick, the Spark, and the GMC commercial vans into the Cadillac lineup.  Since that isn't going to happen ever, there is no point in comparing the overall numbers of Cadillac and Mercedes.

[Cory Wolfe]

 

296142 29842

 

 

Cadillac is not perfect, yet with all the changes they have gone through over the last 4-6 years, they have come a long way in a short time and the most recent changes have not affected them as much as some people would like everyone to think. With 8 auto lines down double digits, saying MB is the worlds best and can not be faulted I have to raise the BS flag. You have 5 or 6 with my missed GLA sales that have double digit growth, then you have growth in the van and sub compact eco car area but over all MB is not perfect auto company many like to say.

 

For all that GM has done since 2007, they have really made some impressive gains.

 

I think what Dfelt is inelegantly saying (sorry) is that Mercedes is making great inroads into Buick's market (GLA/CLA), Chevy's market (SMART) and GMC's market (Sprinter) but not so great at the core business that they're known for. 

 

 

Stated as such, I would be inclined to agree.

 

Just for fun, taking out the sales of the GLA/CLA and Mercedes sees a modest 0.7% decline. Since I still believe the CLA probably stole a few sales from the C-Class, they'd probably be just about even for the year with relatively stagnant growth through the rest of the line-up. Still, that's better than Cadillac could manage and nearly 300k sales for year.

 

But what is it if you drop smart and sprinter too?  (I'd also argue against B-Class, but that is insignificant at this point). Mercedes Benz is competing outside their "box" so to speak.  Cadillac is never going to get to the volume Mercedes does unless they fold Buick, the Spark, and the GMC commercial vans into the Cadillac lineup.  Since that isn't going to happen ever, there is no point in comparing the overall numbers of Cadillac and Mercedes.

 

 

I never included the Smart/Sprinter in the numbers I quoted, just the Mercedes brand itself.

[William Maley]

 

296142 29842

 

 

Cadillac is not perfect, yet with all the changes they have gone through over the last 4-6 years, they have come a long way in a short time and the most recent changes have not affected them as much as some people would like everyone to think. With 8 auto lines down double digits, saying MB is the worlds best and can not be faulted I have to raise the BS flag. You have 5 or 6 with my missed GLA sales that have double digit growth, then you have growth in the van and sub compact eco car area but over all MB is not perfect auto company many like to say.

 

For all that GM has done since 2007, they have really made some impressive gains.

 

I think what Dfelt is inelegantly saying (sorry) is that Mercedes is making great inroads into Buick's market (GLA/CLA), Chevy's market (SMART) and GMC's market (Sprinter) but not so great at the core business that they're known for. 

 

 

Stated as such, I would be inclined to agree.

 

Just for fun, taking out the sales of the GLA/CLA and Mercedes sees a modest 0.7% decline. Since I still believe the CLA probably stole a few sales from the C-Class, they'd probably be just about even for the year with relatively stagnant growth through the rest of the line-up. Still, that's better than Cadillac could manage and nearly 300k sales for year.

 

But what is it if you drop smart and sprinter too?  (I'd also argue against B-Class, but that is insignificant at this point). Mercedes Benz is competing outside their "box" so to speak.  Cadillac is never going to get to the volume Mercedes does unless they fold Buick, the Spark, and the GMC commercial vans into the Cadillac lineup.  Since that isn't going to happen ever, there is no point in comparing the overall numbers of Cadillac and Mercedes.

 

 

Then Mercedes-Benz would still be ahead. BV's number are Mercedes-Benz (the brand) sales for the year. Also, Sprinter and smart only made a small chunk of Mercedes-Benz's sales for the year.

 

[smk4565]

I thought the C-class could get to 10,000 per month, perhaps in spring when car buying picks up, and they have AMG and a diesel on the way.  I do think it will close the gap a bit more with the 3-series.  I can see near 100,000 C-class sales for 2015.

 

S-class dominates its segment.   The E-class is their oldest car (and oldest in the segment), even with the refresh, that chassis has been on sale since 2010 model year, but they still sell a decent number of them.  A new one comes in spring 2016 which will address that.

 

When you look at the Mercedes sales in 2008 compared to now, they have had solid growth.

[balthazar]

Neither here nor there overall, but to be specific; smart is smart but of course, the sprinter IS a 'mercedes'.
Not sure why it's broken out separately in the totals.

[balthazar]

...there is no point in comparing the overall numbers of Cadillac and Mercedes.

How about vs. another corporate full-line manufacturer, such as GM then?

 

MBUSA :: +  6.7%

GMCo  ::  +19%

[G. David Felt]

 

Cadillac is not perfect, yet with all the changes they have gone through over the last 4-6 years, they have come a long way in a short time and the most recent changes have not affected them as much as some people would like everyone to think. With 8 auto lines down double digits, saying MB is the worlds best and can not be faulted I have to raise the BS flag. You have 5 or 6 with my missed GLA sales that have double digit growth, then you have growth in the van and sub compact eco car area but over all MB is not perfect auto company many like to say.

 

For all that GM has done since 2007, they have really made some impressive gains.

 

I think what Dfelt is inelegantly saying (sorry) is that Mercedes is making great inroads into Buick's market (GLA/CLA), Chevy's market (SMART) and GMC's market (Sprinter) but not so great at the core business that they're known for. 

 

Thank you Drew, I have always been told that I am a bull in a china shop and never the best at clearly stating the marketing / business case. You hit the nail on the head for me. Thank you for the clarification.

[William Maley]

Neither here nor there overall, but to be specific; smart is smart but of course, the sprinter IS a 'mercedes'.

Not sure why it's broken out separately in the totals.

 

I think that Mercedes treats it as a separate brand.

[Drew Dowdell]

 

Neither here nor there overall, but to be specific; smart is smart but of course, the sprinter IS a 'mercedes'.

Not sure why it's broken out separately in the totals.

 

I think that Mercedes treats it as a separate brand.

 

 

Well then should the Freightliner version be counted too?

[balthazar]

How could 'Mercedes' possibly justify calling the "Mercedes Sprinter" a different brand??
 

Problem is, they sort of backed themselves into a corner; eager to trade on the good will coattails of the 'MB' name, they took a tin box Freightliner, rebadged it, and now they CAN'T omit it from sales totals or shared slips on the dealer lot. It's a thorn to the sides of the image-hucksters @ MBUSA.

[William Maley]

 

 

Neither here nor there overall, but to be specific; smart is smart but of course, the sprinter IS a 'mercedes'.

Not sure why it's broken out separately in the totals.

 

I think that Mercedes treats it as a separate brand.

 

 

Well then should the Freightliner version be counted too?

 

No that would be considered as Freightliner (Trying to use Mercedes-Benz logic.. hurting my head).

[Cory Wolfe]

How could 'Mercedes' possibly justify calling the "Mercedes Sprinter" a different brand??

 

Problem is, they sort of backed themselves into a corner; eager to trade on the good will coattails of the 'MB' name, they took a tin box Freightliner, rebadged it, and now they CAN'T omit it from sales totals or shared slips on the dealer lot. It's a thorn to the sides of the image-hucksters @ MBUSA.

 

Not really arguing with the logic, it probably ought to be included.

 

However, it should be noted that the Sprinter is all Mercedes. The Freightliner is the rebadged variant. Also, having said that, it is by far the nicest cargo van I've ever driven save for some cross-wind instability (though MB has since added a system aid to help with it). It was the strangest source of driving enjoyment I've ever found...

[balthazar]

Oh no; if SMK can have the Escalade as a 'rebadged Tahoe', I can have the Sprinter as a rebadged Freightliner.

[G. David Felt]