Lexus, BMW sales rise as leases boost demand

Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lexus and Bayerische Motoren Werke AG's namesake brand posted U.S. sales gains for November as greater availability of leases helped bring customers back to luxury-auto makers' showrooms.

Sales at Lexus, the top-selling brand in the segment, rose 14 percent from a year earlier to 18,500 cars and sport-utility vehicles, according to a statement today from the Toyota City, Japan-based company. BMW, which ranks second, reported an increase of 3.2 percent to 15,708.

Luxury-vehicle sales were aided by the return to leasing, Art Spinella, president of consulting firm CNW Research, said in an e-mail. Lexus's increase in deliveries was its third in a row, and Munich-based BMW posted gains in two of the past three months.

"Leasing has been reborn, and luxury vehicles have the highest lease penetration of any segment," said Spinella, who is based in Bandon, Oregon. Leases now account for about 40 percent of luxury-vehicle sales, after dropping to 32 percent last year, he said.

Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz, No. 3 in U.S. luxury-auto sales, reported a 19 percent climb to 16,797 vehicles. The automaker is based in Stuttgart, Germany.

Porsche AG, also based in Stuttgart, said sales rose 18 percent to 1,626 vehicles. General Motor Co.'s Cadillac division had a 10 percent gain to 9,721, according to a statement from the Detroit-based automaker.

Ford Motor Co.'s Lincoln brand fell 20 percent to 6,409 vehicles, according to a statement from the Dearborn, Michigan- based automaker. Yokohama, Japan-based Nissan Motor Co.'s Infiniti reported a decline of 26 percent to 5,644.

November had 23 selling days, two fewer than last year.