Mercedes-Benz sells 499,700 vehicles in Q1 2026
Posted by Quick_Coyote_7649@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 46 comments
Key notes for the body text are summarized due to the insufferable automated filter for posts. Detailed key notes ànd additional ones are in the comment section.
-Mercedes-Benz Group’s Q1 2026 U.S. sales are 90,120
-BMW Group’s Q1 2026 U.S. sales are 84,231
-Audi’s Q1 2026 U.S. sales are 37,156
TryharderJB@reddit
I’m willing to bet that Audi’s numbers have something to do with the awful badge and interior redesigns.
bane_undone@reddit
Audi made multiple bets on having a huge lineup of SUVs that ended up cannibalizing each other. Small and midsize sedans/wagons for them was their sweet spot IMO and haven’t seen much from them there.
Potential-Ant-6320@reddit
I have an a4 all road wagon and now they don’t make it anymore. Not a lot of wagon options. If I have to get a suv or sedan I want a Cadillac.
ZeDestructor@reddit
You can say the same about BMW and especially Merc, so IMO that line of thought doesn't really hold up.
Quick_Coyote_7649@reddit (OP)
I defintely agree on this. I can’t even tell most of their SUVs apart asides the full size ànd just about full size ones
Tennessean@reddit
I have the full size and I can’t tell it from the Q5 and unless I catch it at the right angle I can’t tell it from the Q3 either.
Quick_Coyote_7649@reddit (OP)
That’s insane lol. I’ve always thought the Q7 was a GLS/X7 competitor too ànd it apparently it’s a GLE/X5/6 competitor although it’s quite big. The foolishness extends because for whatever reason the coupe of the Q7 is called the Q8
Tennessean@reddit
Yeah, it's slightly more spacious than an X5, but our has had shit reliability so we'll be switching to the BMW. We don't really use the 3rd row anyway.
Quick_Coyote_7649@reddit (OP)
What issues were the reliability ones?
Verybumpy@reddit
Audi needs to drop the screens and setup up their interior game.
DodgerBlueRobert1@reddit
Their interiors were so much better in the 2010's.
cat_prophecy@reddit
They were peak from the early 2000s until then.
SnowDucks1985@reddit
All the Germans have the big screens, the issue with Audi is more the exterior designs and interior quality downgrades. Horrific reliability as well
rosd0@reddit
Yeah, no idea what that is all about. Their interior was quality in the 2000-2015ish
Several-Eggplant4460@reddit
Bruh I hate the screens too, but that's one area where all 3 of them are heading down the same stupid hole.
uberdosage@reddit
The screens aren't hurting mercedes
willpc14@reddit
Mercedes has way more badge/brand appeal than Audi
18voltbattery@reddit
Lower case letters didn’t do the trick?
Windows-XP-Home-NEW@reddit
They can’t be as bad as MB’s current interiors so I don’t think this is it.
IndividualBarber7681@reddit
I'm not sure it's that. I think they just don't have a target audience that's excited about them. Like, I know (on paper) an S3 is the right choice for my next car but I'm having a really hard time getting excited about the design.
Basic-Afternoon65@reddit
We went to see the new Q5 and it was a hard no for both me and wife. I hated the touch screen everything and see hated everything else. On top of it, there's no mild hybrid in Q5 either.
Quick_Coyote_7649@reddit (OP)
I think so too, really would add up because 13% is a big drop
Car-face@reddit
I expect that will reverse slightly in the coming years even with dampened sales in China for now - MMA is a decent platform and gives them the flexibility that pretty much everyone is trying to find at the moment. Solid hybrids, solid PHEVs, solid BEVs on the one platform at the higher volume end of the market means they'll probably do well in expanding sales over the next few years in most markets.
As long as they sort our their styling and HMI.
Quick_Coyote_7649@reddit (OP)
Yeah defintely so.
As the models age more and more sales will decrease or jusr remain about the same every quarter.
Fiveby21@reddit
Okay, can we have some context? A big number by itself doesn't mean anything. Is this an increase? Decrease? What about this is newsworthy?
Quick_Coyote_7649@reddit (OP)
My body text says where you can find the context. Plus there’s a link that gives you additional info. If that’s not sufficient for you then you must research the matter yourself.
V8-Turbo-Hybrid@reddit
Their Chinese sales is still down... I really wonder they able to get recover there.
Facelift S-Class and upcoming VLE are definitely keys for that market.
TheReaperSovereign@reddit
BMWs numbers are largely due to 4 and 5 series. Sales for those models were down 50% and 26% respectively compared to q1 2025. Their EV sales were down 50% as well
They still have solid growth with the 3 series and x5 and the new x3 that reddit has a hate boner for was 58% sales increase
We'll see how the rest of the year shakes out. BMW has 3 consecutive record years in NA and has more new products coming out this year.
V8-Turbo-Hybrid@reddit
No more people are buying coupe and large sedan, so that makes sense. This's reason why Audi just killed its real coupe A5 and A8.
hughcifer-106103@reddit
I think the fact that they’re launching the neu klasse/2027 models this year is probably getting people to hold off from buying now
bschmidt25@reddit
The current X5 is really nice and still fresh, even though it’s nearing the end of its run. I am not a big fan of the new 5 series. It’s nice but really devoid of how a BMW should drive and feel. It’ll be interesting to see how the new Neue Klasse 3 series does when that rolls out. Hopefully it’s still fun to drive.
eZreazy@reddit
If the new X5 comes out with the same quality as the current 5 series it’s a major step back. The current X5 is just amazing man.
bschmidt25@reddit
It really is. I have a F15 (previous gen) X5 and, while that's a pretty nice car too, the current facelifted X5 blows it out of the water. It's damn near perfect for a mid-size SUV.
eZreazy@reddit
Yeah the previous gen really was just so good. And this is coming from someone that almost went for the 550e or the i5, I think I’m higher than most on the current gen 5 series but I’ve also had a good amount of seat time in the current X5 and I think it’s another level.
Quick_Coyote_7649@reddit (OP)
Surorised to hear that especially about the 4. I like the way it looks a lot
TheReaperSovereign@reddit
They moved a ton of them last quarter. Nearly 12k units. Was probably impossible to match that
Quick_Coyote_7649@reddit (OP)
Ah I see thanks for the intel
SnowDucks1985@reddit
Ouch Audi lmaoo 😭😭😭😭
Quick_Coyote_7649@reddit (OP)
It’s insane lol
SnowDucks1985@reddit
Hip lol, I’m curious if someone could get an Audi for cheaper now. If I were at a dealer, I’d be fishing for markdowns and would the sales guy the Audi reports lmaoo
FMJoey325@reddit
Then you’d have to spend your money on an Audi which is evidently rather unpopular
SnowDucks1985@reddit
Frying me lol
Quick_Coyote_7649@reddit (OP)
They probably can lol. I don’t think there’s many Audi models if àny model that à dealer could give Hyundai palisade treatment about
Big_Size_2519@reddit
3 dragon meme.
Quick_Coyote_7649@reddit (OP)
Blue eyes white dragon type stuff lol
Quick_Coyote_7649@reddit (OP)
Key notes:
-Strong sales growth in the U.S. & Europe offset à sales slump in China
-EV sales increased by 9% year over year
The CLA is leading sales for their ev lineup while the GLC trails it. Mercedes-Benz has received enough orders for The ev variants of the CLA, GLC, and GLB, for order intake to go as far as the second half of this year.
-Their sales in China had a 27% decrease in sales
-Their top end segment increased in sales by 25%
The order intake for the Benz trim of the newly facelifted S-Class is also well above Mercedes-Benz’s expectations.
-Global sales are down by 9% year over year although excluding China, their up by 5%
-U.S. sales increased by 20%
-Europe’s sales increased by 7%