Photo: Audi
The 2015 Audi A3 has only been on sale in the U.S. for a few months now, but in that short time, this compact luxury sedan has definitely made its presence known. Not only is the Audi A3 swaying customers away from Honda and Toyota showrooms, but now it looks like the entry-level Audi is stealing customers from its key rival, Mercedes-Benz.
According to a report from Bloomberg, the 2015 Audi A3 has been outselling the Mercedes CLA-Class almost two to one. Looking at Audi’s sales reports, it has sold 7,735 units sold through June. Not only is this more sales than the CLA-Class over the same three-month period (4,447), it’s also not too far off the pace for CLA sales year-to-date (10,576). These YTD CLA sales are about as many as the car experienced in its first three months on the market last year (September to October).
Making the picture look even bleaker for Mercedes, Audi hasn’t even launched the entire line of A3 models in the U.S. yet. Coming later this summer, the A3 lineup will grow to include the efficient A3 TDI, the drop-top A3 Cabriolet and the sporty S3 sedan; not to mention the A3 Sportback e-tron plug-in hybrid that will be arriving early next year. With the exception of the S3, the CLA has no answers for the A3.
The Bloomberg report also gives us our first look at the transaction prices for both of these premium compact sedans. With both cars starting at $29,900, the average transaction price for the 2015 Audi A3 was $32,530 last month compared to $38,571 for the 2014 Mercedes CLA-Class. With transaction prices in the low-$30,000 range, the A3 is able to compete against mid-size sedan like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry.
The A3 is helping attract younger customers, too, and the article points out that Audi has one of the youngest median ages for its buyers who average 51-years-old. While this isn’t young in most senses, it is for the luxury segment where the average Mercedes buyer is 56-years-old and the average Lexus buyer is 62-years-old.
Making the picture look even bleaker for Mercedes, Audi hasn’t even launched the entire line of A3 models in the U.S. yet. Coming later this summer, the A3 lineup will grow to include the efficient A3 TDI, the drop-top A3 Cabriolet and the sporty S3 sedan; not to mention the A3 Sportback e-tron plug-in hybrid that will be arriving early next year. With the exception of the S3, the CLA has no answers for the A3.
The Bloomberg report also gives us our first look at the transaction prices for both of these premium compact sedans. With both cars starting at $29,900, the average transaction price for the 2015 Audi A3 was $32,530 last month compared to $38,571 for the 2014 Mercedes CLA-Class. With transaction prices in the low-$30,000 range, the A3 is able to compete against mid-size sedan like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry.
The A3 is helping attract younger customers, too, and the article points out that Audi has one of the youngest median ages for its buyers who average 51-years-old. While this isn’t young in most senses, it is for the luxury segment where the average Mercedes buyer is 56-years-old and the average Lexus buyer is 62-years-old.
Google News