Acura Can’t Even Beat Buick in a 2023 Popularity Contest
The Buick nameplate is somewhat of an oddball in the luxury segment. These cars aren’t as high-class as Cadillacs, but they’re fancier than most of your average GM models. That’s why they’re outshined by so many of their luxury rivals, but Acura isn’t one of them. Let’s see where Acura and Buick currently rank in terms of 2023 sales.
Buick is more popular than Acura this year
In July 2022, Buick hadn’t even breached 30,000 sales yet. However, by the end of this year’s second quarter, Buick had sold 42,753 vehicles. It also doubled its year-to-date sales in the first quarter of 2023, moving over 38,000 units. Acura sales came close to matching Buick’s pace this summer but only managed to sell 40,177 units. For Q1 2023, the automaker posted a total of 33,465 units sold.
Are Acura’s sales too low to recover in 2023?
Acura sales are already off to a good start for this year’s Q3 period, with over 12,000 units sold so far. However, while the brand still made a decent profit in 2022, its YTD sales were down each quarter compared to 2021. If you can believe it, Acura managed to sell over 50,000 cars in Q2 2021.
It’s clear Acura still has some stamina to recover if it wants to stand out amongst the competition. Mercedes-Benz, which sold approximately 95,670 vehicles in Q2, is its biggest rival. Lexus and BMW aren’t far behind. Acura still has the edge over a few luxury brands, but many of those cars have price ranges far beyond Acura models.
Which Acura and Buick models are the most popular right now?
The Buick Encore GX currently appears to be driving the majority of this automaker’s profits. Approximately 18,054 models were sold last quarter, close to a 50% jump in YTD sales. The 2024 model, which was released late last spring, features an attractive new exterior and some upgraded tech inside.
A 137-hp three-cylinder engine and a continuously variable transmission power the base model. Other trims feature a different 155-hp three-cylinder engine with a nine-speed automatic transmission. A Buick Encore GX with an upgraded powertrain also benefits from standard all-wheel drive.
Neither engine showcases an outstanding amount of power, but it’s plenty to propel a subcompact SUV like this one. Every Buick Encore GX also has a fully digital instrument cluster and an 11-inch touchscreen with wireless smartphone support. This SUV also has an attractive MSRP for frugal shoppers, starting at a mere $25,600.
About 13,500 shoppers bought a new Buick Envision in the past three months. This is a slightly bigger SUV with a singular 228-hp turbo-four engine option. One of its most notable qualities is its abundance of safety features in the standard trim. You get many desirable collision preventative functions along with a safety alert seat and safe following distance monitor.
With 16,741 units sold this past quarter, the MDX SUV is one of the big headliners in Acura sales for 2023. All trims run on V6 power, with a turbocharger thrown in for the Type S model. The second-row seats feature reclining and sliding buttons, plus you can remove the middle seat for extra space if needed. However, the MDX also features a frustrating trackpad-operated infotainment display that could be impacting its sales.
According to GoodCarBadCar, the rest of the Acura lineup isn’t nearly as successful as the MDX. The Acura Integra and RDX sold nearly 9,000 units each in Q2 2023. The Acura TLX, another sedan option, sold 5,762 units. All of these cars are more popular than they were last year. Still, the Buick Envision and Encore GX’s growth rates are even more impressive.
