Germans Continue The Sales Pace In To The Fourth Quarter

Or if you were to look at YTD results, the headline would then say:

Audi leads the way with a 23.6% increase
Mercedes Benz continues forward with a 16.9% gain
BMW moves forward 9.2%

Or "BMW and Audi both up 14k units YTD but Mercedes rocking with 24k increase". Or "Mercedes giving away E-class leases working -- up 24k units". It's easy to make headlines match whatever bias you choose. You chose Audi.

All three marques did well in September. However, I think that the YTD figures are more telling. As JustaCar pointed out, Audi had the largest YTD increase of all three. Audi's 2010 YTD performance is even more impressive when one considers that Audi's 2009 percentage sales gain rate over 2008 was larger than that of BMW and Mercedes. (Someone correct me if my memory is wrong regarding that last sentence.)

Lest JRobUSC or some other blogger accuse me of preference for Audi because my moniker is "Audiphile", I should inform you that I no longer own an Audi. Currently I am the proud owner of a 2007 Mercedes-Benz S600. As a matter of fact, over the years I have owned two Audis, BMWs, and two Mercedes-Benzes. Thus I think I'm a pretty objective judge of automotive machinery, but my purchasing history clearly indicates a preference for German marques. I am glad that Audi, BMW and Mercedes compete so vigorously against one another, so I can pick and choose what I consider to be the best model for me.

P.S. - In addition to the aforementioned Audi, BMW and Mercedes, over the last three years I also seriously considered buying the Cadillac CTS, the Ford Taurus SHO, the Infiniti M, and the Jaguar XF and XJ, but I didn't buy any of these models because they didn't meet all three of the following criteria - I had to like them, afford them AND fit into them. (I'm 6'4" tall, and I like to drive while seated upright and with my legs stretched out.)

I'm glad you've seen the err of your ways and have chosen the S600. Good work! :-)

Wow BMW and Mercedes sell over twice as many vehicles as audi.

JRob sleeps in his Bimmer no surprise there.

Truth of the matter though is that Audi is gonna have a tough time catching up.

BMW is coming out with some very catchy models (new 6er, 5er). And the refreshed 7 and new F30 look like they will not disappoint. Not to mention the new BMW Vision supercar.

Audi on the other hand rode a big high with their A5/S5 and R8. But the new A7 I think most people will agree is a let-down and the new A8 while it has an impeccable interior is booorish on the outside. Audi's new design element is clearly the squared off monolithic look (new A8,A7 Quattro concept). Simply put it's boring. If Audi wants to truly be no.1 they are going to need to inject more visual flair into their future designs and bring sexy back.

For instance, they could make a 4 dr R8........

I've seen photos of the new A8, and I agree with you that the car is boooring on the outside. (The new A8's underwhelming impression is one reason I bought the Benz now rather than wait for the A8.) However, I haven't seen the car in the flesh - er, aluminum, so I guess I better wait until I can actually see one before I pass judgement. I hope for Audi's sake that their flagship model is more attractive than the photos indicate.
The new A7 looks sleek in the photos, but I fear that the car's sleek roof means that my head will hit the ceiling.
I haven't seen any photos of the new A6, but I presume that it will simply be an A7 with a taller roof.

Sales prove otherwise, trends prove otherwise. The new 5 is a let down, the new 6 brings nothing new or inspiring, the X6 has no identity, and the 7 has to resort to new electronics to bring something new because in the driving realm, it is not superior to the A8.

Audi will bring the Q5 hybrid, the A4 TDI, the R4 or quattro concept which looks awesome, the TT-RS, the A1, and possibly the electric versions as well... clearly all of these models are intended to substantially increase sales (no additional small market R8-type halo car is needed when Audi already has one which dominates GT racing).

BMW and MB used to lead by 3 or 4 times the Audi sales. That is down to 2 times and diminishing. These are facts, not opinions.

German Cars Suck!

LOL. If "German cars suck" and your handle is "LexSucks", what brand of car DO you prefer, for curiosity's sake?

He's being sarcastic I believe.