Fat Cats: What Are The Most Profitable Vehicles Of The Last Two Decades?

What are the most profitable vehicles of modern times? Veteran analyst Max Warburton and his team at Bernstein Research in London came up with a list of the top global money-spinners since 1990.

Warburton said the big winners combined high prices, huge volume and long periods of production that spread development costs over a long period. He found three categories of cash cows: German luxury cars; Japanese mid-sized sedans; and, most lucrative of all, American full-sized pickups. Meanwhile, high-priced Ferraris and Aston Martins provide a huge margins but no volume and big sellers such as the Volkswagen Golf don't offer a big enough margin despite a massive volume.

12 most profitable vehicles since 1990.

1. Ford F series
2. GM full-sized pickups
3. Dodge Ram
4. Mercedes S class
5. BMW 5 series
6. BMW 3 series
7. Mercedes E class
8. Lexus RX SUV
9. Jeep Grand Cherokee
10. Honda Accord
11. Porsche 911
12. Toyota Camry

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Joe_Limon - 11/23/2011 9:10:29 PM

+1 Boost

You don't make money fixing vehicles on warranty...

enthusiastx11 - 11/24/2011 10:52:17 AM

-1 Boost

yeah...i pay a fortune for the regular maintainence on my BMWs. oh right...i don't pay anything except for the $400/each tires.

enthusiastx11 - 11/24/2011 10:52:58 AM

+1 Boost

and by the way, this is about sales profitability NOT dealer service profitability.

100octane - 11/24/2011 1:58:33 PM

+1 Boost

"You do once warranty expires"

says the guy with the GT-R avatar...

100octane - 11/25/2011 10:43:23 AM

-1 Boost

come on, it's not about the launch control, i know they fixed it (after they removed it for one year).

it's about Nissan's terms and conditions in general.

"Exclusions and Limitations to Manufacturers Warranty

Racing, competitive driving of any sort and/or any use on a track or airstrip, or otherwise not operating or maintaining the vehicle as set out in the Owner's Manual and Service and Maintenance Guide;

Operating the vehicle with the Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) off, except when rocking vehicle when stuck in mud or snow;

Not adhering to the service and maintenance requirements set out in the Nissan GT-R Owner's Manual and the Service and Maintenance Guide, including failures resulting from the use of non-Genuine Nissan Parts or required or recommended fluids;

Improper repairs or services rendered at facilities other than Nissan Certified GT-R dealerships;

Failing to have the Performance Optimization Services completed in a timely manner;

Genuine Nissan Parts not intended for use on the GT-R, including NISMO parts not specifically designed and manufactured for application to the GT-R, or any non-Genuine Nissan Parts;

Replacing a GT-R special specification part with a non-GT-R special specification part (see GT-R Owner's Manual for the list of GT-R special specification parts);

Operating the GT-R on a dynamometer, except a dynamometer test performed to comply with applicable local law for emissions testing.

Additionally, some modifications will VOID your GT-R New Vehicle Limited Warranty Coverage. Read your warranty information booklet carefully for specific details of all terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions."

100octane - 11/27/2011 6:44:32 AM

0 Boost

hahaha, i wasn't talking about modifications genius.

you should take a closer look at the first exclusion...

MBCLK500 - 11/24/2011 10:20:34 AM

-1 Boost

In my humble opinion, profitability and quality have nothing to do with one another. US cars (often made in Mexico or Canada) fall apart after 5 to 7 years and 75K miles, German cars will last 15 to 20 years but cost big $$$ to get there, Asian cars (especially South Korean)have gone from junk to top quality & value - they will last 10 years + and they offer long term warranties that back-up the products.