First Responders Break Out The Defibrillators After BMW Sales PLUMMET 18.2% In November

BMW is done in the U.S, they don't even compete anymore. Now handling on #3, not even competitive with Lexus, let alone MB.

Lexus is a Toyota with lipstick smeared on that grotesque spindle grille. It can't even be compared to a BMW. Sorry.

2 Ways to look at this

1) Instead of BMW failing or under-performing, Perhaps the automotive hierarchy has just been restored to traditional ranks. Remember BMW's rise and reign came as Mercedes was undergoing an identity crisis and poor leadership nearly two decades ago via the Chrysler acquisition, declining quality, and greedy German executives. BMW was able to capitalize off of Benz's negligence and rise to a level the company ever imagined in terms of sales.

2) BMW really is failing and fell asleep at the wheel of success, becoming stagnant in terms of interior/exterior designs, however let's remember BMW's "look" has always been more evolution than revolution with the exception of the Bangle era which was widely criticized but credited for BMW's rise to the top sales wise.

BMW has to decide if wants to chase Mercedes again for the #1 spot which I see as a losing battle because when Benz is good, Benz is REALLY Good and has been the longest running top seller in terms of luxury brands

Or

BMW can lose all the excessive niches hone in on its core lineup and values once again making them the undisputed best driving/handling vehicles on the road and making them "feel and look" special again

Looks like buyers are more attracted to the 4 Series Gran Coupe than the 3 Series sedan.

BMW have never been anything special, guess people are starting to see that and the couple of better luxury/performance brands are continuing to rise each month.

BMW should have originally created a i5 sedan and i5x SUV. The i3 and i8 are not volume models. The X7 and 8-Series are 5 years late.

Consumers and enthusiasts have spoken with their hard earned dollars which they are spending elsewhere. It is a wake up call for BMW though not sure they are listening just yet by looks of new 5 series.

There was a time when BMW produced a better small sports sedan - but LOTS of others have caught up with that. However - it is clear that cars are not selling - crossovers are - and it was never clear that BMW made desirable crossovers. So - while they are losing their core business to a change in customer choice - they are not gaining back those sales where the customer is going.

And it is only going to get worse as a number of new players are entering that space too.

This should make Germannut happy :-) JRobusc not so much.

BMW has clearly lost its way and is paying a tremendous price. It has fallen from first place in U.S. and global sales in 2015 to third place in U.S. sales and far behind Mercedes-Benz for first place in global sales in 2016.

Buyers obviously are deciding to purchase competitor's products. I believe this is occurring for 4 reasons:

1) Design stagnation: BMW's designs simply aren't different enough from generation to generation for buyers to want to get the new model. Just look at the new 7-Series and new 5-Series compared to their previous generations. It takes a microscope to figure out what has changed and 99% of people won't be able to tell.

2) Poor quality interiors: BMW's interiors have been widely criticized as being of lower quality and less luxurious than Audi's and now Mercedes-Benz's interiors. BMW's interiors lacks the modern look and technological prowess of Audi's interiors and can't match Mercedes-Benz's richly detailed cockpits.

3) Straying from brand values: For a company who's slogan is the 'Ultimate Driving Machine' BMW hasn't lived up to its core brand value. In the 1990s it was sport first and luxury second. In the 2010s its a poor interpretation of luxury first and a poor interpretation of sport second.

4) Confused Customers: BMW has so many niches and so many variants of models that customers are confused and can't figure out what to buy with so many options. Do they buy a 3-Series or maybe a 4-Series Gran Coupe? A 3-Series GT? A 5-Series or maybe a 6-Series Gran Coupe? An X4 or an X6? There is not enough differentiation between models.

BMW is not taking any action to correct #1, #2 and #4. The new 5-Series is somewhat better than the previous model in terms of driving dynamics but only in top-spec 540i M-Sport trim. It remains to be seen what a regular 530i will do. Given that a 540i M-Sport and M5 will make up a very small percentage of total 5-Series sales, it appears #3 is not changing much at all.

Indeed and I agree.

Given that sedans are collapsing in sales having redundant "sedans" 3/3GT/4GC and 5/5GT/6GC is stupid. The 4GC should be the 3 Series and the 6GC should be the 5 Series. The GCs are simply what the standard sedans should have been.

But I also think Audi is running down the same path of sheer anonymity of styling and driver disengagement.

I would agree but there are also a lot of other options out there. I think their "cache" has lost its luster at least with me. When I was a kid I test drove 3/5 & 6 Series cars and they were lusty, special cars. The 535i had simply gobs of effortless power and handling, it was special. The 6 Series, stunning... now I hear the 5 Series GT (hunchback) is going to be called a 6 Series...seriously?? BMW isn't special anymore or unique. Of course I don't think Mercedes or Audi's are special either. BMW - Ultimate Driving Machine - NO, Mercedes - Cost is no object engineering - NO WAY. Audi - Not sure what they stand for except they all look the same. Thus "other options" are appealing to buyers...

After owning two X5's in 12 years, we're done with BMW. It just doesn't look good to me anymore. Oh and that interior, it's bland, boring, & beaten.

BMW's biggest mistake is not having a more viable product at the entry-level. The 2 Series is too niche, even moreso than the CLA. And the 320i just feels like a cheapened version of the 3 Series vs. an entry-level to the luxury brand. If BMW had a 2 Series sedan that enable them to rival the sales of the CLA and A3, then they would be in the top position. Even Lexus relies on their almost-entry-level ES to bolster their sales. Now, I'm not a fan of a luxury brand using the entry level for competitive sales, but it is what it is and the numbers speak for themselves.

BMW has entry with Mini, but it is too niche to be a volume brand. What they need is to end the sticker shock, offer well equipped models at competitive prices. Though this would break their model of milking customers for resales.

Mini would have had more volume if BMW would have co-branded it in BMW dealerships rather than in stand-alone dealerships.

BMW could easily revive the Triumph name for a series of entry-level cars between Mini and it's boutique pointlessness and where BMW begins.

Triumph Dolomite = B segment crossover
Triumph Stag = C segment crossover