#MercedesSales

Mercedes-Benz is expected to set a new production and sales record this year, its third year in a row for new records.

According to data from Polk, U.S. buyers registered 67,385 BMW vehicles through March this year, topping Mercedes-Benz which saw 62,366 registrations.

In hopes of catching to rival Mercedes-Benz in 2012 sales, BMW is offering its current lessees the opportunity to skip up to three payments if they purchase a brand new or certified pre-owned vehicle. 

For decades, BMW and Mercedes-Benz have been competing for dominance in the luxury car market. In 2011, BMW took the top honors beating its German rival by just 2,715 vehicles sold. The race is even closer now, at least for the end of the first quarter of 2012, with BMW selling a mere 36 more cars than Mercedes.

For the second straight month, Mercedes-Benz topped BMW in sales, bringing them just 1,600 units behind in annual deliveries to its German luxury counterpart. Both brands are trying to replace Lexus, who has been at the top of the luxury sales list for the past 11 years, and this years’ race is probably the closest.