BMW's Outgoing 3 Series Sales Jumped 46% in Q3 — While the iX Nearly Disappeared
BMW's U.S. sales rose 3.4% in the third quarter, led by a 46% jump for the soon-to-be-replaced 3 Series, while iX sales fell 96% to just 121.
The fastest-growing car in BMW's U.S. lineup last quarter is the one it is about to replace. Sales of the current 3 Series rose 46.4% in the third quarter to 11,256, BMW of North America reported on Oct. 1, just months before the eighth-generation sedan reaches dealers. At the other end of the table, the electric iX almost vanished: 121 sales, down from 3,136 a year earlier.
Overall, BMW brand sales rose 3.4% to 100,210, and they're up 4.3% for the year at 287,154. That put BMW ahead of Lexus, whose division sold 93,056 vehicles in the quarter, up 1.6%, according to Toyota Motor North America. Mercedes-Benz USA hadn't released third-quarter figures at the time of writing. The new 3 Series and the electric i3 debuted on Sept. 29 and reach U.S. dealers early next year; our guide to the new 3 Series covers prices, engines and range.
Old models, strong numbers
The 3 Series is up 37.3% through September, to 29,987. BMW doesn't explain the jump, and it doesn't break the total down by version, so there's no way to tell how much came from the 330i, the M340i or the M3. Its release also says nothing about incentives, so the surge can't be put down to discounting.
BMW's SUVs did most of the heavy lifting. The X3 remained the brand's best seller at 22,457, up 7.0%, and the X5 rose 21.5% to 22,213. BMW says the redesigned X5 is in showrooms now, but its sales table doesn't split the quarter between the outgoing and new models. The X6 gained 20.2% to 3,795, and the X2 was up 29.1% to 2,406.
What it means if you're shopping for a 3 Series
The replacement costs more. BMW has priced the 2027 330 from $49,900, the 330 xDrive from $51,900, the M350 xDrive from $65,900, and the electric i3 50 xDrive from $61,500, all plus $1,350 for destination, per its launch release. The current 330i lists at $48,000 on BMW's U.S. website, $1,900 less than the new base car.
That leaves a real choice between a proven car available now and a new one that's still months away and hasn't been rated by the EPA. We break down the new lineup in how the 330, M350 xDrive and i3 compare.
The iX and X4 all but disappeared
The iX's 96.1% drop leaves it at 3,566 sales for the year, down 63.9%. The X4 fell by the same percentage, to 72 from 1,826. BMW's release doesn't give a reason for either decline, and it doesn't say whether either model has ended production.
Plug-in hybrid sales rose 23.2%, but BMW's combined electric and plug-in hybrid sales fell 24.9%. The company blames "current market conditions and a planned model changeover" without naming the model. It also says preorder deliveries of the electric iX3 and the new i7 have begun to count toward its EV sales. The iX3 doesn't get its own line in the table, and BMW doesn't say which row it sits in. For more on the U.S. iX3, see how it differs from China's long-wheelbase version.
BMW isn't alone. A year ago, buyers were rushing to claim the $7,500 federal EV tax credit before it expired on Sept. 30, 2025, which makes the year-on-year comparison tough for everyone. GM's EV sales fell 62%, as we noted in our roundup of third-quarter sales.
Several BMW cars slipped, too. The 5 Series fell 20.6% to 6,016, the 7 Series dropped 10.1% to 2,539, and the 8 Series fell 43.4% to 484. MINI sales fell 10.2% to 6,531, led by a 28.1% drop for the Countryman, and BMW of North America's combined total rose 2.5% to 106,741.
"Response to the Neue Klasse has been very encouraging," said Sebastian Mackensen, president and CEO of BMW of North America.
The next test comes early next year, when the new 3 Series and i3 reach dealers. Before then, watch for EPA ratings for both cars and for an explanation from BMW of what is happening with the iX and X4.
