Buick's sales last month were the highest they've been since September 2007, something that the GM subsidiary attributes to an enhanced buying experience and excitement over new models.
Offerings such as the LaCrosse and the new Verano have helped lure buyers from brands more readily associated with luxury, Buick says.
"We just opened a brand new facility here, and our first customers traded in a Lexus RS350 for a new Buick Enclave," Mike Joyce, owner of Joyce Buick GMC in Avon, Ohio, said in a statement. "They were amazed by our building and noted it was nicer than the local Lexus dealer."
"We've taken in a Lexus ES350 and a Volkswagen CC from Regal Turbo customers," he added. "And it isn't just the trade-ins that are changing. Our demographics are changing quickly - we just delivered a Verano to a recent college grad - and I think awareness of the Buick brand is at a new high in our area."
Nationwide, sales were up 8 percent over August of 2011, but some large cities saw increases that were much more significant. Buick dealers in Los Angeles saw sales increase 28 percent, while their Pittsburgh counterparts saw a rise of 26 percent; and dealers in San Francisco and Philadelphia experienced rises of 15 and 12 percent, respectively.
Leasing has increased from 15 percent of Buicks rolling off of dealer lots to 35 percent, since the company introduced the "Experience Buick" leasing program in the middle of March. The program allows for 24-month leases that include in the monthly payments such premium options as SiriusXM satellite radio, OnStar Directions and Connections, and oil changes.
"With updated facilities, strong leasing options, and a young, growing product line, Buick is a healthy, modern luxury brand," said Brian Sweeney, vice president of Buick Sales and Service. "As a result we're seeing more young, affluent car buyers coming in to test drive a Buick."
Verano has experienced sales increases for each of the nine months it has been on the market. The existence of the Verano allows Buick's Regal to "focus on its role as a sportier, more technology-packed vehicle with eAssist fuel efficiency technology standard and a turbocharged engine available," the company said.
The Regal GS sport sedan last month experienced its best sales month since it joined the market last year.
Sales of Buick's Enclave SUV were better in August than in any other month of 2012.
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