The online popularity of the best luxury car brands in the world is a reliable predictor of future sales and the trends that are shaping the global automobile industry. Navigating the luxe lanes of the digital highway, 2024 brings a subtle shuffle in the most popular luxury car brands online. Holding the pack-leading position, BMW jump-starts interest with the sparkling debut of the electrified i5.
Not to be outdone, Mercedes-Benz shifts gears, accelerating past Audi with an electric roar from the forthcoming G-Wagon EQG and the blistering C63 S E Performance. Making the biggest move on the list, Tesla jolts seven spots up, spurred by the Cybertruck’s charged entrance. Porsche moves up a spot without many changes, while Volvo, Ferrari, and Land Rover drop slightly despite showcasing enticing new electric cars.
$665B
size of the global luxury cars market by 2027.
The global luxury car industry is much more dynamic than luxury fashion, watches, and jewelry, and changes since last year are extreme. Each brand’s journey this year marks a distinct path of innovation and sustainability. The evolving legacies join electrified ambitions, crafting a saga to redefine luxury automotive excellence.
This is the third year that we have applied our rigorous online popularity ranking to the car market. The methodology has indeed proven its usefulness with our list of the best luxury brands online.
The 15 Most Popular Luxury Car Brands Online
Questions? See our methodology, definitions, and frequently asked questions at the end of this article.
1. BMW
With a spark of electric allure and cutting-edge innovation, BMW holds the top spot as the most popular luxury brand online with a commanding 24% of search interest. It drives boldly into the limelight featuring an exhilarating mix of tradition and transformation.
The usual BMW sporty spirit joins eco-friendly prowess with a new generation of the BMW 5 Series, including the introduction of the electrified i5. The BMW 4 Series also ushers in major changes featuring sharper exterior designs and big performance upgrades.
Excitement continues around the corner through a bold concept car and a new era of BMW model generation, named the Neue Klasse. Amidst the glowing competition in the EV market, BMW keeps its cool with serious sustainable strides and a timeless appeal other luxury brands envy.
| Country of origin: | Germany |
| Most popular models: | BMW 3 Series, BMW X5, BMW X1, BMW G310RR |
| Average starting price: | $46,400 |
Online interest for BMW over time
2. Mercedes-Benz
Leaping over Audi into the number two spot, Mercedes-Benz dazzles the automotive stage with an emphasis on luxurious advancements and modern renovations.
Between teasing the upcoming all-electric G-Wagon EQG and creating the quickest C Class ever, the C63 S E Performance, this luxury brand shifts from revs to volts with ferocious acceleration.
Mercedes also continues pleasing the people with multiple spots on the best luxury SUVs and formidable Brabus creations. It even hits a high note for combustion-engine enthusiasts with the new Mercedes-AMG GT, harnessing a 4.0L twin-turbo V-8 under the hood.
The future of Mercedes-Benz looks electrifyingly promising as a leader in luxury automotive design and technology.
Learn more about Mercedes Benz.
| Country of origin: | Germany |
| Most popular models: | Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Mercedes-Benz A-Class |
| Average starting price: | $60,000 |
Online interest for Mercedes-Benz over time
3. Audi
Maintaining nearly 15% of search interest yet falling one spot from last year, Audi sits at number three on the list of the most popular luxury brands online.
This prominent German car brand stays in the fast lane of innovation with the exciting debut of the Audi Q6 e-tron electric SUV and teasing the upcoming A6 e-tron. It stole headlines around the world by using an electric-drive RS Q e-tron to win the brutal Dakar Rally. And the A3 continues to hit big numbers as one of the best-selling cars of 2024.
At the same time, Audi says goodbye to the cherished and sporty Audi R8 and TT models. This luxury brand hasn’t overlooked its commitment to electrification and steers straight into an enticing future.
| Country of origin: | Germany |
| Most popular models: | Audi A3, Audi A4, Audi Q8 e-tron |
| Average starting price: | $70,000 |
Online interest for Audi over time
4. Tesla
Fueled by a dynamic blend of Cybertruck’s high-voltage introduction and a refreshed lineup of established models, Tesla’s online popularity surged up seven spots from last year. This luxury car brand maintains its stance at the forefront of the EV revolution.
As deliveries of the Tesla Cybertruck ramp up, the futuristic design and robust performance are there to exceed expectations. The continued buzz is not without the ongoing criticism, which doesn’t phase the enthusiastic fans loving the new electric truck, complete with up to 834 horsepower and 470 miles (756 km) on a single charge. Model 3 now brings a sleeker design and improved amenities.
The growing anticipation for the second-generation Tesla Roadster and consistent groundbreaking tech ensure Tesla’s continued success.
| Country of origin: | United States |
| Most popular models: | Tesla Model 3, Tesla Model Y, Tesla Model S |
| Average starting price: | $115,000 |
Online interest for Tesla over time
5. Porsche
Making it clear that staying at the top doesn’t require significant shakeups, Porsche stands tall against the luxury brand behemoths with only minor enhancements across the board.
The redesigned Panamera is this Volkswagen Group brand’s most exhilarating update. Yet it sticks to small styling changes, an updated V-6 powertrain, and other understated modifications. The 911’s 60th birthday deserves some praise, celebrated with an exclusive 911 S/T variant boasting performance beyond that of the GT3.
The Taycan’s range gets a bump up while the Cayenne S leaves the V-6 behind for a twin-turbo V-8, a change opposite the industry trend. Drivers craving speed and luxury can remain confident in the Porsche logo’s ability to deliver.
| Country of origin: | Germany |
| Most popular models: | Porsche Macan, Porsche 911, Porsche Cayenne |
| Average starting price: | $175,000 |
Online interest for Porsche over time
6. Volvo
The relentless pursuit of safety and sustainability shines bright in Volvo’s 21st-century growth. Although it drops two spots on the list of the most popular luxury brands, there’s no doubting its prominence in the growing EV market.
The Swedish car brand’s 2024 updates include the release of two new fully-electric models. The Volvo EX90 is poised to take the throne as the brand’s flagship SUV, with nearly 500 horsepower and ~300 miles (480k km) on a single charge. The new EX30 hits the other end of the spectrum, providing chic styling and zippy electric acceleration on a smaller Volvo SUV platform.
Volvo’s strategy to blend luxurious touches with environmental responsibility ensures a smooth ride into the future of automotive design.
| Country of origin: | Sweden |
| Most popular models: | Volvo XC60, Volvo EX90, Volvo EX30 |
| Average starting price: | $45,000 |
Online interest for Volvo over time
7. Lexus
Swimming against the current, Lexus rides into 2024 with just one fully electric option and most changes hitting its larger SUVs. Yet this Japanese car brand gathers almost 5% of search interest to maintain a spot within the top ten luxury carmakers.
The 2024 TX is the new family-friendly SUV with multiple drivetrains including hybrid and plug-in hybrid options. The GX mid-size SUV received a rugged overhaul with a boxy shape and terrain-focused improvements. And the Lexus RX continues to spark interest as one of the best electric cars.
Many other Lexus cars are more enticing than ever by moving optional upgrades to the standard trim levels. Larger wheel sizes, improved infotainment screens, and abundant new paint options fill out the list of new 2024 Lexus offerings.
| Country of origin: | Japan |
| Most popular models: | Lexus RX, Lexus GX, Lexus NX |
| Average starting price: | $63,000 |
Online interest for Lexus over time
8. Ferrari
Unwavering elegance and heart-pounding performance is a special combination that many strive for but few achieve. Ferrari has what it takes and gleefully continues forward, seamlessly shifting through the curves of Monaco and beyond.
With record-breaking sales and demand far exceeding supply, there’s no questioning this Italian car brand’s popularity. Although it fell one position on this list of the most popular luxury car brands online, big changes in 2024 are coming through the intake.
Lewis Hamilton shook the motorsports world by announcing his departure from Mercedes-Benz to the Ferrari Formula 1 team. And three new prancing horse models are expected in 2024, including a hypercar LaFerrari successor, a potential 812 Superfast replacement, and an unknown model.
| Country of origin: | Italy |
| Most popular models: | Ferrari Dino, Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona, Ferrari F40 |
| Average starting price: | $410,000 |
Online interest for Ferrari over time
9. Lamborghini
Although it’s down one spot from last year on this list, Lamborghini hits 2024 with a roar that’s turning heads and sending pulses racing.
Meet the Lamborghini Revuelto, the latest hypercar to join the raging bull’s stable. It marks a bold step into the hybrid era while holding tradition close to heart, embracing the electric performance as the naturally aspirated V-12 continues to sing.
Looking ahead, Lamborghini unveiled plans to make a groundbreaking leap into the electric vehicle market in 2028 with the Lanzador. The brand’s iconic design ethos meets cutting-edge EV technology, carrying the Lamborghini legacy forward into the next-generation technology. Will it leave more of the rarest cars in the world in its wake before the big transformation?
| Country of origin: | Italy |
| Most popular models: | Lamborghini Revuelto, Lamborghini Gallardo, Lamborghini Aventador |
| Average starting price: | $340,000 |
Online interest for Lamborghini over time
10. Land Rover
Sliding down one spot on this list of luxury car brands, Land Rover continues to let the good times roll. Coming a long way from the original 1948 Land Rover, one of the best classic cars, 2024 changes include a tweak to Range Rover’s hybrid powertrain and a new iteration of the Range Rover Sport EV, now reaching over 600 horsepower.
The upcoming Defender Octa pushes the British car brand’s pioneering spirit forward, harnessing a twin-turbo mild-hybrid V-8 to create the most powerful Defender ever.
As Land Rover’s evolution continues, it blends storied heritage with forward-thinking technology through two upcoming EV models, a Range Rover RV in 2025 and a Defender Sport EV in 2027.
| Country of origin: | United Kingdom |
| Most popular models: | Land Rover Discovery Sport, Land Rover Range Rover, Land Rover Defender |
| Average starting price: | $145,000 |
Online interest for Land Rover over time
11. Cadillac
This American car brand is firing on all cylinders and battery cells, allowing it to climb up one spot in the list of the most popular luxury car brands online.
The spotlight shines brightest on its revolutionary ultra-luxurious Cadaillas Celestiq, an electric vehicle with a bespoke production model and a starting price near $340,000. As the new 2024 introduction, it signifies an upmarket shift for the long-standing brand. The always-popular Cadillac Escalade will be following the electric ride with an IQ electric variant in 2025.
Yet Cadillac also remains committed to its stylish CT4 and CT5 models, with the high-performance V and Blackwing speed demons still drawing big crowds.
| Country of origin: | United States |
| Most popular models: | Cadillac XT4, Cadillac Escalade, Cadillac Lyriq |
| Average starting price: | $55,000 |
Online interest for Cadillac over time
12. Jaguar
2024 marks a historic year for Jaguar and its 75 years of sports car production. To celebrate, it released a limited-edition F-Type 75 with a smorgasbord of upgrades. But the significance of this year goes far beyond the passage of time.
Jaguar has announced a major shakeup, ending production on its entire current lineup later this year and coming back to the market with the 2025 Jaguar GT, an all-electric performance car set to be the most powerful Jaguar ever made. Perhaps it will make another showing as a James Bond car.
Although Jaguar dropped two spots this year, it’s putting it all on the table for a future payoff.
| Country of origin: | United Kingdom |
| Most popular models: | Jaguar F-PACE, Jaguar XF, Jaguar E-Pace |
| Average starting price: | $65,000 |
Online interest for Jaguar over time
13. Chrysler
Despite a dwindling lineup, Chrysler holds the number 13 spot on the list of popular car brands.
The brand has had a severely limited selection for some years, with only minivan options and one sedan heading off the Chrysler showroom floors. And in 2024, the sole sedan, the Chrysler 300, was discontinued.
How does it still keep search interest? A refreshed electric portfolio coming in 2025. The Chrysler Airflow concept seems to be a fairly standard crossover EV, but the Chrysler Halcyon concept is a sci-fi-inspired odyssey into the unknown, with a lounge-like cabin and a unique exterior shape straight from your imagination.
| Country of origin: | United States |
| Most popular models: | Chrysler 300, Chrysler Pacifica |
| Average starting price: | $36,000 |
Online interest for Chrysler over time
14. Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo enters 2024 with exciting updates to its core models and the long-awaited release of the Tonale hybrid SUV. It climbs up one spot on this list and keeps the world’s attention through a trickle of new offerings.
First debuted in 2019, the 2024 Tonale finally marks Alfa Romeo’s earnest push towards electrification with its plug-in hybrid powertrain. The rumor-filled release of the next B-SUV platform, now called Brennero, seems to continue the hybrid trend.
Another big boost for this year’s interest in Alfa Romeo is the 33 Stradale, a limited-edition supercar set to begin deliveries at the end of 2024, perhaps giving the fastest cars in the world something to compete with.
| Country of origin: | Italy |
| Most popular models: | Alfa Romeo Giulia, Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Alfa Romeo Tonale |
| Average starting price: | $44,000 |
Online interest for Alfa Romeo over time
15. Rolls-Royce
Sliding into the final spot on the list is the pinnacle of opulence and serene driving, Rolls Royce. The ultra-luxury brand hurdles over Bugatti, its enduring rival that champions unparalleled speed and engineering prowess.
The $30 million Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail steers into a new level of automotive pricing, topping the list of the most expensive cars. Yet the true draw of the year has eyes turned toward the Spectre, the first all-electric Rolls-Royce starting the wave toward 100% EV drivetrains expected by 2030.
The emphasis on bespoke luxury and timeless style allows Rolls-Royce to maintain its iconic status, while the shift to new technology generates additional industry excitement.
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Most popular models: | Rolls-Royce Phantom, Rolls-Royce Ghost, Rolls-Royce Cullinan |
| Average starting price: | $410,000 |
Online interest for Rolls-Royce over time
Methodology and sources: How we rank the best luxury car brands of the year
Luxe Digital’s luxury car brands ranking aims to provide a real-time and insightful analysis of the most popular luxury automobile brands online. Our ranking clearly shows how each brand performs online and can help predict future growth.
To create this ranking, we start our analysis by using Google Trends to compare online search interest for all the luxury car brands in the world. This year, BMW dominates the share of search, so we use the brand as the standard against which we measure all the other brands to have a single comparison point.
After observing a significant concentration of the share of search interest among the top 15 luxury car brands on our list, we summed up their individual score to get a baseline of the total search interest across all brands combined. We then calculated a ratio for each brand against that total to get their share of the total search interest.
Definitions
Our summary table at the top of this article refers to the following terms:
- Share of search interest is calculated based on worldwide Google Trends data. We measure the absolute search interest for each of the top luxury car brands during the period, then calculate how much attention they receive compared to the other brands in our ranking as a percentage of the total search interest for luxury brands.
- Social media audience is calculated based on Rival IQ reports for each brand as of July 2022. It represents the sum of Facebook Fans, Instagram Followers, Twitter Followers, and YouTube Subscribers.
- Social media engagement rate is calculated based on Rival IQ reports for each brand as of July 2022. It represents the total number of engagement actions across all tracked social channels, combining comments, likes and shares, and divided by the total audience.
Best luxury car brands: Frequently asked questions
BMW is the world’s number one luxury car brand by popularity in 2024. Mercedes-Benz, however, is the most valuable luxury car brand and number one in terms of vehicles sold.
The top 10 luxury car brands are BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Tesla, Porsche, Volvo, Lexus, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Land Rover. See our full ranking of the best luxury car brands in the world to see what makes them so popular online.
Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Lexus, and Volvo are the most reliable luxury car brands. Reliability ratings vary by model and engine, but these automotive brands consistently rank at the top of the charts in terms of reliability.
The best luxury car for the money is the BMW X3. The BMW X3 sDrive30i starts at $43,000, and it’s outfitted with a 248-horsepower engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission. It’s considered to be one of the best value for the money luxury cars, from the brand that tops our ranking. The X3 is also a versatile and reliable car.
