Audi sales are still declining in the United States after a few disappointing years. The company sold 14% fewer vehicles in 2024 and saw another 16% drop in 2025. Things aren’t looking any better to start 2026, as Audi’s first-quarter sales have finally come in. It moved 29,886 vehicles between January and March this year, a 30% year-over-year decline.
According to the Automotive News Research & Data Center, this is the first time in 14 years that Audi failed to sell at least 30,000 cars in one quarter throughout the USA. While the drop in EV sales aligns with industry trends, the poor performance of core SUV models like the Q3, Q5, and Q7 has hit Audi hard this quarter. The brand now finds itself far adrift of rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
Audi’s Q1 Sales in Detail
Audi
Only three Audis sold more last quarter than they did at the same point last year and all are sedans. The brand’s top-selling model was the Q5, with 10,100 units sold, down by 26%. That’s disappointing for an SUV that entered a new generation quite recently, but the Q5 faces stiff competition from the BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC. Here’s a look at Audi’s top 5 best-selling models last quarter.
- Audi Q5: 10,100 (-26%)
- Audi A5: 4,372 (+6%)
- Audi Q3: 4,256 (-20%)
- Audi Q7: 3,554 (-30%)
- Audi Q8: 2,285 (-25%)
The A5 effectively replaced the A4, so its sales bump is expected. A new Q7 and a ramp up in production for the latest Q3 should also boost those models’ numbers in the months ahead. The Audi A3 (2,273) and A6 (2,026) saw increases of 1% and 9%, respectively, two of only three Audis that managed to increase sales versus Q1 2025.
EV sales fell off a cliff, with a more than 90% drop in sales for the Q4 e-tron, Q4 e-tron Sportback, Q6 e-tron, Q8 e-tron, and Q8 Sportback e-tron. Not a single Q8 e-tron was sold over this period, but the Q6 e-tron took the biggest hit on a volume basis, with 309 sold in Q1 2026 to 3,246 a year ago.
Related: 2025 Vs. 2026 Audi Q3: Is The New One Worth The Extra Money?
Audi Sales Vs. BMW
BMW
Audi is now well off BMW’s sales figures. Excluding Mini, BMW sold 84,231 vehicles last quarter, nearly three times as many as Audi. Its sales were down by 3.9%, so its performance was a lot steadier than Audi’s drop-off compared to 2025 Q1. There isn’t a single Audi model that outsold its direct BMW rival—here’s a look at sales of the top 5 Audi models relative to the closest BMW.
In every segment, BMW significantly outsells Audi, and that includes EVs. BMW only has one electric SUV on sale currently, the iX. It sold 1,788 of those, outselling all six of Audi’s electric SUVs combined (415 units). Those models are the Q4 e-tron, Q4 Sportback e-tron, Q6 e-tron, Q6 Sportback e-tron, Q8 e-tron, and Q8 Sportback e-tron; the Q8s were discontinued last year, so their low sales numbers can be forgiven.
Mercedes-Benz didn’t sell as many cars as BMW last quarter, but its total of 78,500 vehicles is far ahead of Audi, too.
What It Means
Audi
Audi didn’t say much about Q1 sales, other than to state that the “results reflect dynamic conditions and headwinds including overall automotive market decline in Q1 and tariffs.”
While it’s true that the industry has seen an overall sales decline this year, Audi’s 30% drop is still worse than many other brands. The effect of tariffs continues to make life difficult for the automaker, which implemented steep price hikes across its portfolio last year. The company has also had to contend with tough competition from rivals who have factories in the USA, allowing them to better control costs.
Audi’s projections for the rest of the year suggest that sales won’t significantly improve, but the brand says it’s optimistic about the arrival of the new Q7 and Q9. Whether these large SUVs can turn the tide for the brand remains to be seen.
Related: Audi Warns U.S. Sales Decline Could Get Even Worse in 2026
