U.S. Lexus, Mercedes Sales Fall as Affluent Succumb to Slowdown

U.S. sales of luxury auto brands including Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lexus and Daimler AG's Mercedes- Benz fell in April, adding to evidence that the economic slowdown is causing even wealthy buyers to curb spending.

Sales by automakers' luxury divisions -- broadly defined by analysts as those selling autos for $40,000 aimed at the most- affluent consumers -- dropped 13 percent from a year earlier, according to Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey-based Autodata. That outpaced the 8.9 percent decline in sales of all vehicles.

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