Luxury vehicle BMW, Audi and Jaguar) luxury car makers. Mercedes-Benz and BMW were the top-selling luxury import until 1991, when they were overtaken by Lexus. Since 2000, Lexus has been the number-one-selling luxury car marque in the U.S. Since the 2000s, with the Cadillac CTS, the marque has seen a resurgence in sales and brand value. Ford's Lincoln, which had seen sales fall as a result of an aging lineup, has attempted to return that luxury marque to competitiveness, by releasing new models such as the Lincoln MKS, as well as divesting itself of its other Premier Automotive Group brands. Hyundai had
Luxury vehicle and safety. Luxury vehicles are also a status symbol for conspicuous consumption. Contemporary luxury cars also offer higher performance and better handling, which is often known as sport luxury. However, in Europe, where large-displacement engines are often heavily taxed and many luxury buyers shy away from conspicuous consumption, brands offer buyers the option of removing exterior engine-identifying badges. Forbes noted that the reputation of luxury marques enables them to continually introduce many new safety technologies and comfort amenities, such as anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control and DVD entertainment systems, long before they trickle down to mass market cars. Numerous "smart