Lexus has been the king of the luxury sales charts in the U.S. for the past five years, but it appears that 2011 could see a new leader when all is said and done.

Toyota's luxury brand seemed invincible at one point, but last year's recall scandal hurt the brand's image in the eyes of many consumers. It still wasn't enough to topple Lexus completely, but it did allow Mercedes-Benz and BMW to make a late charge at the end of the year.

That trend continued into 2011, and both of the German automakers have outsold Lexus thus far this year. What may seal Lexus' fate, however, is a circumstance entirely out of Toyota's control – the Japanese earthquake. Mercedes and BMW have been largely unaffected by the disaster, but Lexus has already told dealers to begin preparing for severe shortages over the next few months.

Essentially, this means that even if Lexus was selling well at the moment, it might not have enough supply to keep up with its German counterparts. These signs point to either BMW or Mercedes – or possibly both – surpassing Lexus before the year is done.

Drivers interested in a used BMW, Mercedes or Lexus may want to consider New Jersey State Auto Auction. These luxury vehicles can be a bit on the expensive side, but shopping the used car market can help drivers score a great deal.