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High End Luxury Cars

24697 messages,  Last post on Nov 28, 2009 at 3:09 PM

You are in the Sedans Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens

What is this discussion about? Audi A8, BMW 7 Series, Jaguar XJ-Series, Lexus LS 460, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Volkswagen Phaeton, Maserati Quattroporte, Mercedes-Benz CL-Class, Sedan

Let's try to define this forum as being limited to luxury performance vehicles where the mainstream version in a typical configuration has an MSRP of at least $60k.

A luxury vehicle with a base price of $59k qualifies because it would typically be bought with some additional equipment, bringing the MSRP over $60k.

Vehicles like the E, 5, A6, M, or GS, even if available in certain versions over $60k, don't qualify because they are cars from companies that have higher end cars in their lineups.

#13621 of 24697 Re: Lexus vs Merc [ljflx] by grandaddy Jan 23, 2006 (3:02 pm)
Replying to: ljflx (Jan 23, 2006 6:38 am) What you meant is perfectly clear and relevant to everyone except merc1. And you are right on target.
#13622 of 24697 To Merc1 by hpowders Jan 23, 2006 (4:36 pm)
What you meant is perfectly clear to me. The Lexus strategy will be to price the LS 460 below the S-Class. Why should they change a formula that admittedly has worked so well? You are absolutely correct. One doesn't have to own an LS to figure out what is so logical. Replies to this message: ljflx (Jan 23, 2006 5:21 pm) tagman (Jan 23, 2006 6:50 pm) ljflx (Jan 23, 2006 7:08 pm) merc1 (Jan 23, 2006 6:54 pm) hpowders (Jan 23, 2006 7:33 pm)
#13623 of 24697 Re: To Merc1 [hpowders] by ljflx Jan 23, 2006 (5:21 pm)
Replying to: hpowders (Jan 23, 2006 4:36 pm) The LS430 ultra was priced just below an S430 and is a SWB only car. Now we have 3 trims, a hybrid, a host of things that the car never had and 5 more very successful years and growth in status since the 2001 pricing guidelines were set. One needs to be a Lexus buyer to understand this it seems. Replies to this message: tagman (Jan 23, 2006 6:50 pm) ljflx (Jan 23, 2006 7:08 pm)
#13624 of 24697 Re: 2006 Detroit Autoshow Pics.....HELM (cont.) [merc1] by blckislandguy Jan 23, 2006 (6:22 pm)
Replying to: merc1 (Jan 22, 2006 10:43 pm) Merc1, thanks for the great photos.   I wonder though how relevant trade shows like this really are. They are hugely expensive, only a relatively small number of civilains (non-vendors, non industry types) actually attend (and many of them are just lookers), etc. The fact that a D-C exec drove a three wheeled motorcycle up some stairs last year may have caused a stir but I don't think sold a single car. I think that the manufacturers move more iron at the local or regional shows where dealer people are present. Replies to this message: merc1 (Jan 23, 2006 7:17 pm) scott1256 (Jan 24, 2006 9:43 am) tayl0rd (Jan 24, 2006 10:03 am) merc1 (Jan 24, 2006 9:13 pm)
#13625 of 24697 Re: To Merc1 [ljflx] by tagman Jan 23, 2006 (6:50 pm)
Replying to: ljflx (Jan 23, 2006 5:21 pm) One needs to be a Lexus buyer to understand this it seems.   All others are ???????? . Gimmee a break.   It's Steelers and Seahawks. Replies to this message: ljflx (Jan 23, 2006 7:08 pm)
#13626 of 24697 Re: To Merc1 [hpowders] by merc1 Jan 23, 2006 (6:54 pm)
Replying to: hpowders (Jan 23, 2006 4:36 pm) Thank you. You clearly don't have to be a buyer to understand the most basic of Lexus practices - undercutting the Germans in price. The SWB LS460 will cost less than the S450 and the LS460 will cost probably the same or a little bit more than the S450 in order to undercut the S550. The LS600h is the only wildcard. It will likely cost the same or more than S550 to undercut the S600. Or the might price the LS600h at the same level as the S550. You have to be a buyer to understand this or make a guess based on past Lexus practices? Yeah sure. The only thing in question is the actual dollar amounts and the "buyers" are just as in the dark about this as anyone else.   M Replies to this message: hpowders (Jan 23, 2006 7:33 pm)
#13627 of 24697 Re: 2006 Detroit Autoshow Pics.....HELM (cont.) [tagman] by merc1 Jan 23, 2006 (7:03 pm)
Replying to: tagman (Jan 23, 2006 9:51 am) Sure. I'm pretty embarrased to admit what my favorite luxury brand was up until Mercedes. For me it was the new for 1986 W124 E-Class. This car's engineering details - the single blade wiper, spring-suspended seats, different size rear-view mirrors etc. are what initially attracted me to the brand. Then I drove one and found out that they didn't drive anything like my favorite luxury brand at that time - the Mercedes drove world's better. That did it for me. The specific models that "did it" were the 1986 300E, 560SEL and 560SEC and then in 1988 the 300CE. Some of the best cars ever built by anyone and easily the best in their repsective segments at the time. I didn't really like the SL until the R129 or 1990. Thats the short of it.   M Replies to this message: tagman (Jan 23, 2006 7:39 pm) merc1 (Jan 23, 2006 9:26 pm) tagman (Jan 23, 2006 9:59 pm) and 7 more...
#13628 of 24697 Re: To Merc1 [tagman] by ljflx Jan 23, 2006 (7:08 pm)
Replying to: tagman (Jan 23, 2006 6:50 pm) I was replying sracasm to sarcasm. Too much of an over-reaction here.
#13629 of 24697 Re: Lexus vs Merc [sv7887] by merc1 Jan 23, 2006 (7:12 pm)
Replying to: sv7887 (Jan 23, 2006 12:22 pm) I'm glad you all like the pics. Not much work in posting them. The hardest part is taking them with so many people around!   From the the 2007 model year onward all of Mercedes diesel cars will be legal in all states - according to all the recent press. They're just waiting on the mandatory clean diesel to be available nationwide. The S320 I was told will be a 2008 model.   Airmatic is standard on all S-Classes so no choice there, but any problems with Airmatic were solved back in 2002-2003 production. Nothing to worry about there IMO.   The S-Class looks better in person IMO than in some photos, especially in AMG trim. What gets me is that it looks better in real life photos than in the ones Mercedes initially released.   M

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