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High End Luxury Cars

24723 messages,  Last post on Jan 28, 2013 at 6:55 PM

You are in the Sedans Forum.

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.

Messages Page 1415 of 2473

#14140 of 24723 My '06 Jaguar XJ Super V8 by garysandiego

Mar 02, 2006 (7:02 pm)

I just wanted to chime in with my great experience with my '06 XJ Super V8. I am not a die hard Jaguar fan, have not dreamed about owning a Jag all my life. I did not intend to buy a Jaguar this time around. But having done so, I am really happy. Here is my story.
 
I had owned a two Cadillac Eldorado STS from 1995 through 2000. I enjoyed the sporty response and rapid acceleration. But when they announced that the model would be discontinued, I decided it would be a good time to step up in the world. At that time, the updated Lexus LS430 was introduced and it fit my budget. I owned it from 2001 through 2005. I had 68,000 problem-free, quiet, comfortable, mind-numbingly boring miles. It could go fairly fast, and with the "European Sport Package" could take corners fairly well, but it really didn't want to go fast or corner hard. As the lease came to an end, I resolved to get something more engaging. (Yes, a lease with 68,000 miles--what was I thinking?)
 
I test drove everything that was supposed to be a sporty sedan. (The wife required that it be a sedan.) I drove everything except the BMW 7 Series because it is still not good looking and no one I know has mastered the I-Drive.
 
I was especially looking forward to the Audi A8 because all the car magazines rave about it, and my wife had once owned a 2001 Audi A4 3.0 with quattro, and it was SO fun to drive. I was expecting a A4 with legroom. Nope. Ponderous feeling. Noticeably not quick. And after the Lexus, unacceptable cabin noise.
 
Drove the '07 MB S550 (a few were around the town available to drive). The best Lexus Mercedes ever made. Certainly much faster and better mannered than any MB I have driven before. (I have never been an MB fan.) Also nice looking, inside and out. But it just felt heavy and uninvolving. Other than the speed, it was difficult to see why I would pay $25,000 more than for a new Lexus. (And this was just before Lexus announced the new LS460.) I also tried a CLS55, which was extremely fast although it always felt as though it was working hard. The ride was not that punishing on the behind. But while the interior fit and finish looked nice, it somehow felt down-market. And it truly is a 4 door coupe. I doubted my wife would consider it a sedan.
 
The Maserati Quattroporte made me smile so much. I even found a way to snag three test drives! But each time after the adrenaline wore off, I couldn't help but wonder about reliability, fuel costs, insurance costs, repair costs and availability of qualified mechanics. And it is pricy. I sure hope Maserati can match others' reliability in the long run. This is car that deserves to be in the market.
 
So I was forced to drive a Jaguar. (I literally didn't want to because when the new aluminum model came out a few years ago I had sat in one and couldn't find a comfortable seat position.) I drove a JX8. It was nice. The dealer wanted me to try a XJR. I declined because I assumed it would be rougher riding than I had become used to. He talked me into trying a Super V8. Golly, it made me smile. Literally. Stupid fast, willing to run at the slightest provocation, so light and responsive. Quiet even when risking tickets for unlawful exhibition of speed. Smooth ride. And the extra seat buttons on the Super V8 got me into a comfortable driving position. So this is what Jaguar fans have been talking about all these years? I'm joining.
 
I have had the car for 8 weeks and have 2,000 miles on it. No problems, mechanically, but did get one speeding ticket. I'm being careful now.

#14141 of 24723 Re: Mercedes sales are getting better and better [tagman] by syswei

Mar 02, 2006 (7:22 pm)

Replying to: tagman (Mar 02, 2006 6:45 pm)
I wonder how that compares to the first month sales of the outgoing S, when it was brand new?

#14142 of 24723 Re: Mercedes sales are getting better and better [tagman] by merc1

Mar 02, 2006 (10:52 pm)

Replying to: tagman (Mar 02, 2006 6:45 pm)
Hopefully so!
 
M

#14143 of 24723 Re: Mercedes sales are getting better and better [syswei] by bdr127

Mar 03, 2006 (10:11 am)

Replying to: syswei (Mar 02, 2006 7:22 pm)
I wonder how that compares to the first month sales of the outgoing S, when it was brand new?
 
The 2000 S-Class was released (the 1st year of the previous body) in March 1999. The total MB units sold for that month was about 16k+, which is pretty close to the month of the 2007 S-Class release (Feb 2006) of 17k+. The 2000 S-Class sold 2403 units in its first month, while the 2007 sold 3360.
 
Here's the link for reference: Autoworld.com

#14144 of 24723 Re: Mercedes sales are getting better and better [bdr127] by ljflx

Mar 03, 2006 (10:18 pm)

Replying to: bdr127 (Mar 03, 2006 10:11 am)
Remember you are looking at sales/shipments to dealers not sales to Consumers. Same thing with Lexus on the nearly 4K IS sales and the huge November figures they had. The latter was just sales to dealers in anticipation of the December to Remember sale. It's not yet actually purchased by consumers though I'm sure some of these shipments stated are spoken for. How great the next two months of sales/shipments to dealers turn out to be is the real telling point of whether the February unit sales are really moving to consumers or are getting stockpiled into dealer inventory. I think many people read mfr. sales stats as thinking those are units sold to the public when in fact you are looking at wholessale stats.

#14145 of 24723 I'm one of them! by drfill

Mar 05, 2006 (2:41 pm)

  Can you substantiate that post, LJ?
 
  Why would anyone publicly post wholesale shipments, and release that to the news as sales/registrations? That's beyond deceptive, and shouldn't be hard to be caught on.
  
  Could be quite a public relations nightmare, plus impunes the credibility of the reporting medias involved.
  
  DrFill

#14146 of 24723 Re: I'm one of them! [drfill] by ljflx

Mar 05, 2006 (5:30 pm)

Replying to: drfill (Mar 05, 2006 2:41 pm)
Well - just think about it. Sales are reported on the first business day of the new month for the prior month. There is no way that each individual sale to a consumer - from every dealer in the US - is tabulated by an auto manufacturer, let alone verified for public release in real time or in such fast turn around time. Since this is public data that affects stock price there is no way anyone is releasing that type of data in this age of SEC scrutiny unless it comes from there own hardcore systems that they are 100% in control of. Just the infrastructure needed to support a real-time sales system at the dealer network would be a big undertaking. It would also be costly and error prone and hardly be trusted for reporting public data that is closely watched. It would only happen if it was reported on by a third party auditor and such a party would never release it that quickly. Clearly the figures are entirely based on each manufacturers production/delivery system of cars shipped from their factories to dealers and fleets. That is 100% verifiable by the mfr. Lastly was the S-class even available for sale on February 1st? Wouldn't Lexus December sales be a lot bigger than November if we were really seeing consumer sales given the big December promotion and all the holidays taken by businesses after December 15-20th. Pretty clear to me that you can always bank on Novemmber being a huge sales month for Lexus in advance of the December pronotion. BTW - I'm sick of the jingle but what a great marketing move that was. With all the days off people have after December 15th it's like Saturdays in Lexus dealerships almost every day in the latter half of December.
 
The closest thing we have to real time public sales is the RL Polk registration data which is obtained from MV data of the states. I'm not sure they even get it from every state. We all know full well that government systems never report that quickly and most permanent registrations are delayed 1-2 weeks anyway. So at best that consumer data for February won't even be known until later in March. The Polk data is bought heavily by the auto mfs as that data enables them to make factory planning and production decisions as it shows what dealer inventory is moving and in what zipcodes.
 

#14147 of 24723 Re: I'm one of them! [drfill] by merc1

Mar 06, 2006 (5:41 am)

Replying to: drfill (Mar 05, 2006 2:41 pm)
I'm confused, are you the same "callmedrfill" from before?
 
M

#14148 of 24723 Re: I'm one of them! [ljflx] by tagman

Mar 06, 2006 (2:15 pm)

Replying to: ljflx (Mar 05, 2006 5:30 pm)
I like your logic . . . I like it a lot . . . but I would still like to know definatively the process for obtaining and reporting the sales data.

#14149 of 24723 Re: I'm one of them! [tagman] by merc1

Mar 06, 2006 (2:47 pm)

Replying to: tagman (Mar 06, 2006 2:15 pm)
Actually he is right. There is no way every carmaker can get these numbers from all their dealers, process them and have them ready for their press releases the day after the month ends. This is the same reason why Ford is protesting that Chevy was the bestselling brand last year. Chevy made their claims based on cars they delivered to their dealers, but Ford went back and requested the actual number of cars registered and found out that they "sold" more cars to people than Chevy delivered to their dealers, or something like that.
 
In an article about Chrylser the clarification on the sales reporting process is given. A quote:
 
"Chrysler and other automakers record sales and revenues after vehicles are shipped to dealers rather than when they are purchased by a customer."
 
M

Messages Page 1415 of 2473

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