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Sedans High End Luxury Cars
24700 messages, Last post on Dec 01, 2009 at 12:24 PM
You are in the Sedans Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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.
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Replying to: hpowders (Sep 03, 2006 6:01 am) Exactly. Making a bespoke platform for the ES would probably drive the price up to $50K, and for what? ES drivers don't care anything about dynamics or handling. They want quiet and comfortable, and the Camry platform is perfectly capable of that.
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Reviewing the new LS460, Jeff James of "About Cars" offers: "The new L-Finesse styling is sleek and modern, but more than a few curious onlookers initially mistook the new Lexus for a BMW." |
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Replying to: lexusguy (Sep 03, 2006 10:30 am) Isn't that the objective?
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HORSEPOWER is nice, but processing power is better. That seems to be the motto of the modern car, which is becoming as much an electronic system as a mechanical one. In some cars, such as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class or the BMW 7-Series, electronics already account for some $10,000-20,000 of the price. The most rapid growth is in the area of information and entertainment systems, sales of which will increase by 10% a year over the next decade, according to Roland Berger, a consultancy. Jürgen Hubbert, a former branding boss at Mercedes, says electronics accounted for more of the firm's warranty claims than anything else for many years. Roland Berger's research found that Japanese firms—which are also keen on electronics, but value simplicity too—have done a better job of pleasing customers. Carmakers should take heed. Electronics can make cars more fun. But when drivers leave their desks and slip behind the wheel, they expect to be done with technical support for the day. SOURCE: THE ECONOMIST, AUG. 24TH, 2006 1) Ten to twenty thousand dollars of electronics in a S Class or 7 Series? Yikes, just imagine the potential repair costs for someone who owns such a car beyond warranty? Buyers in the resale market are far more frugal than new car buyers and how will these frugal buyers respond when they are confronted will four digit electronic repair costs? As I had predicted many months ago electronics in the 21st century will play the same role as corrosion did in the 1970s in terms of increasing the numbers of cars laying around in a scrap heap. Disposal will definitely become a tempting alternative when confronted with outrageous electronic repair bills. 2) The strength of luxury German car makers is in mechanical engineering and their weakness is in electronics. It is likely that Japanese luxury car makers will be in a far better position than Germans in terms of taking advantage of the growing importance of electronics in the automotive industry. In my case mechanics means everything in terms of buying a car. Unfortunately that may not be the case for the younger Generation of Xers and Yers. |
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Replying to: nvbanker (Sep 03, 2006 3:37 pm) I don't know. Ardent LS admirers here have expressed their distaste for Bangle's designs. Not so sure they and other LS lovers will like Lexus' decision to go in that direction. From what I saw of the new LS on MotorWeek, looks pretty easy to like. Once that car starts parking itself, they will forget about the Bangle influence. 
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Replying to: houdini1 (Sep 03, 2006 6:51 am) Nice try, but you know more than I that a potential A3 owner knows that the car is based off of the Rabbit. It's even in the sells pitch at Audi. Audi target's this car for 25-35 year old up and comers. These are the same set of people that cross-shop the R32 and GTI's. Now what other platforms were you blabbering about as Audi and VW doesn't share another, no, not even the Q7? |
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Replying to: houdini1 (Sep 03, 2006 10:21 am) True Cost TO Own is what it is. A 278hp V8 car will burn almost half the gas than that of a 500hp+ V12 Benz. The price is double of that of a LS430. But what does True Cost not tell you? That high-to-maintain- '07 S600 will retain 91% of it's value over a five year period, compared to a lowly 69% for the LS. Poor investment? Only to the person that thinks that if they put up a loud enough shout that they'll convert someone to believe that this particular car is the ultimate save all. Only to the person that thinks that a car with such prestige as the S600 has is just a mere investment. ALL CARS ARE INVESTMENTS.
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Replying to: blkhemi (Sep 03, 2006 5:40 pm) According to Edmunds the 06 LS cost $61,918. and at the end of 5 years it will be worth $28,295. A 46% retained value. Also according to Edmunds the 06 S 600 cost $148,170. and at the end of 5 years it will be worth $54,257. A 37% retained value. Where did you get the 91% figure? A Mercedes salesman? 
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Replying to: houdini1 (Sep 03, 2006 6:56 pm) What a lot of pie in the sky bunk. So Edmunds is an authority in telling you with 20/20 vision what the retained value of a car will be in 5 years? I dont think so! In fact no person or organization can make such a prediction (except Nostradamus but he died several centuries ago) Overall Benzes have strong resale values according to businesses like ALG/Bluebook that just happen to be in the business of estimating retained values and are renowned to be the most credible sources in North America for retained values. And let us not forget the car company that achieves highest retained values year after year (the name of the company is not Lexus but BMW). And no I did not receive this information from my BMW salesman
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Replying to: nvbanker (Sep 03, 2006 3:37 pm) Isn't that the objective? Thank you nvbanker. Yes, it is. Simply more evidence that Lexus will impact BMW, and more importantly, consider that it is deliberate. TagMan
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