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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 727 of 2473

#7255 of 24723 by sv7887

Jan 11, 2005 (1:45 pm)

Hi All,
  A tongue in cheek remark about the 5 Series.."There is no such thing as an ugly car, you just haven't drunk enough!" The only BMW I find remotely attractive is the 6 Series..Nice lines but it's still weird looking. The 5 Series looks like some Japanese cartoon artist gone mad. (IMHO) I like the dignified stately look of my new LS430. It's not too flashy.
 
Reliability is still an incredible marketing tool.Remember all those flashy Lexus LS400 ads in 1990? I remember watching the one with the ball bearing test and then the one with the champagne glasses on the hood and thinking "Wow!" Next thing you know I'm trading in my perfectly fine low mileage Park Avenue for one. I'm normally not swayed by these marketing gimmicks, but they got me to buy one.
 
Even if the ownership is short term those reliability statistics are great for men's bull sessions...We all know buying a car >$35K is hardly a logical decision.(Just ask our wives!)
If that were the case we'd all drive Camrys. If you're going to spend the sort of money we do, you need something to justify the purchase.."But Honey, it's the most reliable car on the planet.."
(That doesn't work anymore because I keep trading in LS cars to buy new ones! This time I used the excuse of the Backup camera and SmartKey)
 
Of course the affect on residuals is another benefit..I think the knock on Jaguar is the public's perception of poor quality..Most wouldn't know that they're one of the highest Euro nameplates now and have one of the best extended warranty programs in the business. Despite being a big fan of Jaguar, I am not willing to write the check to buy one...They'll need to improve their electronics to Lexus standards before I'll consider it. I'd definitely pay for Jaguar styling combined with Lexus quality.
 
SV

#7256 of 24723 Jurgen Schrempp's limo stolen by ljflx

Jan 11, 2005 (10:24 pm)

Honest. This comes right from C&D pg. 34. His armored S-class was left unattended for 20 minutes and it was stolen - in broad daylight. Some German paper speculated it was swiped for a buyer in eastern Europe. Efforts to find it via its GPS navigation system failed. Smart thieves or more faulty MB elctronics?? Sounds to me like an inside job from MB's version of th CIA which also goes by the name of the Internal Audit dept. Maybe they're auditing build quality and reliability. Anyway C&D recommends an upgrade to a Maybach for Jurgen.

#7257 of 24723 Re: Jurgen Schrempp's limo stolen [ljflx] by pablo_l

Jan 12, 2005 (12:15 am)

Replying to: ljflx (Jan 11, 2005 10:24 pm)
Yes, this made a story in Germany's very popular SPIEGEL. A $400k version of an S class, too. The running joke was exactly about that - all the elctronics that are supposed to make the car dead except to the owner with the right crypto keycard, and yet there you go in the top implementation. Embarassing.

#7258 of 24723 Re: Jurgen Schrempp's limo stolen [ljflx] by oac

Jan 12, 2005 (12:40 pm)

Replying to: ljflx (Jan 11, 2005 10:24 pm)
A $400K car stolen in broad daylight like a common $15K Honda Civic ? That is unbelievable !!! For that kind of money, it should have ensured the highest security for the car against car-jackers....even if it was an inside job.
 
Regardless, it would appear that the vaunted StarMark vehicle locator system designed to locate a stolen MB must have malfunctioned, eh ? Figures.... If the GLOBAL head of MB cannot locate his stolen specially-equipped S, what should the C or E class owners expect when their lesser equipped and cache cars are stolen ?

#7259 of 24723 Re: Jurgen Schrempp's limo stolen [oac] by ljflx

Jan 12, 2005 (1:12 pm)

Replying to: oac (Jan 12, 2005 12:40 pm)
I think this would be a great episode for Seinfeld with Kramer playing the lead as detective van Nostrand.

#7260 of 24723 by sv7887

Jan 12, 2005 (1:36 pm)

Hi All,
 
I think this goes to show that Professional Car Thieves can steal anything they want..All a security system does is dissuade 16 yr old juvenile deliquents from stealing the car..If a Profession Thief wants your car, whether it be a $400K S-Class or $63K Lexus, they'll steal it.
 
Although amusing, I think this could have happened to anyone..What I find strange is that they left the car unattended..I bet his driver is in some German interrogation room right now.
 
SV

#7261 of 24723 Seinfeld by designman

Jan 12, 2005 (3:16 pm)

Then Schrempp could get dissed by the Soup Nazi.

#7262 of 24723 Re: Seinfeld [designman] by ljflx

Jan 12, 2005 (6:35 pm)

Replying to: designman (Jan 12, 2005 3:16 pm)
"NO CAR FOR YOU"!!

#7263 of 24723 Re: Jurgen Schrempp's limo stolen [oac] by pablo_l

Jan 12, 2005 (6:39 pm)

Replying to: oac (Jan 12, 2005 12:40 pm)
Unbelievable indeed. Or perhaps just an indication that several of the so-called safety mechanisms we fall for are just for our own psychological benefit... It is not so unbelievable when you think some of the more professional car-jacking outfits drive around with a truck, and merely lift the car up and sell the parts - it's quite profitable for them no matter what the true market value of the car...

#7264 of 24723 Another 2007 LS sketch by ljflx

Jan 12, 2005 (6:48 pm)

This was from motor trend a while back. Will have to look and see if it bears resemblance to the ones we were looking at last week.
 
http://motortrend.com/future/spied/112_0406_sketch/

Messages Page 727 of 2473

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