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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 761 of 2473

#7594 of 24723 Re: [denaliinpa] by ljflx

Feb 16, 2005 (9:39 pm)

Replying to: denaliinpa (Feb 16, 2005 9:25 pm)
No - not if Lexus gave it a S8 like bumpy ride. The fact that 200 of them sold tells you there was virtually no one who wanted the car. Let's see if Audi can sell 200 V12's in a year. Cars that sell that low in volume would be dismissed as aberrations and not part of a standard list of offerings by many who keep track of records. They would fall into the miscellaneous grouping. Besides Lexus is scaling up their engine options with the next redesign anyway so what is the difference. Audi sales are so skewed to the A4 that many consider them more in line with Acura and Infiniti. In all honesty I consider them above that and a true lux car but far below MB, BMW and Lexus.
 
The A8 historically barely cracked the 2K sales level on average. It was almost an aberration itself. Most lux buyers simply don't give Audi or its A8 much thought. That's just the way it is, even though it is a beautiful looking car. I loved the previous design style too and that's why I looked at it in 2001. The new design probably found some disgruntled BMW buyers with the 7-series design hence the leap to 6K units. I'll bet sales slacken off quickly. For Audi and VW's sake I honestly hope I'm wrong.

#7595 of 24723 Re: denali [brightness04] by denaliinpa

Feb 16, 2005 (9:39 pm)

Replying to: brightness04 (Feb 16, 2005 9:33 pm)
yep...just what i always wanted to do....spend more at a Lexus dealership when i could go across the street to a Toyota dealer and get the exact same vehicle for lesssssss!

#7596 of 24723 Re: [denaliinpa] by brightness04

Feb 16, 2005 (9:48 pm)

Replying to: denaliinpa (Feb 16, 2005 8:51 pm)
There is nothing luxurious about the ML, nor even the G wagon. Just because it's expensive doesn't make it luxurious. Otherwise, the original HUMVEE, at $80k, had been made at least since 1990!
 
Corolla platform led to RAV4, which started the car-based SUV phenom. The first RX was based on the ES/Camry platform. The market has spoken, the RX proved to be the most successful luxury vehicle ever; whereas the ML single-handed destroyed any illusion that MB means luxury. X5 can not keep up with FX. The current ML and G can not begin to compare to RX, GX or LX in terms of luxury; what future brings is irrelevent to this discussion, so some posts claimed earlier. Even if we do allow future into this potporii, the future ML is nothing more than MB attempting to copy Lexus' success offering a car-based SUV with some degree of real luxury.

#7597 of 24723 Re: [ljflx] by denaliinpa

Feb 16, 2005 (9:48 pm)

Replying to: ljflx (Feb 16, 2005 9:39 pm)
i agree with you that Audi to this point is
not considered along with MB and BMW in many people minds. my previous cars were an 02 S55 and an 03 M5. i like you shopped the local Audi dealership but still went the other direction. the new version A8 is a step up and really caught my eye. initially the LWB was just too much car for me. the swb is just about perfect for my current needs. time will tell if it can carry the brand in the US to the level of the other German brands.
 
i for one second do not count Lexus out. Toyota is sitting on gobs of money. competition is in every consumers best interest.

#7598 of 24723 Re: denali [denaliinpa] by brightness04

Feb 16, 2005 (9:49 pm)

Replying to: denaliinpa (Feb 16, 2005 9:39 pm)
yep...just what i always wanted to do....spend more at a Lexus dealership when i could go across the street to a Toyota dealer and get the exact same vehicle for lesssssss!
 
Even if it were true, that would still beat spending more money on a MB or Audi that is a lesser vehicle. In reality, LX470 is more different from LandCruiser than A8 is from some VW products.

#7599 of 24723 Re: denali [brightness04] by denaliinpa

Feb 16, 2005 (10:10 pm)

Replying to: brightness04 (Feb 16, 2005 9:49 pm)
you need to do a little more research!
the LX470 is a Land Cruiser. VW does not
have a rebadged version of the A8. it does
however use the 4.2 litre engine in the Phaeton
...along with the W12.

#7600 of 24723 ARE ACURA & INFINITI = LEXUS by denaliinpa

Feb 16, 2005 (10:13 pm)

hey guys,
 
are Acura and Infiniti equal to Lexus?
if yes how and if not...why not?

#7601 of 24723 Re: [denaliinpa] by brightness04

Feb 16, 2005 (10:20 pm)

Replying to: denaliinpa (Feb 16, 2005 8:51 pm)
is this a "Luxury Brand"....rebadged Toyota's????
 
Less than Audi being rebadged VW. At least the RWD system in LS is not found in any Toyota sold in the US (in Japan, all Lexus models are sold as Toyotas untill this year), whereas the AWD system in A8 is found in numerous lesser Audis and VW's.
 
Considering that the most expensive convertibles from Audi share platforms with Golf (TT) and Passat (A4), and a reskinned Golf econobox (A3) is coming to the US soon to compete with the lowest Acura (RSX), there is precious little luxury marquee value left in Audi. MB has been coming down the same route with the C and A class crap cars, which now account for more than half of all MB's sold in Europe. Makes you wonder if the Germans are considering retaining only RR, Maybach and Bentley as "high end luxury marques." Perhaps the main-stream German brands, like VW, BMW and MB, will soon compete at Toyota brand level, which is actually moving up-market and leaving Scion to deal with the likes of Smart and Mini.

#7602 of 24723 Re: denali [denaliinpa] by brightness04

Feb 16, 2005 (10:29 pm)

Replying to: denaliinpa (Feb 16, 2005 10:10 pm)
In vehicles like the LX470 and Land Cruiser, the most important part is the suspension. LX470 has air suspension, which gives very different vehicle characteristics from LC. Depending on your prefence, the two vehicles have very different advantages in ride quality on road vs. real boulder crawling capabilities. Whereas for the A8 vs. Phaeton comparison, the difference between the 4.2 and W12 is minimal in terms what the vehicles are designed to do; they are so similar that even the current VW/Audi boss admits the two simply cannibalize each other's meager sales.

#7603 of 24723 Re: ARE ACURA & INFINITI = LEXUS [denaliinpa] by brightness04

Feb 16, 2005 (10:38 pm)

Replying to: denaliinpa (Feb 16, 2005 10:13 pm)
Not yet. Why? Because:
1. Roughly half of all Acura cars sold are RSX's, which while bigger and better built than A3, A-class and upcoming 1-series, is substantially less luxurious than any volume Lexus. At the other end, RL had been languishing for over half a decade. The new RL however may indeed move the Acura brand perception up a bit.
 
2. Infiniti flagship Q has been in a identity funk for generations, and its sales are inconsequential compared to the I's and G's. The G35 however is moving the bottom up.

Messages Page 761 of 2473

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