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Sedans Luxury Performance Sedans
10007 messages, Last post on Dec 01, 2009 at 7:40 AM
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Replying to: bartalk3 (May 03, 2005 2:18 pm) The average buyer has heard about Mercedes and Cadillacs all their life. During the 80's, BMW established such an image of being upwardly mobile that they are just as easily recognizable. I would bet that most people who buy a Jag like the look and the name, but don't care too much about performance (unless they shop for the R versions)--my wife is one; she loves the look of the S and I would have felt guilty not getting one if the rear seat had had more room. With Lexus being (relatively) much newer and Infiniti being just as new but out of the spotlight in recent years (until the G35, then the FX, and now the M). These are just below many people's radar.
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Replying to: bartalk3 (May 03, 2005 2:06 pm) Maybe that is a local incentive. |
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Replying to: docnukem (May 03, 2005 5:33 pm) The M will do fine over time - it will probably increase sales just like the G which started out slowly but has increased in sales every year since. In order for Infiniti to compete with Lexus they need a winning Q45. The LS has been such a fine (and good selling) automobile - it carries the entire Lexus fleet. So even though many believe the G is superior to the ES and the M is superior to the GS - no one believes the Q is superior to the LS. Infiniti needs to win the flagship car competition and enjoy the spillover effect on their other models. Plus they need a catchy slogan. The "relentless pursuit of perfection" or the "ultimate driving machine" are ingrained in many minds here. The GS has a history of starting out strong and then fading away. There was such a pent up demand for the car (it was due last year) that sales will be strong for awhile. There was NO demand for the M so I'm pretty sure Infiniti is happy with their sales so far. Will be interesting to see how these sales figures change over the next year or two. |
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| Incentives are not advertised on Cadillac's website for the STS. | |
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Replying to: bartalk3 (May 03, 2005 2:18 pm) I think it's also more relevant to compare RL sales to the 6-cylinder versions of the M, GS, STS, and 5. That would still likely put the RL in last place (since something like 75% of luxury cars are sold with a 6-cylinder), but this car really doesn't compete with 8 cylinder models. Regardless, RL sales will likely end the model year somewhere between 15,000 and 16,000 sales, which I believe will be below their stated target of 20,000. |
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Oh I'm sure Infiniti is quite pleased. The new M sells more a month than the old M was doing in a year. If they can work the same magic with the FM platform into a new Q, and get the styling right, it will be like the spiritual successor to the original Q45, before Nissan started back pedaling and trying to compete with the LS400. While a majority of MB and BMW customers would probably thumb their noses at Japan, you can only punish your customers so much before they start leaving. I've known more than a few people who were stranded in Benz and BMW and traded them for reliable Acura and Lexus. Keep in mind that the G and ES are not really competitiors. The G competes with the IS300. Infiniti tried mostly in vain to compete with the ES with the '96 I30. Unfortunately they never realized that the ES is not a Camry with a fancy coat of paint, and thats always what the I was, which is what killed it. It most likely would've died anyway. The I30 was a product made during Infiniti's "lost years" where the company literally had no focus and couldnt decide what kind of cars to make, so they just put out barely modified Maximas and Pathfinders. Lexus is certainly well aware of the GS's tradition of being a flash in the pan. Thats why this time they are planning continual upgrades during several model years rather than leaving it alone for 8 years like last time.
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Replying to: lexusguy (May 03, 2005 7:11 pm) The M appears to be hitting the right niches, and most importantly, crossing over different segments. They are obviously appealing to younger customers who rate power and performance near the top, while also conquering older, more conservative customers with the non-sport versions of the M35 and M45. And delivering an AWD model that gives up little in terms of performance is allowing them to cover all the bases. The current issue of Motor Trend shows a rendering of the upcoming Infiniti CX35, which will go head-to-head with the RDX, Cadillac BRX, and Benz MLK in MY2008. Infiniti and Nissan are clearly on a roll. |
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It looks like the luxury "cute-ute" market is exploding, then huh?
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Acura Division sales rose 11.9% to a new April record of 19,102. April was the 2nd best month in Acura's 19-year history, and the 18th consecutive record-setting month of sales for the division as a whole. Acura year-to-date sales of 67,516 have risen 8.9% versus a year ago. Acura passenger car sales reached a new April record of 14,029 vehicles, up 15.8% for the month, and up 13.6% for the year. TSX marked its fifth consecutive record month with sales of 3,329 units, up 35.4% for the month and up 34.7% for year to date. TL sales reached 7,206, up 3.4%. April sales of the RL rose 153.2% (versus April 04) to 1,304 vehicles, while year-to-date sales of 5,463 are up 183.9%. MDX sales lifted Acura light truck sales to a new April record of 5,073 units, a rise of 2.4% versus year-ago results. Nonetheless, RL sales will likely fall short of the 20,000 target, even with sales likely picking up during the warmer summer months. It will be interesting to see if Acura rolls out an incentivized lease offer. You almost figure they have to. As an aside, American Honda sales (without Acura) are also up 13.9% over year-ago, and up 3.2% year-to-date. |
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Replying to: lexusguy (May 03, 2005 8:10 pm) Many of these luxury "cute utes" and crossovers are mechanically related to more plebian versions (ex: RDX vs. CRV, RX vs. Highlander....), so you wonder if all of these marquees can sustain sales of luxury versions. But the R&D costs are minimal, so the downsides are probably not that great. The Infiniti CX35 is not supposed to bow until MY2008. That sounds like it will be 2 years behind the RDX? |
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