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10007 messages,  Last post on Dec 01, 2009 at 7:40 AM

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What is this discussion about? Lexus GS 430, Acura RL, BMW 5 Series, Volvo S80, Audi A6, Infiniti M35, Infiniti M45, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Cadillac STS, Sedan

#8314 of 10007 Re: What's GS350 [lexusguy] by markcincinnati Sep 05, 2006 (1:03 pm)
Replying to: lexusguy (Sep 05, 2006 10:43 am) That sounds hunky dunky to me too!   Now, when I was in graduate school way way back in the mid 1970's (1976), I took a course -- and this was in grad school -- which seemed to say "if the customer wants to give you money. . .TAKE IT!"   I'll give you an example.   Heated rear seats are offered to customers wanting to buy an Infiniti M. For $10,000. As part of a Premium All Inclusive Package.   Who's bright idea was that?   If I don't want a rear seat DVD player why can't I pay a reasonable amount for heated rear seats. I am not literally suggesting that lexusguy and I would have a car custom built for us with "options" that don't yet exist, even though my post might seemingly have suggested such.   Rather, I would like to be able to tick off an option or three or five that I know exists and pay a reasonable price with a profit in it.   I would have paid SOMETHING for the RS 6 wheels as an option on my A6. I won't pay $2,000 after the fact when I already paid $1,000 for the 18" deluxe wheel tire package. I might have paid $1,500 for the option to select those wheels, though.   Why not sell satellite radio without requiring five other upgrades that I may or may not have wanted, assuming I'm willing to pay for it?   Now, if I am willing to buy 13 options bundled together as the super-duper-premium-mega-wacka-wacka package, I might EXPECT a package discount. But if I only want 4 of the 13 options, why in the wide wide world of sports won't you sell them to be at a bit of a premium to justify, oh hell, I don't even know what needs to be justified.   I shop on the German version of the Audi web site and it seems you can get your Audi 57 different ways and cherry pick what you really want.   I actually wanted front parktronic, after I saw how my wife uses it to park in our garage, but Audi USA only offers rear parktronic. If I woulda been willing to pony up another $350 why not sell it to me for pity's sake.   Marketing 101 -- sell the customer what he/she is willing to give you money for selling them.   The cars are built based on a BOM (bill of materials) that is stuck inside a container and programmed into a computer that follows the car from being a hunk of coiled steel until it is driven off at the end of the assembly line -- who cares if I want a WHITE car with Amaretto seats? If I am willing to pay for it, sell it to me -- take my money please!   If you offer a heated steering wheel in the V8 and you want to charge $150 for it on the V6, so be it -- heck, I'd probably go $175 or $200 for THAT!   Pot luck on the tires of a $55K car? Keeping this in proportion to the times and inflation, I can remember BRAND NEW houses being built and sold here in Porkopolis for $199,999 by relatively large homebuilders -- if you wanted you could take you $199,999 house to $299,999 with options and features -- but you couldn't change where the walls were and you only had two floor plans, based, apparently, on what side of the street in sub-urbia you were going to be on.   You want a small deck? A gazeebo? Dual heat-pumps for your two story? A single or dual or triple garage doors for your one, two or three car garage option?   Roper appliances or Viking? If you got the time, we've got the beer. . .or something like that.   If you've got the green, we'll build your machine!   LPS cars of all the cars configured should at least have some customization possible. . .yet the option groupings never seem to git er done for me. I order stuff I don't want to get stuff I do want, don't you?   I woulda paid SOMETHING for a power articulated steering column, three of my most recent Audis, of the six, this century, had this feature, and I liked it. I wouldn't pay $2K for it, but I woulda paid SOMETHING -- bzzz, sorry, no can do.   So, if you want that apparently very nice and affordable Lexus with the new 300+ HP motor and AWD, but you don't want it to be a Barcolounger on Wheels, why not just say "sport bits" $1250, check here and be done with it?   If I don't want lane departure warning, which must cost SOMETHING, why make me pay for it to get the back up camera or some such thing as that?   Mass customization was being taught in my graduate school courses in 1976 (god, I'm old.) Here I sit some 30 years later, wishin' and hopin' and prayin' -- lawd amighty, let me choose my options, please. I beseech thee!   Sheesh!   Take my money, please (but let me buy what I want to buy!)     Replies to this message: lexusguy (Sep 05, 2006 3:05 pm) james27 (Sep 05, 2006 5:09 pm) markcincinnati (Sep 06, 2006 3:50 am) breld (Sep 06, 2006 10:45 am) cdnpinhead (Sep 06, 2006 12:12 pm)
#8315 of 10007 Re: What's GS350 [markcincinnati] by lexusguy Sep 05, 2006 (3:05 pm)
Replying to: markcincinnati (Sep 05, 2006 1:03 pm) LPS cars of all the cars configured should at least have some customization possible. . .yet the option groupings never seem to git er done for me. I order stuff I don't want to get stuff I do want, don't you?   I'm with you, 100%. The power rear sunshade is another one of those $10,000 options on the Infiniti, I believe. I'd like to have that, but I could care less about the rear DVD player. I don't have kids.   It seems like Acura is finally starting to get the "buyers want choice" message. The new MDX will apparently offer at least two option packages, including a "Sport" package. Another interesting tidbit in this month's C&D issue is that BMW will be replacing their less-than-stellar SMG with a DSG, wonder where they got that idea?
#8316 of 10007 Re: RL 2007 going to 3.7? [ksoman] by lexusguy Sep 05, 2006 (3:10 pm)
Replying to: ksoman (Sep 05, 2006 9:57 am) Nope, it stays 3.5L for '07. If it gets a mid-cycle refresh for the '08 MY, the 3.7 could be a possibility. At least in MDX tune, its not much of a boost over what the RL has now, an extra 10hp and 19ft.lbs of torque.
#8317 of 10007 Re: What's GS350 [markcincinnati] by james27 Sep 05, 2006 (5:09 pm)
Replying to: markcincinnati (Sep 05, 2006 1:03 pm) It used to be like you indicate...individual items, and few option packages. I preferred it that way, but it made it harder for the dealers. Course, why should we care? I'm quite tall in the torso...I just don't fit well in most cars with sunroofs. Course, if you don't get the sunroof (if that is even an option), you can't get most of the other good things you'd like.   With today's computers, it should be fairly easy to allow that, especially when someone is willing to order the car and wait.   I think some of it is that the dealer and manufacturer realize that most people will buy those extra things in the package to get the (maybe) one thing they really want, increasing their profitability.   Audi lost a sale to me for this reason...I just don't fit with the sunroof, and I would not be satisfied with the other things I would have to do without. Retrofitting some of those things might be possible, but at extortionist prices. Replies to this message: markcincinnati (Sep 06, 2006 3:50 am)
#8318 of 10007 Re: What's GS350 [james27] by markcincinnati Sep 06, 2006 (3:50 am)
Replying to: james27 (Sep 05, 2006 5:09 pm) Assuming this is about money, which it certainly must be -- at least a little bit -- why not encourage "build your own" packages that give you a discount? You could "make your own" technology package and if you buy four options you pay for three, but if you only want two you pay for two.   It seems to me that the dealer could be given guidelines about what is "expected" to be the highest volume sellers and for stock purposes, order cars in that configuration.   Further, with lead times of 8 - 14 weeks, for those of us willing to wait, let us pick (and pay for) the options we want.   Building the cars with the ability to "easily and at non extortionist prices" add options (at the dealer) is another approach that might have merit, too.   In any case, the LPS cars would be a great place to start this increased configuration flexibility, don't you think?
#8320 of 10007 Blutec E Class by dewey Sep 06, 2006 (9:03 am)
I dont know if the link about the new Blutec E has been posted. This article is the best Blutec article I have read so far.   I will definitely test drive one this October.   http://www.worldcarfans.com/news.cfm/newsid/2060906.006/country/gcf/mercedes/mer- - cedes-benz-e-320-bluetec-usa Replies to this message: pat (Sep 06, 2006 11:03 am) dewey (Sep 06, 2006 12:00 pm)
#8321 of 10007 Re: What's GS350 [markcincinnati] by breld Sep 06, 2006 (10:45 am)
Replying to: markcincinnati (Sep 05, 2006 1:03 pm) Another one -   For 2007, Infiniti has packaged options together so that in order to get HIDs on the M35x, you have to not only purchase the Tech Pkg, but also the Advanced Tech Pkg. So, the $800 stand-alone HID option requires the addition of $5,500 of other extras, including nav, surround sound, lane departure, etc.   HIDs should be standard on such a car, or at least an easily attainable stand-alone option.   Seems to me BMW does a pretty good job at letting you pick and choose. Most things can be ordered on their own, and are not tied to other options or packages.
#8322 of 10007 Re: Blutec E Class [dewey] by pat HOST Sep 06, 2006 (11:03 am)
Replying to: dewey (Sep 06, 2006 9:03 am) Dewey's link fixed (again) Mercedes-Benz E 320 BLUETEC (USA).   Dewey, I'm gonna start billing you for doing this. Replies to this message: dewey (Sep 06, 2006 12:00 pm)
#8323 of 10007 Re: Blutec E Class [pat] by dewey Sep 06, 2006 (12:00 pm)
Replying to: pat (Sep 06, 2006 11:03 am) Yikes I heard those link Url repair bills can be quite hefty.   Thanks for fixing it. I will be more careful next time.

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