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Sedans Luxury Lounge
21424 messages, Last post on Nov 29, 2009 at 10:22 AM
You are in the Sedans Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
First of all, Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Hope y'all had great turkey feast last night and spent quality times with your family. I am away from home this holiday season but fortunately I have my girlfriend to keep me company and will take a trip to Taiwan in January for the Chinese New Year so it's all good.  Anyway, on to the topic of cars... I have spent the last several days trying to convince the Hyundai zealots at the Is There Room in the Luxury Market for Hyundai? board that in order to be a real player in the luxury market, having competitive products (cars) is not all. I was telling them that it's the total luxury ownership on top of the good products that defines the luxury market. However, what I got is getting called something like an elitist brand snob...  Well, since almost everyone here own at least one (if not a whole fleet of...) luxury brand cars I would like to see your takes on this topic. Whether or not you agree with the Hyundai zealots I think the comparison between the luxury crowd and Hyundai crowd could paint a very interesting picture. |
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Replying to: louiswei (Nov 28, 2008 10:25 am) The Lexus line is the closest of the true luxury marques to the Genesis. Genesis is an incredible value, IMO, and deserves a whole lot of credit. It's tough wearimg the Hyundai badge and "ownership experience", but that will improve over time, as has already happened. Hyundai's reputation is getting better all the time. Genesis helps. TM |
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Replying to: louiswei (Nov 28, 2008 10:25 am) From Wall Street Jouranl: (1) Sales for the U.S. luxury-car market, which includes everything from a Lexus to a Lamborghini, fell 30% last month from a year earlier -- on par with the 31.9% decline for the overall market, according to Autodata Corp., a market research firm. On top of rising foreclosures, a plunging stock market and thousands of pink slips on Wall Street, luxury-car makers say their customers also don't want their subordinates to see them driving a new car. "People don't want to look like they have money now," said Mark Templin, group vice president of Toyota Motor Corp.'s North American Lexus division. (2) Yup, that's right people overall are uncomfortable with flaunting their bling . Driving a Hyundai that is equivalent to luxury marques without the luxury marque is the right car for the right time. So you may ask how much is this so called ownership experience worth? Apparently the value of such experiences are just not worth the price. People cannot even be incentivized into buying the luxury experience. Incentive spending -- such as zero-percent financing and cash rebates -- is on the rise, more than doubling for vehicles priced over $60,000, according to Edmunds.com. The average incentive spending on a premium car last month was about $8,100, compared with $3,430 a year earlier. But unlike past downturns, consumers aren't responding to traditional marketing devices like increased incentives, lease deals or beefed-up advertising, said BMW spokesman Tom Kowelski. "This is the most difficult period we've experienced in North America," Mr. Kowelski said. BMW's U.S. sales fell 14% last month to 20,203 vehicles. link title Today luxury cars and SUVs are equally alluring but not in a complimentary sense. Fewer people want to buy them even if they are financially able to do so. |
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Replying to: 2001gs430 (Nov 27, 2008 4:37 pm) In fact we are enjoying our second Thanksgiving too. Family members from San Francisco are here in Toronto. I can assure you we are not going to eat turkey for the third time during Christmas. |
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"CLS500s are significantly cheaper (and far more plentiful on the used market). In my area you can get an '06 CLS500 for $32K, or a CPO for $37 or so. " Whoa, really? That's way below Edmunds TMV of $40k+. Did you mean $42-47k or really $32-37k? If that's true then helloooww CLS500. Btw, LG, I disagree with you on BMW 6 being ugly inside out. I actually find the styling pretty cool and very similar to the XK, though I do admit it looks kinda bad from the side. I stopped next to a black-on-cream convertible this afternoon and I still think it looks gratifying. Maybe it's like Dada and his prior affection over the XLR (beauty is in the eye of beholders), maybe I'll get over it, maybe not. However, if the CLS offers better deals I'll probably kill the 6 off the list. The new A6's rear end, now that's bad. They all look the same now, and the old rear end looks much better imo. The new one otoh, now looks mismatched with the front end. Bad.... "I was surprised when I read your post. I had no clue that the A6 was selling more frequently then the E-Class, and 5 Series. " Well, not in US, but worldwide, thanks in large part to China and Russia, the A6 outsells E and 5. As for the paint, ouch!!! I have no exact figure, but the last time my friend fixed his red A4's paint (deep red, 2003 model) it cost him over $400. Audi paints are expensive, and the worst part is it's really hard to match the paint with the rest of the body. Unless your car is really new you'll most likely still see the difference, no matter how slight.
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I too am having a hard time warming up to it. The front is ok, though a bit Lotus-like in appearance, but the rear half? Too much Lexus IS / Dodge Charger in rear windows and the whole rear quarter is more 5-door hatchback than a 4 door coupe r sedan.
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I received my January 2009 issue of Car and Driver today; the whiff of cheap whisky still on my mailman's breath from his family celebration of the day before. I was about to comment on his tasteless choice of alcohol, and perhaps make a well-needed recommendation, but didn't when I noticed what he was holding-my latest issue of Car and Driver magazine. No! This was not just any issue; it was THE issue-the 27th annual "10 Best Cars Issue"! I excitedly turned with trembling fingers to page 82 and sure enough there it was right on the first page of the article: the BMW 3-Series has been chosen for its 18th consecutive year! The 3 Series was the only BMW series selected. To quote Car and Driver: "Is this perfection? In our view, no current family of cars comes closer to that elusive target." Just a great way to end my holiday! 
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Replying to: louiswei (Nov 28, 2008 10:25 am) I don't think Hyundai wull be as successful in cracking the luxury market as Lexus has been. Look at Infiniti as an example of not really getting it done. One could make the case that their cars are as good or better than Lexus but they have not been able to convince most high end buyers to spend their $ on them. It is more complicated than just having a great car, we all know that the power of the brand and any associated status/heritige counts as well. |
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Replying to: clembo (Nov 28, 2008 4:25 pm) That sums up what I was trying to say pretty well. Thanks. |
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Replying to: louiswei (Nov 28, 2008 10:25 am) In a Luxury market, the Genesis would be up against the A6, 5 Series, E Class, and the GS. There is no competition, Hyundai are not luxury cars, never will be, and are junk. Do yourself a favor, spend your 36k else where, perhaps on a 3 Series, A4, or C300. I admit, I'm a name dropper, and would be embarrassed to drive a Hyundai. My first car was a new 92 SC400, which I still have today. Only 81k miles. Currently I'm driving my 05 A6, which is above and beyond a POS Hyundai..
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