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The Value Proposition of Luxury Brands - READ ONLY

109 messages,  Last post on Oct 25, 2010 at 2:16 PM

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What is this discussion about? Car Values

Messages Page 9 of 11

#80 of 109 Re: The Value Proposition of Luxury Brands [Mr_Shiftright] by fintail

Oct 23, 2010 (12:31 pm)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Oct 23, 2010 8:06 am)
And the funny thing is, the SL platform was 17 years old then! Heck, the W126 was 6 years old when the 560 hit these shores, and it still blew everyone away.
 
Regarding the stereotyping, sure it's true, but where there's smoke, there's fire.

#81 of 109 Re: The Value Proposition of Luxury Brands [fintail] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Oct 23, 2010 (12:37 pm)

Replying to: fintail (Oct 23, 2010 12:31 pm)
The new Cadillacs are pretty nice. They've come a long, long way to shed their image of vulgarity--another stereotype they had to shake off, thanks to fake landau bars and steer horns, etc. Man, Cadillac has had to carry some very heavy karma. It doesn't seem fair for one marque to bear all that bad ju-ju.
 
Of course, Hyundai shook off its bad ju-ju pretty much. So it can be done.

#82 of 109 Re: The Value Proposition of Luxury Brands [Mr_Shiftright] by fintail

Oct 23, 2010 (12:44 pm)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Oct 23, 2010 12:37 pm)
It can be done, but at the same time, that doesn't mean a maker can built something with the styling (and likely driving dynamics) of the Equus and expect it to be embraced on par with S/7/a8/LS and so on. I think sometimes a maker overestimates their rebirth - see Caddy XLR.

#83 of 109 Re: The Value Proposition of Luxury Brands [fintail] by hpmctorque

Oct 23, 2010 (6:40 pm)

Replying to: fintail (Oct 23, 2010 12:44 pm)
Brands don't remain static. Genesis, and even more so Equus, are in their infancy. I think we should wait until the second generation to judge whether they'll remain a low cost knockkoff, or become worthy competitors to the established luxury brands.
 
Whether Hyundai's RWD premium models remain part of the Hyundai brand, or are spun off into a separate luxury brand, as Infiniti has done, they'll have to overcome the heritage and first mover advantage of the German brands. While these are significant headwinds, I think it's too early to count the Koreans out.
 
I've wondered whether Hyundai's subconscious aim may be to settle some old scores by beating the Japanese brands.

#84 of 109 Count the South Koreans out... by iluvmysephia1

Oct 23, 2010 (7:09 pm)

question mark! Heck, the South Koreans are eating the lunches of many a carmaker now. I frankly don't know why the Germans are even narily in the fight to sell compacts, much less luxury cars right now.
 
If I wanted a luxury car right now I'd either buy a midsize Suzuki Kizashi (winning awards left and right for being a driver's midsize car-look it up if you don't believe me) or a Genesis sedan from Hyundai. Not a German.
 
I'd buy a Toyota Boat...oh...I mean Avalon before I'd buy any German luxo car. They're over-rated and overpriced and over-hyped. Kind of like Lady Gaga.
 
No, I don't know if she's overpriced. That is a bit of a stretch to assume that, eh?

#85 of 109 Re: Count the South Koreans out... [iluvmysephia1] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Oct 24, 2010 (9:13 am)

Replying to: iluvmysephia1 (Oct 23, 2010 7:09 pm)
If the Kizashi wants to be a "luxury" car then we need a new word to describe a Mercedes S Class and similar cars, in the same way that if we call a 20 story building a "skyscraper" the what do we call larger buildings? I mean, is Tony Danza really "famous"?

#86 of 109 Re: Count the South Koreans out... [Mr_Shiftright] by steve_ HOST

Oct 24, 2010 (10:02 am)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Oct 24, 2010 9:13 am)
I think a lot of the problem is that no one agrees on the definition of luxury, or whether it can apply to a car or must it apply to the whole brand.
 
A lot of luxury features a decade or two ago are now standard equipment which makes it all a bit of a moving target.

#87 of 109 Re: Count the South Koreans out... [steve_] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Oct 24, 2010 (10:09 am)

Replying to: steve_ (Oct 24, 2010 10:02 am)
Well it's like the old joke----if some unemployed laborer gets inspired, cleans himself up, buys new clothes and starts working as a shoe store manager, we admire him---but if a former CEO gets a job doing the same thing, we take pity on him.
 
So yeah, for a Hyundai, the Equus is a luxury product, but for a Mercedes, that same car would be a down-market product.
 
So one's view of "luxury" depends on from where one is viewing it.
 
Just labeling something doesn't make it so.

#88 of 109 Re: Count the South Koreans out... [Mr_Shiftright] by steve_ HOST

Oct 24, 2010 (10:14 am)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Oct 24, 2010 10:09 am)
but for a Mercedes, that same car would be a down-market product.
 
Like their taxis, A Class, B Class, "executive" cars, Sprinters, smart cars, lorries, etc?
 
For all I know, Tiffany may sell refrigerator magnets too.

#89 of 109 Re: Count the South Koreans out... [iluvmysephia1] by fintail

Oct 24, 2010 (10:43 am)

Replying to: iluvmysephia1 (Oct 23, 2010 7:09 pm)
Kizashi, a luxury car? A mostly FWD car with mass market VW-esque styling? With all due respect....puh-leeze
 
Here's something for you to do. Go out to a local dealer and drive the luxury market leaders - LS, S, 7, A8. You don't even have to drive a new one. You can find 5 year old examples of any of these for 30K, or 10 year old examples for no more than 15K. Go drive one for an hour, put it through some tests, and get back to us.
 
Germans rule the luxury roost, both on this continent and on this planet. In other markets, smaller German cars also find plenty of buyers, and even here people have no problems buying what could be the greatest new car gamble, a VW.

Messages Page 9 of 11

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