By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
Comments
Ken
-juice
It would be interesting to know if BMW would have pushed the 7-series design down to the 5 and 3 series more had this information been available earlier.
Ken
-Dan-
"The complaint index is based on a ratio of the number of complaints for each vehicle to the sales of that vehicle."
The way I read this, the larger the number, the FEWER complaints (as in one Lemon Law complaint per 27,000 vs one per 5000 cars sold). Then again, I could me wrong.
Ross
A Bimmer is a Bimmer, regardless of what it looks like.
tom
-Dan-
Bob
-juice
Looks pretty good to me.
Bob
Must've picked up recently. I haven't looked in a while but in one of the threads here the sales numbers didn't look so good about 1 year into the new 7 being on the market.
-juice
Same thing is beginning to happen with the Tribeca. There are far fewer complaints now than back in November when those first spy shots debuted.
Bob
-juice
the growth in the 3-er sales is quite a lot more. barely surpassing your previous mark, using the 3 series as a reference, is hardly something to get excited about.
so IMO, I don't know about 50% more sales if it were good looking-- but I'd put a check in the box for "more", no question
~Colin
Whether it out-sold the previous 7 Series by 1% or 7%, it doesn't matter. The fact of the matter is it's the best selling 7 Series. Period.
...And I'll use CAPs as I please, thank you very much...
Bob
-Frank
http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=102066
Bob
Regarding caps-- you have no sense of humor sometimes, Bob. To me a smashing success versus a slight increase is a huge difference. That 7 series article/comment was heavily slanted towards favoring the design, so I was just offering a counterpoint. (of course, I expect a slant-- it was written by BMW themselves.)
~Colin
That's $11+K Colin, when the hybrid equipment costs $5,360. I call that gouging. Maybe wealthy Lexus owners won't mind though.
Nowhere did I use the words "smashing success." I did say "record," however—and a record is a record no matter how you slice it.
I'm finished with this topic.
Bob
*cough*
On another note, anyone been over to the new Speed Shop? What do you think?
I will tell you, BMW sold one less 7 series because of the looks and because of i-drive last year. Instead, bought my parents an LS430 (which they still love, BTW)
I doubt I'm the only one in the entire US that made the same decision.
Just making a point, Bob. Nothing personal. Don't raise your blood pressure over it, it's not worth it. ;-)
tom
That actual price is $11k higher, but it includes $6k worth of content that is optional on the RX330. So basically the surcharge for a hybrid system itself is $5k.
Who knows that the actual costs are, they didn't say if they'd make money on each one sold, though I doubt they'll lose any.
Sure the price is high, but they'll still have trouble meeting demand for the first two years, and that's still less than the cost of an H2. Plus it draws as much attention, and it's the positive kind.
-juice
why give it away? the hybrid market is now established, and I wouldn't at all be surprised to see a price hike in other hybrids to make them profitable instead of a niche-carving mechanism.
~Colin
Hybrid technolgy clearly commands a premium in many consumers minds. Even if you add up the gas savings and the extra cost of the hybrid components, there's still money left on the table. Look at the long waiting lists at dealers that do sell hybrid vehicles. It's a clear sign of an early developing market and I think companies are wise to take full advantage of that right now. Hybrid technology isn't all about been green anymore -- it's becoming a premium feature.
If hybrid technology becomes more widespread and enters a more mature phase, price competion will set in and you'll see prices naturally fall.
Ken
Never mind opinions on the looks, Bob's point was that people would get accustomed to the look and that the 7 series model would be a success. We (yes, including me) doubted that and argued otherwise.
He was right, let's face it.
Bottom line might even be that styling just isn't as important as we had thought. Even so, we were all wrong about that.
I still won't say I like the 7 or the look, though the face-lift looks a lot better, but perhaps our Egos are getting the best of us here.
Bob's only mistake was not betting on it, if he had we'd all be putting our money where our (big) mouth was.
-juice
otherwise this is just discussion, and I've said numerous times that we have no meaningful way to assess the importance of styling/appearance. Bob's also said he's done with this topic, which I am fine with, so I'm just replying to you, Juice.
I love to debate just for argument's sake, and don't get excited about it. Others do.
btw I'll take an S-class please.
~Colin
I do think that the controversial styling reduced that some what, basically far fewer people today talk about aspiring to own a Bimmer.
However, those people aren't putting money in BMW's bank vaults. That was the problem. What good does it do them if those folks aren't actually buying cars?
The Gamble here was the actual owners would like it, or at least accept it (which is my understanding of Bob's argument). And that is what has happened.
I'm sure they could care less that you'd rather have an S-class, given you're not exactly shopping for a 7. And I no longer drool over an M5, but again, whoop-de-doo. They don't care.
I guess they're laughing all the way to the Bank.
-juice
-Frank
~Colin
The Scion xB has it standard, for $13.8k.
That's just industry practice (package high-demand stuff to maximize profits). If people buy it, the marketing guys look brilliant.
It's funny, though, Toyota found that Prius buyers wanted the premium options, like Bluetooth, for instance. They are not getting the penny pinchers looking for stripped models, not at all.
-juice
my gf Jen finished her homework last night in bed next to me with a laptop... wireless networks rule!
~c
-Dave
Limit of 5 Emotorcons per message.
"Ease up on the Emotorcons huh?"
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=159908618&tid=5978
Bob
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0503/05032903tosh1minbatt.asp
Auto and industrial are the primary target markets. Digital photography enthusiasts are hoping Toshiba will turn their attention to smaller camera packs shortly after.
What are you waiting for? Go buy that Toshiba stock right now!
Bob