In China the affluent are most attracted to a vehicle that is not manufactured by Audi, BMW, MB, Lexus or Infiniti.
In fact their number one choice is not even a LPS but a Buick minivan.
Forget limousines. These days, the hot vehicle for China's business elite is a Buick minivan.
Known here as the GL8, the General Motors Corp. automobile was designed to ferry families around U.S. suburbs. But in China, a revamped model with leather seats, flat television screens and a remote-controlled sound system is being used to coddle executives as they battle the traffic in the country's big cities.
Chinese buyers who can afford vehicles like the LaCrosse and GL8 tend to let their chauffeurs do the driving.
One of GM's biggest assets is the surprising strength of the Buick name in China. The brand was a status symbol back in prewar Shanghai, when Buicks were the ride of choice for the city's wealthy traders and industrialists. The last emperor of China bought two of them in 1924, and they became the first automobiles to enter the Forbidden City.
Perhaps in Germany all people are the same size, but in other parts of the world there are the tall and the short. BMW has decided that you and I will be comfortable without adjustable seatbelt height. This brilliant non ergonomic engineering caused us to walk out of our BMW dealer (our '03 530 (pre Bangle) lease is up in a month)...the seat belt on the new 5 series (and 3 series) is fixed on the doorpost (no adjustments) and cuts across my wife's neck...she's a petite 5' 0". While she can adjust the seat up to eliminate this, she finds that it's also helpful to be able to reach the pedals
On a $50K+ car, she should not have to wear one of those aftermarket devices that pull the seatbelt down. The old style 530 had a sliding mount on the door that was coupled to the seat position automatically....even that's gone. We found no seating problems on the Lexus, Acura or Infinity and our Graphite/Wheat M35 will be waiting when our BMW lease is up.
I'd have my "navigator" do it, but she spends most of her time sleeping. Her idea of "keeping me company" on a long road trip."
My "navigator" can get herself lost on the way to work. :-/ Like yours, she too loves to keep me company by sleeping for all but the last ten or fifteen miles.
You guys are lucky! My "navigator" forces herself to stay awake so she can harrass me about my speed the whole way! :mad:
Only in small numbers in the LPS and HELM segment.
In the near future such technology for mainstream vehicles is a distant dream.
There is the price premium for a powerful battery and hybrid technology. Plus there is the price premium for a diesel engine . Plus there is the problem of finding fuel at a nearby station.
There may be no need to have a hybrid tutbodiesel since hybrids make turbos redundant.
This all adds up to a hefty price tag and inconvenience that only an experimental LPS buyer would be willing to tolerate.
There may be no need to have a hybrid tutbodiesel since hybrids make turbos redundant
I don't know enough about turbo diesel engines. How does the hybrid make the turbo redundant? I would think that the early kick from an electric hybrid motor would offset the lag during turbo spool-up. Of course, I have only had one turbo (gas) car in my life, and the lag wasn't that bad. Are modern diesels that different regarding lag?
In the mid-nineties, I made my first of what became 6 visits to the Audi factory in Ingolstadt. Two of the 6 visits my wife and I made just as people walking up to the gate and asking if we could come in and go on one of the tours of the facilities. One of these tours we even took although it was completely in German. Our tour guide was bi-lingual and would give us the reader's digest version of what he said in German translated into English.
Anyway, it must've been 1993 or 1994 that Audi had what appeared to be an A4 Avant (that was the size of the car and the look of the car) it was a TD engine with electric motors for the around town part of the journey.
The talk was of a car that was 100% electric but that could seamlessly power up the ICE (diesel in this case) to transfer from battery power to fossil fuel power above certain speeds where diesel mileage could be used for greatest advantage.
Diesel fuel and diesel vehicles in the US (of the passenger car variety) struggled for years in some Cadillacs and Oldsmobiles, although some Mercedes Benz cars of the 80's (with diesels) would routinely go 200,000 miles and sip diesel fuel.
They were dogs however.
One of my buddies picked up a diesel Jetta (1979 vintage?) and we filled it up in Cincinnati and with one additional fill up, as I recall, drove it to Boyne Mountain snow skiing with four of us and our gear in the car.
Talk about the little engine that could!
Now, we've come to diesels winning Sebring and powering Audi A8L's and achieving 40MPGs in a lux barge.
The governor of Montana, as unlikely a VW spokesperson as one could imagine (a Democrat governor in a "Red" state) bought a new Jetta and is powering in with 100% Montana bio-diesel.
All we need is a tiny bit cleaner fuel and diesel engines the likes of that can be created by Audi and Mercedes (and probably BMW) -- and we have made a significant dent in our fuel consumption.
The LPS cars, "ought" to be the proving grounds for such clean, powerful and economical engines. Who knows if they will be.
Audi NOW claims the new Q7 will offer diesel motivation and the tongues are wagging that this may foretell of a wider importation of diesels across the Audi product line providing both strong "S" class performance capabilities and 40% better economy using fuel that TODAY is still a few pennies less per gallon that the Premium swill most of these LPS car demand.
Be still my heart.
OK, I'm over it.
Seems too logical, too easy almost -- we'll probably just make a gazillion batteries to power a gajillion gas/electric hybrids. . .er, "because we can?" :confuse:
There is the price premium for a powerful battery and hybrid technology. Plus there is the price premium for a diesel engine . Plus there is the problem of finding fuel at a nearby station.
The price premium would disappear with mass production of the new technologies in these vehicle such as what we are seeing today in Toyota hybrid automobiles. Of course, we are not talking about basic transportation vehicles right now. If the diesel distribution networks improved with the greater awareness of its benefits and higher demand, then this should not be an issue (big IF)
How does the hybrid make the turbo redundant? I would think that the early kick from an electric hybrid motor would offset the lag during turbo spool-up.
My point was that both hybrids and turbos are similar in their role of providing torque when needed.
But you are correct it would be ideal to have a turbocharger that is good at higher speeds with a hybrid boost at lower speeds (offseting any turbo-lag).
Mark and 2001GS430,
I agree with both of you, but my argument was about biodiesel not diesel. There are currently very few places up here in Toronto where you can buy biodiesel fuel.
Drive the M35 with technology package. I think you'll love the steering, stance, and poise of this car. This is is a comfortable, sporty, and fun car. The seat belts, seats, and steering wheel are all adjustable. At 5'0, your wife will find that reaching for the various controls are much easier because the controls located between driver and passenger bulges outward (double wave front dash), thereby reducing the need to lean forward.
If you were to consider an Acura, either move up to an RL or wait for the freshened E midyear.
As a Chinese guy who works with Chinese from China, many of us prefer Mercedes. At least that's what our wives, girlfriends, mistresses ask for. :P
In Hong Kong, limos are rare because the streets are so congested and narrow that it would be nearly impossible to make a right hand turn in a stretched limo.
If those luxury people carrier are so successful in China, it is because they're aren't as expensive as imported Luxury Sedan
Buying a well engined 7 or S- class as new means an easy 150K USD in China. Guess why people rather prefer 30-40K USD people carrier and luxurily equipped?
Buick even dare to offer the GL8 minivan with a 2,5L / 150 HP. You won't find any mention of the weight anywhere because they must be too ashamed of it. Must be a true 2200Kg/4500 Lbs! I let everyone guess how it performs with 7 guys onboard.
Back to the LPS with China. BMW is subcontracting their 3 and 5 assembly with Zhonghua, so their 530 is a bit cheaper than if fully imported. I see quite a few in my area. Nothing with stronger Engine, because most Chinese buyer care about the badge, the look and the cabin trim. Driving is secondary. A 550 would cost nearly as much as a base 730 so the 730 will be much more looked for
According to a recent article in "Automotive News," a big automotive status symbol in China is a Buick! That goes back decades, perhaps even to the 1920s or 1930s when GM and the U.S. industry was supreme and rich Westerners drove Buicks.
> big automotive status symbol in China is a Buick!
I realy don't have this feeling here (I am in Shenzhen close to HK. Buick sell well because they offer the more bang for the buck. You can even buy a 4Cyl 2.0L Buick Regal for a cheap price (well I mean given the context). Of course, performance wise, we strayed to a galaxy far, far away from our LPS current subject.
In China, there is very little market for LPS. LS (at low price) is the successful one!
GERMANY: BMW’s Panke considers gap in premium model range 31 March 2006| Source: just-auto.com editorial team
BMW chairman Helmut Panke has told German car magazine ‘auto motor und sport’ that he sees room for new models positioned between the BMW 7-series and the Rolls-Royce Phantom, reported dpa-AFX news agency.
Yawn, yawn, yawn.
So will these new pricier models have the same V12 engines as the BMW760? Will these new pricier models be sold at a super hefty premium above the BMW760? Will these new models have more complex and problem-prone electronic features than the current 7 series? You bet they will!
Jaguar, Audi, Lexus, MB and the rest of the herd are all doing the same thing as BMW. Hitting an already saturated market with new pricier models(what an ingenious and bold strategy, indeed).
I think BMW should focus their Euros on non-herd like activities like increasing R &D on steam engines sooner than later. Such distinct innovations throughout their product-line(1 series and above) will sustain the prestige of BMW far better than just introducing another luxury model with features that are similar to other HELM models.
I think the problem is that the success of the Continental GT caught everyone by surprise. BMW doesnt currently have anything to compete with the Conti-GT and the Spur, and they want in. I'm sure M-B will respond with something like an S75 AMG, packing 1400hp "just cause they can".
This is what deteriorates the AMG product line: too many products.
They really should limit the AMG's to sedans and roadsters/coupes. Wagons, "Sports Tourers", and SUVs do not need 800,000,000hp like Mercedes-Benz has made many wealthy Americans believe.
"I always thought the GS was on a stretched (and sportier) version of the Avalon platform, due to their similar size."
The Avalon and GS are similar size, but there are some pretty big differences between them, the biggest of which is that one is FE\FWD, and the other is FE\RWD. I dont know of any current architecture from any company that is adaptable to both. The suspensions are also different, the Avalon uses Mac struts in front and dual-link independent Mac struts in the back, while the Lexus uses independent double-wishbones in front, and has an independent, multi-link setup in the rear.
The IS, GS, and LS dont share anything with any Toyotas on sale in the states.
Victory for Infiniti! After the almost dead heat last month, I figured that the M would soon beat the GS. Good for them, they've got the better car, and it looks like the buyers are starting to figure that out.
I dont see the A6 losing to the RL again, at least not until Acura starts gutting most of the electronics out and gets the price down to $40K.
Doom and gloom still loom in the MB horizon as scandal, high-labor costs, the stupid SMART division, and high-warranty costs threaten this hallowed marque.
March sales score card: Lexus: 27,292 Mercedes: 21,417
What is the budget? Are you comparing a loaded c350 vs a stripped or used e or 5?
Drive all three cars. IMHO, the c350 is not comparable to the other two. The c is a compact car--the corolla of the MB line. Seating is very tight and you'll notice the lack of refinement found in the e and 5. I'm not sure how to comment further without more specifics. If the question is whether or not the extra $ spent on the e is worth it, I answer with a resounding yes. Why not post your question to mbworld.org?
Long answer, why on earth would you want to buy a C class in 2006? Isnt the car due for replacement next year? If you're looking in the entry-lux class, there are much newer and frankly much better cars available, the 330i and IS350.
MB is recovering, but I am not a spokesman for MB ( MB refuses to pay me to be their spokesman so I will not argue with you about MB).
But as an unpaid Bloomberg messenger I can provide you some news about LPS sales trends:
April 4 (Bloomberg) -- Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, the world's largest maker of luxury cars, led a sales increase among European manufacturers in the U.S. last month as drivers chose new models such as the 3-Series sedan over rival Asian vehicles.
``We don't really expect this trend to slow down at all this year,'' said Brown, who works for Iceology, a consumer research firm in Los Angeles. When buying luxury cars, U.S. buyers consider European models as more prestigious than Asian brands, such as Honda Motor Co. Ltd.'s Acura and Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lexus, he added. Toyota is now poised to surpass GM as the world's largest carmaker.
You are correct. I guess BMW will be banking on a new re-skinned X5 and the upcoming X6 and X7 vehicles.
Personally I am not a fan of those X models nor a fan of any SUV offered by other marques since I rarely do off-roading( except once during my days of wreckless youth when my car swerved off a road and landed into a ditch)
Well, I know the SUV-haters aren't going to like this much, but I just traded in my 545 for a Porsche Cayenne S. Just felt it was a bit safer, and had more flexible cargo space than the 545 both of which are important now that my wife and I are about to have a child. I have tell you, if you're considering a similar move, I'd give the Cayenne a serious look. I know it's had some problems, but it's one hell of a fun truck to drive. I don't even feel like I gave up anything performance-wise. Not to mention getting rid of that damn Bangle styling and iDrive! Just kidding (we all know I defended Bangle and iDrive with extreme vigor). I'm sure the new X5 will be nice, but I couldn't wait for it and it sounds like it's going to be significantly bigger than it is now which doesn't interest me.
You'll have to change your name to "richPCS" now...
Personally I hate SUV's, but if I had to buy one, the Cayenne and the Infiniti's would be my top choices as they have a little different style from the usual sun-blocking behemoths out there...
I looked at it in the sense that I built one online on their website, but I didn't drive one. I actually got my Cayenne used because I felt it would be stupid to trade in a 545 with 19,000 miles on it for a new car and take a double depreciation hit. So I got an '04 Cayenne S with 25,000 mile on it with just about every option possible (it's certified so it's covered under warranty for 6 years or 100,000 miles, and it looks like new). I like the FX45, but I like how the Porsche looks a lot better. I'll be interested to see what the Cayenne looks like after it gets refreshed for '08 (I think). On another note, the sales guy I was dealing with had a Carerra GT sitting right next to his desk. Imagine going to work, and having to stare at a $450,000 car all day. Talk about motivation!
The interior of the freshened '06 FX is vastly superior with its M style nav controls compared to the awful '03 interior, but its hardly a match for the Cayenne. If the M is anything to go by though, the next FX will be an absolute force to be reckoned with.
Rich, enjoy the Cayenne. We drove one after my wife's wreck back in December as she liked the idea of more storage space.
We drove the V6 - were totally unimpressed. Drove the S, and were blown away. However, we couldn't see paying the premium for a V8 when she did a LOT of highway driving and visiting our son in Missouri (and our other trips).
Going CPO was probably a VERY wise decision and I bet you got a bit of a better deal.
We ended up with another V6 vehicle and are completely happy. Now if I could just find something to tow my Jeep to the trails.
We can't get the 550 Touring here yet, and I'm not much of a station wagon guy to tell you the truth. I've never heard of the E500 Estate. Is it a station wagon or SUV (or sedan)? Anyway, I kind of like the idea of having a Carmon Red Cayenne which is more rare than black or silver for sure. In fact, any Cayenne is rare compared to the competition.
I definitely like it more now than I did, but I also liked the simplicity of the Cayenne's interior. I'm sure the nav system in the FX is better. To my eyes though, the Cayenne looks like a 911 in SUV form which ain't a bad thing!
Comments
In fact their number one choice is not even a LPS but a Buick minivan.
Forget limousines. These days, the hot vehicle for China's business elite is a Buick minivan.
Known here as the GL8, the General Motors Corp. automobile was designed to ferry families around U.S. suburbs. But in China, a revamped model with leather seats, flat television screens and a remote-controlled sound system is being used to coddle executives as they battle the traffic in the country's big cities.
Chinese buyers who can afford vehicles like the LaCrosse and GL8 tend to let their chauffeurs do the driving.
One of GM's biggest assets is the surprising strength of the Buick name in China. The brand was a status symbol back in prewar Shanghai, when Buicks were the ride of choice for the city's wealthy traders and industrialists. The last emperor of China bought two of them in 1924, and they became the first automobiles to enter the Forbidden City.
WSJ.com
On a $50K+ car, she should not have to wear one of those aftermarket devices that pull the seatbelt down. The old style 530 had a sliding mount on the door that was coupled to the seat position automatically....even that's gone. We found no seating problems on the Lexus, Acura or Infinity and our Graphite/Wheat M35 will be waiting when our BMW lease is up.
My "navigator" can get herself lost on the way to work. :-/ Like yours, she too loves to keep me company by sleeping for all but the last ten or fifteen miles.
You guys are lucky! My "navigator" forces herself to stay awake so she can harrass me about my speed the whole way! :mad:
Only in small numbers in the LPS and HELM segment.
In the near future such technology for mainstream vehicles is a distant dream.
There is the price premium for a powerful battery and hybrid technology. Plus there is the price premium for a diesel engine . Plus there is the problem of finding fuel at a nearby station.
There may be no need to have a hybrid tutbodiesel since hybrids make turbos redundant.
This all adds up to a hefty price tag and inconvenience that only an experimental LPS buyer would be willing to tolerate.
I don't know enough about turbo diesel engines. How does the hybrid make the turbo redundant? I would think that the early kick from an electric hybrid motor would offset the lag during turbo spool-up. Of course, I have only had one turbo (gas) car in my life, and the lag wasn't that bad. Are modern diesels that different regarding lag?
Anyway, it must've been 1993 or 1994 that Audi had what appeared to be an A4 Avant (that was the size of the car and the look of the car) it was a TD engine with electric motors for the around town part of the journey.
The talk was of a car that was 100% electric but that could seamlessly power up the ICE (diesel in this case) to transfer from battery power to fossil fuel power above certain speeds where diesel mileage could be used for greatest advantage.
Diesel fuel and diesel vehicles in the US (of the passenger car variety) struggled for years in some Cadillacs and Oldsmobiles, although some Mercedes Benz cars of the 80's (with diesels) would routinely go 200,000 miles and sip diesel fuel.
They were dogs however.
One of my buddies picked up a diesel Jetta (1979 vintage?) and we filled it up in Cincinnati and with one additional fill up, as I recall, drove it to Boyne Mountain snow skiing with four of us and our gear in the car.
Talk about the little engine that could!
Now, we've come to diesels winning Sebring and powering Audi A8L's and achieving 40MPGs in a lux barge.
The governor of Montana, as unlikely a VW spokesperson as one could imagine (a Democrat governor in a "Red" state) bought a new Jetta and is powering in with 100% Montana bio-diesel.
All we need is a tiny bit cleaner fuel and diesel engines the likes of that can be created by Audi and Mercedes (and probably BMW) -- and we have made a significant dent in our fuel consumption.
The LPS cars, "ought" to be the proving grounds for such clean, powerful and economical engines. Who knows if they will be.
Audi NOW claims the new Q7 will offer diesel motivation and the tongues are wagging that this may foretell of a wider importation of diesels across the Audi product line providing both strong "S" class performance capabilities and 40% better economy using fuel that TODAY is still a few pennies less per gallon that the Premium swill most of these LPS car demand.
Be still my heart.
OK, I'm over it.
Seems too logical, too easy almost -- we'll probably just make a gazillion batteries to power a gajillion gas/electric hybrids. . .er, "because we can?" :confuse:
The price premium would disappear with mass production of the new technologies in these vehicle such as what we are seeing today in Toyota hybrid automobiles. Of course, we are not talking about basic transportation vehicles right now.
If the diesel distribution networks improved with the greater awareness of its benefits and higher demand, then this should not be an issue (big IF)
My point was that both hybrids and turbos are similar in their role of providing torque when needed.
But you are correct it would be ideal to have a turbocharger that is good at higher speeds with a hybrid boost at lower speeds (offseting any turbo-lag).
Mark and 2001GS430,
I agree with both of you, but my argument was about biodiesel not diesel. There are currently very few places up here in Toronto where you can buy biodiesel fuel.
If you were to consider an Acura, either move up to an RL or wait for the freshened E midyear.
In Hong Kong, limos are rare because the streets are so congested and narrow that it would be nearly impossible to make a right hand turn in a stretched limo.
Buying a well engined 7 or S- class as new means an easy 150K USD in China. Guess why people rather prefer 30-40K USD people carrier and luxurily equipped?
Buick even dare to offer the GL8 minivan with a 2,5L / 150 HP. You won't find any mention of the weight anywhere because they must be too ashamed of it. Must be a true 2200Kg/4500 Lbs! I let everyone guess how it performs with 7 guys onboard.
Back to the LPS with China. BMW is subcontracting their 3 and 5 assembly with Zhonghua, so their 530 is a bit cheaper than if fully imported. I see quite a few in my area. Nothing with stronger Engine, because most Chinese buyer care about the badge, the look and the cabin trim. Driving is secondary. A 550 would cost nearly as much as a base 730 so the 730 will be much more looked for
I realy don't have this feeling here (I am in Shenzhen close to HK. Buick sell well because they offer the more bang for the buck. You can even buy a 4Cyl 2.0L Buick Regal for a cheap price (well I mean given the context). Of course, performance wise, we strayed to a galaxy far, far away from our LPS current subject.
In China, there is very little market for LPS. LS (at low price) is the successful one!
31 March 2006| Source: just-auto.com editorial team
BMW chairman Helmut Panke has told German car magazine ‘auto motor und sport’ that he sees room for new models positioned between the BMW 7-series and the Rolls-Royce Phantom, reported dpa-AFX news agency.
Yawn, yawn, yawn.
So will these new pricier models have the same V12 engines as the BMW760? Will these new pricier models be sold at a super hefty premium above the BMW760? Will these new models have more complex and problem-prone electronic features than the current 7 series? You bet they will!
Jaguar, Audi, Lexus, MB and the rest of the herd are all doing the same thing as BMW. Hitting an already saturated market with new pricier models(what an ingenious and bold strategy, indeed).
I think BMW should focus their Euros on non-herd like activities like increasing R &D on steam engines sooner than later. Such distinct innovations throughout their product-line(1 series and above) will sustain the prestige of BMW far better than just introducing another luxury model with features that are similar to other HELM models.
I had no idea the Avalon was on the same platform as my RX!
I always thought the GS was on a stretched (and sportier) version of the Avalon platform, due to their similar size.
This is what deteriorates the AMG product line: too many products.
They really should limit the AMG's to sedans and roadsters/coupes. Wagons, "Sports Tourers", and SUVs do not need 800,000,000hp like Mercedes-Benz has made many wealthy Americans believe.
Anyone up for a 2008 $120,000 R65 AMG?
Thought so.
The Avalon and GS are similar size, but there are some pretty big differences between them, the biggest of which is that one is FE\FWD, and the other is FE\RWD. I dont know of any current architecture from any company that is adaptable to both. The suspensions are also different, the Avalon uses Mac struts in front and dual-link independent Mac struts in the back, while the Lexus uses independent double-wishbones in front, and has an independent, multi-link setup in the rear.
The IS, GS, and LS dont share anything with any Toyotas on sale in the states.
This is akin to people thinking that all Audis are on Volkswagen platforms. The only models that are on VW platforms are the lower-end cars:
A3, A4, TT.
(TT is not necessarily low-end, it's just not large)
All of these cars are on the VW Golf/Jetta platform, along with a few Skodas, and a SEAT.
Cars that aren't on Volkswagen platforms are the European A2, upcoming A5, A6, A8, R8 supercar, Q7.
Yes, the Q7 shares a platform with the Toureg and Cayenne. But it's a stretched version, thereby making it slightly different.
Also, no, the 2008 Audi R8 is not a VW-derivitave- it is based off of Audi's Lamborghini Gallardo platform.
5 = 5,265
E = 3,884
M = 2,629
GS = 2,483
STS = 2,217
A6 = 1,699
RL = 1,117
I dont see the A6 losing to the RL again, at least not until Acura starts gutting most of the electronics out and gets the price down to $40K.
Might be time to buy one if you are in the market.
BMW 5 series sales increased 33.4 percent for the month of March and 28 percent ytd compared to last year's results.
I think the fortunes of the M will improve further when they get more displacement with a 3.7 litre engine.
I cant wait to see the new G37 in the New York Show(in virtual reality ofcourse)
MB March sales are the best they have ever been.
And what about the E class? A 7.6 percent increase in March sales compared to last year.
March sales score card:
Lexus: 27,292
Mercedes: 21,417
Where would I find the MB and Infiniti numbers?
Drive all three cars. IMHO, the c350 is not comparable to the other two. The c is a compact car--the corolla of the MB line. Seating is very tight and you'll notice the lack of refinement found in the e and 5. I'm not sure how to comment further without more specifics. If the question is whether or not the extra $ spent on the e is worth it, I answer with a resounding yes. Why not post your question to mbworld.org?
Long answer, why on earth would you want to buy a C class in 2006? Isnt the car due for replacement next year? If you're looking in the entry-lux class, there are much newer and frankly much better cars available, the 330i and IS350.
http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2006/04/03/002903.html
MB is recovering, but I am not a spokesman for MB ( MB refuses to pay me to be their spokesman so I will not argue with you about MB).
But as an unpaid Bloomberg messenger I can provide you some news about LPS sales trends:
April 4 (Bloomberg) -- Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, the world's largest maker of luxury cars, led a sales increase among European manufacturers in the U.S. last month as drivers chose new models such as the 3-Series sedan over rival Asian vehicles.
``We don't really expect this trend to slow down at all this year,'' said Brown, who works for Iceology, a consumer research firm in Los Angeles. When buying luxury cars, U.S. buyers consider European models as more prestigious than Asian brands, such as Honda Motor Co. Ltd.'s Acura and Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lexus, he added. Toyota is now poised to surpass GM as the world's largest carmaker.
link title
Personally I am not a fan of those X models nor a fan of any SUV offered by other marques since I rarely do off-roading( except once during my days of wreckless youth when my car swerved off a road and landed into a ditch)
My sources tell me, however, that Q2 may break the uptrend.
$3.00 gasoline without any weather event, does give some pause.
Personally I hate SUV's, but if I had to buy one, the Cayenne and the Infiniti's would be my top choices as they have a little different style from the usual sun-blocking behemoths out there...
Of course, the styling is definitely a love or hate thing. (I like them both).
maybe it is not imported in the US. Even with a special order? Touring account for maybe a third of the 5 sales in Germany
how about an Estate A6? I think it is a very nice model, but don't know it is imported in the US.
If you want boot capacity, a E500 Estate will swallow a lot.
The LPS part is only temporary. BMW got lucky in 2005. The revised E I'm betting will change this back to the way it has been for years.
M
Elsewhere, Europe comes to mind, the Germans seem to be closer to each other than here in NA.
Wondering too, how Acura's RL for instance, has done elsewhere. . .?
We drove the V6 - were totally unimpressed. Drove the S, and were blown away. However, we couldn't see paying the premium for a V8 when she did a LOT of highway driving and visiting our son in Missouri (and our other trips).
Going CPO was probably a VERY wise decision and I bet you got a bit of a better deal.
We ended up with another V6 vehicle and are completely happy. Now if I could just find something to tow my Jeep to the trails.
-Paul