Car Commercials, the good, the bad, and the annoying!

xrunner2

MB is having more or less their best sales in history, so yes, I'd call it some mighty fine marketing. The facts speak for themselves.

More or less? Sounds inconclusive, maybe admitting "less" due to some of their silly and wasteful commercials to boys rather than adults. Could have had more.

Would agree that Acura TL commercial not very good. The one showing one Acura sliding 180 degrees and coming to rest next to another TL. Those 10-14 year old boys sure like that one.

fintail

Looking at the continued conquest of the NA market and expansion elsewhere, saying "less" alone would be anything but honest. If they showed a beige on beige sedan with a middle aged corporate sycophant and his trophy wife dawdling down a mcmansion orchard in a flyover state, brand cachet likely wouldn't be as high :shades:

The entire W123 lineup on a high speed test track, watch out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lwi4FMzZulc

roadburner

The entire W123 lineup on a high speed test track, watch out!

Oh no! xrunner may have to change his Depends!

xrunner2

Oh no! xrunner may have to change his Depends!

So, roadrunner comments on diapers and panties. Guess your an expert on the topic.

ateixeira

Diesel wagons, what could be better?

I think all of you overestimate the maturity of the average American male. Those ads with cars drifting appeal to men of all ages. Drift series fans may be mostly 25 and under, but shows like UK's Top Gear are popular for getting cars sideways all the time.

fintail

I wish we got the E bluetec wagon or a C bluetec wagon, I would seriously consider one - even if the former would require me to eat Top Ramen for dinner 5x a week to keep it going :shades:

I am not into drifting, I don't see it as any kind of "sport" as I have seen claimed elsewhere, but it doesn't offend me either - it's just another form of car control.

explorerx4

X, I found your commercial

roadburner

X, I found your commercial

Nah, the DC-3 is drifting a bit too much- yet another irresponsible pilot.
Seriously though, what a painfully dull commercial. Although I guess it does complement its subject.

roadburner

I owned a Chevrolet and was kind of into the street machine scene. However, I was already planning to buy a BMW as soon as possible after Grad School(Munich and Max Hoffman set the hook back in the early '70s with their print ads touting the 2002 and Bavaria, which would cruise at 100 and 120 mph respectively).
That said, I was hearing good things about the 3rd Generation F-Bodies so I was leaving the door for American Iron cracked open a bit. Then I saw two TV commercials almost back to back.
The first was for a 1979 Z28. It attempted to capitalize on the IROC series and it featured a stock Z weaving in and out of a bunch of IROC Camaros parked on a starting grid at a race track. The thing was, the Camaro was being driven at walking speed- my mother drove faster than that. Yawn.
The next ad was for an E21 3er. Filmed at the Nürburgring, it was a bumper level shot from a lead car that focused on the 320iS chasing it. Both cars were moving- just hammering through the corners- including the Karussell. That was all it took(well, it didn't help that the 1982 Z28 was a joke). In 1983 I bought a Bavaria 3.0 and I haven't looked back since.

stickguy

So, if I get what you are saying, it is that advertising works!

roadburner

So, if I get what you are saying, it is that advertising works!

Well, I was predisposed to buy a BMW, so the ads worked in the sense that they confirmed what I had already suspected.

ateixeira

I had a C 4Matic wagon loaner from the Subaru dealer for a day while they performed a recall.

It was functional, nice enough, just didn't make the heart beat faster. Thing is, for the cost, my expectations are that it should. Thing is, I believe the 4Matic suspensions are raised and softened, or was it just my impression?

Bluetec would keep ownership costs down and I'd love the sort of range it would provide, but I still think I'd be bored with it.

In that class, I'd lean towards a manual-equipped A4 Avant or a 3er wagon. You can even get AWD, and I bet they cost less than a Q5 or X3 would.

fintail

Yes, I think 4matic small cars tend to be softer, they aren't aimed at sport. Probably no difference in an S or even an E. Remember, MB is luxury-sport in that order - especially in this market, where BMW is the reverse.

Manual AWD wagon would be a special order car for sure, but worlds cooler than a Q5 or X3.

stickguy

same deal at Volvo. When I was looking a few years ago, I was interested in a Volvo V70 turbo. Having driven that and a similar S60, I liked the way they drove.

But, hard to find, so I drove an XC70 instead (very easy to find!). Did not like at all. Jacked up with clunky tires, and wallowed, etc. just not enjoyable.

kyfdx

You realize, of course, that there are only a couple hundred of us that think that wagons are cooler than SUVs? The vast, vast majority have voted the other way....

ateixeira

there are only a couple hundred of us that think that wagons are cooler than SUVs?

Fixed it for ya.

I get the luxury angle but for me then it would have to be an E-class. I've always thought this, and confirmed it again at the DC auto show a couple of weeks ago - there is a HUGE difference between the C- and E- class when it comes to the luxurious feel.

So an E-wagon 4Matic would be fine. Something that big and heavy wouldn't be all that sporty anyway.

Didn't the wife on the Sopranos have one of those? :shades:

roadburner

I'd love an E34 M5 Touring. There used to be a US shop that would convert 525i wagons into the uber-wagen- it was much cheaper and much less hassle as opposed to trying to import the real thing...

ateixeira

Oooh, and don't change the badges. The ultimate sleeper. :shades:

fintail

Or make it a 520d to really throw people off.

I rented a F11 528i wagon in Germany, nice car but not really sporty either - not a lightweight.

fintail

But to the average person coming out of an Elantra or an Impala, the C is plenty luxurious - and it has a badge.

Yes, the mob wife drives the MB, the trophy wife of the pseudo-exec gets the RX :shades:

ateixeira

C- is fine if you've never seen the E-class.

roadburner

Oooh, and don't change the badges. The ultimate sleeper.

A friend of mine replaced the ///M3 badge on his heavily modified E36 with a German 316td emblem. Most Bimwads knew what was up but it was a hoot to hear bystanders talk about how they wanted a 316 since it was so cool and fast. European Car even printed a letter from one poor soul who was asking where he could get a 316, since he had seen one set FTD at a local autocross...

fintail

Saw a couple ads today for the new Infiniti JX, uuuugly. I don't know how it will fit in. We already have EX = poser, FX = [non-permissible content removed], QX = idiot :shades:

ateixeira

Don't hold back ... tell us how you really feel.

The Nissan Pathfinder will share its platform and look far more conventional.

fintail

Just telling it like it is

Will be an interesting demographic who buys them - more of the inverse relationship between money and sense.

texases

"more of the inverse relationship between money and sense. "

Interesting book I'm reading, "The Millionaire Teacher". He notes that folks with expensive cars typically SPEND lots of money, but don't HAVE lots of money. The median price for a car owned by a millionaire? About $31k.

He also noted that most houses that cost more than a million are owned by people worth less than a million, and that 80% of millionaires own houses worth less than a million.

It's not how much you spend, it's how much you save...

ateixeira

People with sense would get the Pathfinder.

This way they don't overlap.

Crazy? JX for you, sir or madam.

Not crazy? We got your Pathfinder right over here....

ateixeira

The median price for a car owned by a millionaire? About $31k.

I read that the most common brand mentioned for millionaires is Ford.

fintail

This isn't one of those 20 year old books made of 30 year old data, is it? There's a lot to be said for saving, but you can't take it with you. Generally I don't think spending a little is a bad idea, if you actually worked for it.

fintail

Sounds right. Of course, the average Pathfinder driver would be just as well served by an Altima :shades:

texases

2009 data, 2010 Nov. 1, 2011 book.

He has no problem spending money if you can (easily) afford it, it borrowing money or leasing to buy fancy cars that bugs him, if one's goal is to become financially secure.

fintail

When was the data obtained though? I am leery sometimes, like with the "Millionaire Next Door" which is functionally obsolete for 2011.

ateixeira

Isn't the Pathfinder essentially a modern day Altima wagon equivalent?

They are dropping the BOF truck for a unibody crossover for the upcoming one. It shares the JX' underpinnings, too.

fintail

That or the hilariously named bland as lukewarm water Rogue.

They are modern day station wagons, which is kind of sad.

ateixeira

Rogue is small, based on the Sentra IIRC.

Murano shares DNA with the Altima, though.

fintail

Oh the Murano, forgot about that one - doesn't seem to be the big deal it once was.

ateixeira

I think they still sell a bunch...style over substance if you ask me. I like boxy crossovers, if they're not capacious what's the point?

michaellno

I think they still sell a bunch...style over substance if you ask me. I like boxy crossovers, if they're not capacious what's the point?

Our CX-7 holds more than you might think, while still maintaining some semblance of style.

Horses for courses .. I personally don't like the big box look of some SUV's.

fintail

I know the National rental group buys a few. It's all about sitting up high.

stickguy

when we went to drive the CX-5, we scoped out the CS-7 on the showroom. Nice too, not quite as slick a design. and did not seem any roomier. Actually I found the front seat less room (tight on headroom) in the 7, and cargo area was pretty equal.

the CX-9 though, that was cavernous.

explorerx4

I have 5 fords, but not 5 million. Reminds me of that Beatles song 'Baby you can drive my car', and the words "... but I've got a driver and that's a start."

michaellno

You must be taller than me - I'm 5' 11" and fit fine in the CX-7, even with the sunroof.

I also found that I am more comfortable behind the wheel than I was with our '08 Saturn VUE - I couldn't get the seat to go back far enough in the Saturn.

Haven't sat in a CX-5, so cannot compare the two.

On a lark, I took a quick web look at the Kia Sportage .. 274 HP turbo 4, plus quite a few bells and whistles. However, no Xenons (I don't think) and it's probably a bit smaller inside than the CX-7.

xrunner2

Saw a dumb commercial for BMW 5 series. A guy is driving his BMW on flat straight road out in the middle of nowhere. Suddenly, an airplane, flying extremely low, appears behind the car, catches up to it, and a fueling rod extends from the airplane. The driver, who has his sun roof open, holds up his coffee cup and the fueling rod puts coffee into it, splashing a little bit. What kind of dope does this commercial appeal to? Creativity(?) by grammar school boys.

billy3554

He/She who spends the most wins!

robr2

They are dropping the BOF truck for a unibody crossover for the upcoming one. It shares the JX' underpinnings, too.

Don't forget the previous generation Pathfinder was a unibody design. Nissan moved it to BOF to share the cost of the Titan.

ateixeira

Strange how they keep flip-flopping on that design. Make up your minds.

Just read that they may bring back the Datsun name for smaller markets. Interesting.

robr2

Just read that they may bring back the Datsun name for smaller markets. Interesting.

Makes sense as they don't want to dilute the Nissan name. Datsun to be starter vehicles and Nissan the aspirational brand.

lemko

xrunner2

Makes sense as they don't want to dilute the Nissan name. Datsun to be starter vehicles and Nissan the aspirational brand.

Way back, in the Datsun era, one particular model, 510 I think, was considered the poor man's BMW. It was a highly desirable car by enthusiasts and used for years by amateur racers.

And it was Datsun, not Nissan, when the 240Z affordable Japanese sports car originated. So, the current Z car, and any true sports type car from Nissan should be named Datsun in recognition of the heritage. Let ordinary suvs, cars, etc have the Nissan nameplate.

ateixeira

As a kid my next door neighbor had a Datsun pickup, that thing was absolutely bullet proof. He drove me to the hospital once when my brother played catch with a Tonka truck and I wasn't looking. :surprise:

I was shocked that Nissan would drop the equity they had in the name at the time. Never got why.