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

roadburner

Latest dumb commercial is by Mercedes where their cars are speeding,
sliding very close to three standing men. Whether trick photography or not
involved, these commercials do much to hurt the integrity of what should be
a company of integrity and great engineering.

That commercial is an intentional spoof of all those moronic nanny warnings that automaker are forced to run- "Professional Driver on Closed Course", "Do Not Attempt", "Always Obey Posted Speed Limits", and other similar idiotic admonishments.

People that I see driving, parking their cars, such as doctors, dentists, lawyers, etc and older women, would never drive like is shown in commercials, much less drive on dry lake bed.

Are you serious? You must be making an April Fools joke. If so you almost got me.

roadburner

I liked the 2009 Focus ad where the girl says she bought a Focus because it was "sleek and sporty". Compared to what? A Yugo? A 1979 Citation?

fintail

But a bunch of middle aged stuffed suits parking their cars in a bland shopping mall garage aren't going to get anyone to buy, either.

MB is always trying to be seen as less conservative than it is, so performance will make it to the ads.

And yeah, whizzing by the lawyer types with their disclaimers is meant to be funny. 99.99999% of the market got it :P

xrunner2

And yeah, whizzing by the lawyer types with their disclaimers is meant to be funny. 99.99999% of the market got it

My dentist and one of my doctors have high-end Mercedes. I will have to remember to ask them at next visit what they think.

Now, I am confident of this. If I ask teen-age boys in neighborhood about Mercedes commercials and cars throwing up sand, sliding sideways, they will say they like and approve.

I think that, unfortunately, Mercedes and other car makers are mistakenly making commercials that mainly appeal to a small segment - teen age boys, not girls, and the people that cheer NASCAR race winners making donuts near start-finish line.

roadburner

So you weren't joking; that's interesting...

fintail

Your local teenagers would probably sell their souls for a SLS or SLR, maybe some would even do so for a normal AMG model - but none of them would get excited over the cushy rides of the doctor and dentist. MB is trying to inject the image of their performance cars into the brand itself - as BMW has done. Your local medical guys probably don't care.

I think the amount of people who want to be seen as younger and racier than they really are might be larger than you expect.

i_luv_toyota

Isn't it time to stop peddling 2010 cars as "new?"

We're 4 months into 2011, Toyota. A 2010 Corolla or Prius is NOT new, and I'm pretty sure Toyota isn't taking a year's worth of depreciation into account in their offers, either.

I can bet there's someone out there who thinks they're getting a good deal on these "new" year-old cars. Probably the same ones who think buying their furniture at Aaron's or Rent-A-Center is a good deal, too.

snakeweasel

Isn't it time to stop peddling 2010 cars as "new?"

If it's not used and it's not new then what is it?

If it's never been titled and has very few miles on it then I would consider it new.

I can bet there's someone out there who thinks they're getting a good deal on these "new" year-old cars.

At the right price, yes it can be a good deal. The very first new car I bought was an 81 Mustang in the spring of 82. I got nearly 2 grand off of what the price (pretty good for nearly 30 years ago).

fintail

Leftover? :shades:

Local Chrysler dealer is still selling a few 10s in his free car rag print ads...seems to be about 20% off, not a huge deal, but I am there there is huge room for negotiation.

lemko

I saw an ad for Rent-a-Center and the ad showed $19.99 a week for a refrigerator or some other appliance. The small print showed something like 135 weeks. Shoot, you'd end up paying $2,698.65 for that refrigerator. I paid $600 cash for a similar one at Best Buy. What's even scarier is the slogan "The New Way to Shop for the New Economy." That suggests we're all going to be a bunch of broke losers with bad credit that have to go for rip-offs like Rent-a-Center because we have no choice! It's a dystopian future for sure!

snakeweasel

Lets see, 19.95 a week for 135 weeks on a $600 purchase is an annualized interest rate of 427%.

Still better than a payday loan store.

explorerx4

if I could rent it for a week, it might be ok.

kyfdx

If your refrigerator goes out, and it's a week to order in the one you want... then, $19.95 is cheap!

ateixeira

I remember Mazda had a $5000 rebate on 2008 Miatas in April 2009.

2010 models were about to arrive and they still had a few 08s left.

I can bet there's someone out there who thinks they're getting a good deal

In that context, you could buy a new base Miata for about $16k, or roughly the same price as a Smart ForTwo.

Let me ask, then - good deal or no?

starrow68

I know I'm not their demographic but I just don't see that it puts the brand in a positive
light. Owning a '71 280SL I'm basically wondering who current purchaser's are ....

ateixeira

Depends largely on the model, I'd guess.

(tongue firmly in cheek)

C-class - pretender
E-class - old money
S-class - really old money
ML - trophy wife
SL- yuppie
SLK - wanna-be yuppie
CL - soon-to-be yuppie

:P

fintail

I think the CL is really really old money that wants to seem youthful...I haven't seen many people under 60 driving new ones. SL can be that too. That being said, the CL is so overdone that I like it a lot.

CLS is old money that wants to look sporty, or the younger [non-permissible content removed] executive set...I've seen several not good people driving those.

GL is the same as ML, and G is the same with certain size or envy issues, or mafia membership.

fintail

The commercial is a parody, one has to look at it that way first. It's a joke, it's meant to be funny.

(Almost) Only one C-class is really sporty, and it's not seen in that ad.

I own a MB that's almost a decade older than that 71, and the people who bought them then are often not the same as now.

ateixeira

Around here the G sold to wannabe-gangsters.

stever

I'm afraid to ask about the A and B class.

ateixeira

Euro-trash.

Just kidding.

fezo

or the younger [non-permissible content removed] executive set...

Oh, is THAT what they mean by YDES. Kind of the new yuppies....

fintail

People who live in more developed automotive markets? :shades:

fintail

Has a ring to it, eh.

And indeed, the yuppies of 20-30 years ago have been replaced. Someone has to buy Range Rovers and X6s around here.

fintail

I live in an area that does have a Russian mafia presence...I know what you mean.

Wannabe gangsters and ambitious trophy wives who are above a normal old RX/ML/X5 etc.

ateixeira

The real drug dealers drive Tahoes and Escalades. More room for drugs? LOL

fintail

More room and more bling...money can't buy taste or class.

fintail

Imported from Detroit

explorerx4

Late, but I was thinking 'renting for a party'.

ateixeira

Proof there are no truly original ideas any more...

ateixeira

Lame:

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/29/adspotting-bmw-5-series-refuel-reintroduces-u- s-to-the-ultimat/

fintail

32 mog? Did a diesel suddenly hit the market?

explorerx4

I liked it so much, I can't remember anything in the voice over.
Just wanted to see what was going to happen.

ateixeira

Probably a gasser with a 1,857 speed automatic, and an ultra-high cruising gear.

I like the idea of lots of range, but BMW is clouding their message with ads like this.

fintail

The 528i touring I had in Germany didn't get that kind of mileage...of course, I didn't drive it at dumbed down American speeds, but still. My strongest memory of the car was it sucking down 90 Euro worth of gas and that not being a fillup.

Maybe a 6 speed manual loafing along in 6th at 56mph.

ateixeira

And at 1400rpm or so....

toomanyfumes

Two Chevy commercials that irritate me. The Chevy truck "I Vow" this and that. Who is making the vow. GM? Wouldn't that be "we vow"? Is it supposed to be the truck talking?
I'm seeing the Traverse I love the rain commercial again. Not sure of the point, most vehicles operate pretty well when it's raining out.

kyfdx

I think it's supposed to be the truck talking...

Don't really get the point of the rainy Traverse commercial, either.... but, it's pleasant enough... lol..

ateixeira

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/06/lexus-transforms-roosevelt-hotel-into-3d-bill- board/

ateixeira

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/05/mercedes-benz-presents-the-history-of-amg/

fintail

That's pretty awesome. There's a little glance of a fintail, a W210 AMG like what I own, and some places I've actually seen in person.

fintail

Those who don't like gratuitous sliding around at speed probably shouldn't watch

http://youtu.be/Yu3b_EvvMDo

ateixeira

Cute.

I love it when you see an old fogie driving a sports car. I mean really old.

fintail

I'd like to see one sliding around in an Eldo Brougham like that, perhaps the most awesome Caddy of the era.

The only sports cars I see around here driven by oldsters are Corvettes.

ateixeira

My brother-in-law buys and sells old cars, and lately he's been into Biarritz models, late 70s.

The last one was a repo, and when he cleaned it out he found all sorts of drug paraphernalia, including used needles (ewww!).

He cleans them up and sells them at a handsome profit, though.

Haven't tried, but I bet that'll drift well...

fintail

There's a movement out there for malaise boats like that, although gas prices might keep it subdued. That era of Eldo is FWD of course, emasculated engine, but I think a little tuning can make them put out a healthy amount of torque, so something interesting could probably be done.

ateixeira

FWD, really? I thought they were based on the Caprice platform from that era. How disappointing.

fintail

I am pretty sure Eldo was FWD from 1967 onwards.

lemko

That was AWESOME!!!

kyfdx

I think so, too....