Low-end luxury

ifcar · Moderator

Low-end luxury

Kevin · GMPenguin

quote:
Originally posted by: ifcar
"Most premium brands now offer a lower-end "upscale" or "entry-lux" sedan and/or SUV in their lineup. I need not list them. Are these cars an insult to their respective brands, do they help introduce lower-end consumers to the brand (who may stick with the brand and move up to more-expensive models) and offer a much-needed boost of sales volume and profit? I'm not putting this as a poll, because I expect answers to vary by brand and by example. What do you think?"

I think that it's a good idea for high end companies to offer a vehicle in the lower price range, it brings in a lot more customers I imagine and as long as the car is still as reliable and everything as the rest of the companies lineup (well, not a disgrace or anything anyway) I don't see any problem with it at all. I can't think of one company where it had a bad affect either.

ifcar · Moderator

quote:
Originally posted by: Kevin
"I think that it's a good idea for high end companies to offer a vehicle in the lower price range, it brings in a lot more customers I imagine and as long as the car is still as reliable and everything as the rest of the companies lineup (well, not a disgrace or anything anyway) I don't see any problem with it at all. I can't think of one company where it had a bad affect either."

A "bad effect" isn't easy to measure, but the Mercedes 190E has been said to have hurt the brand's image, as has the Cadillac Cimarron, Jaguar X-Type, and Lexus ES250. Even those are subject to debate.

Kevin · GMPenguin

quote:
Originally posted by: ifcar
" A "bad effect" isn't easy to measure, but the Mercedes 190E has been said to have hurt the brand's image, as has the Cadillac Cimarron, Jaguar X-Type, and Lexus ES250. Even those are subject to debate."

Yeah, I was thinking current vehicles though. And Jaguar hasn't been doing good anyway, probably not because of just one vehicle either.

Do they make the ES250 or 190E? (they surely don't make the latter but just checking)

Lorinser · V-6

Depends on how good the product(s) are.

-- Edited by Lorinser at 14:09, 2004-11-28

ifcar · Moderator

quote:
Originally posted by: Kevin
"Yeah, I was thinking current vehicles though. And Jaguar hasn't been doing good anyway, probably not because of just one vehicle either. Do they make the ES250 or 190E? (they surely don't make the latter but just checking)"

The ES250 is now the ES330 and the 190E is now the C-Class.

Kevin · GMPenguin

quote:
Originally posted by: ifcar
" The ES250 is now the ES330 and the 190E is now the C-Class."

I didn't think they did, but like I said I was just checking.

I don't remember any of those cars except for the Cimarron, but I've never been in one. Wasn't it a rebadged Lumina basically?

Lorinser · V-6

quote:
Originally posted by: Kevin
"I didn't think they did, but like I said I was just checking. I don't remember any of those cars except for the Cimarron, but I've never been in one. Wasn't it a rebadged Lumina basically?"

The Cimarron was a rebadged Cavalier.

ifcar · Moderator

quote:
Originally posted by: Lorinser
" The Cimarron was a rebadged Cavalier."

Yes, it was.

Kevin · GMPenguin

quote:
Originally posted by: ifcar
" Yes, it was. "

oh, well all of the chevy cars looked veeeeeeeeerrry similar then, and I was thinking of a different Cadillac then, something that (i think) was based on the last Lumina.

ifcar · Moderator

quote:
Originally posted by: Kevin
"oh, well all of the chevy cars looked veeeeeeeeerrry similar then, and I was thinking of a different Cadillac then, something that (i think) was based on the last Lumina."

Are you perhaps thinking of the Opel-based Catera? There was never a Cadillac Lumina clone.

Kevin · GMPenguin

quote:
Originally posted by: ifcar
" Are you perhaps thinking of the Opel-based Catera? There was never a Cadillac Lumina clone."

There we go! Catera, why couldn't I think of that, the lumina has the same lines kind of though,

ifcar · Moderator

They're not mechanically related though.

Kevin · GMPenguin

quote:
Originally posted by: ifcar
"They're not mechanically related though. "

Yeah, I didn't know, that's why I put it in the form of a question.

ifcar · Moderator

quote:
Originally posted by: Kevin
"Yeah, I didn't know, that's why I put it in the form of a question."

That was back when we were talking about the Cimarron. Now we're talking about the Catera.

Kevin · GMPenguin

quote:
Originally posted by: ifcar
" That was back when we were talking about the Cimarron. Now we're talking about the Catera. "

But I mixed up the Cimarron and Catera, so the Catera is the one that I said "Wasn't it a rebadged Lumina basically?" but anyway, we're off topic now and it doesn't matter.

ifcar · Moderator

quote:
Originally posted by: Kevin
"But I mixed up the Cimarron and Catera, so the Catera is the one that I said "Wasn't it a rebadged Lumina basically?" but anyway, we're off topic now and it doesn't matter."

That's right, as long as we've agreed that you're wrong.

Kevin · GMPenguin

quote:
Originally posted by: ifcar
" That's right, as long as we've agreed that you're wrong. "

lol, yep

thewizard16 · V-12

I think that any car from a lux brand with fabric seats is a hurt to the brand... but that's just me. The models themselves, if they have a decent engine, and an interior fitting of the brand, can be very good for the company as far as sales go.

ifcar · Moderator

quote:
Originally posted by: thewizard16
"I think that any car from a lux brand with fabric seats is a hurt to the brand... but that's just me. "

There are a surprising number of entry-luxes with cloth seats.