BMW & Mercedes-Benz reportedly considering four-cylinders in US, pending new fuel ...
04-27-09, 06:16 PM
#17
Lexus Fanatic
Originally Posted by DASHOCKER
Choices is what tier 1 automakers are supposed to provide to the customer...
I agree, but choices, though, cost money to offer. The budget situation with a lot of carmakers is limiting what will soon be offered.....GM is a prime example, where whole divisions may soon be gone.
The real problem, and no one seems to be addressing it, like I said years ago: The luxury-nameplate auto makers should have offered less-expensive models with smaller engines several years ago, when they HAD the money, resourses, and budget to do so. BMW, for instance, brought out the 1-series, but it was WAY too overpriced (virtually the same as the 3-series) because it used the 3-series engines instead of a cheaper four. Mercedes did a nice little hatchback C230 Kompressor coupe, but simply didn't keep it here long enough.....you can't sell what you don't offer. Audi didn't introduce the A3 here until years after it should have.
Another problem, to a large extent, is the "image" factor. Luxury-car marketers, and a large part of the auto press, seem to think that that there is something wrong with upmarket vehicles with 4-cylinder powertrains, and that they won't sell in the U.S. The Audi A3, alone, among others, proved them wrong. Saab, an upmarket nameplate, has been doing (mostly) 4-cylinder turbo models for decades, and is still plugging away, although their popularity in the U.S. has not been what the German and Japanese makes are.
04-27-09, 06:41 PM
#18
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
1. The vast majority of luxury cars sold are the entry level vehicles and people are more make a decision based on fuel economy.
Lexus has proved here that people do want more economical luxury cars WITHOUT sacrificing the "luxury" part.
but you're probably right, maybe it will sell well...
Remember, America is the Germans most profitable market and that is b/c we love their big engine vehicles in comparison to Europe where the small engines are the vast majority of sales.
america, we knew the then...
if competition and economic problems don't hurt enough, government regulation AND HUGE taxation are going to REALLY hurt.
04-28-09, 09:38 AM
#20
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04-28-09, 04:48 PM
#21
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Exactly. Give the people a choice. 
They don't have to stop offering their 6 and 8 cylinder motors but they can bring over some smaller gasoline and diesel engines that are geared towards efficiency. Thus, the folks interested in fuel economy but who do not want to forgo luxury amenities can purchase a model that suits their needs while those looking for a more performance can go for the appropriate model from the higher end.
They don't have to stop offering their 6 and 8 cylinder motors but they can bring over some smaller gasoline and diesel engines that are geared towards efficiency. Thus, the folks interested in fuel economy but who do not want to forgo luxury amenities can purchase a model that suits their needs while those looking for a more performance can go for the appropriate model from the higher end.
04-28-09, 05:39 PM
#22
Lexus Fanatic
Well, OK, I haven't seen it in person and can't comment first-hand, but, in pictures, it's a LONG way from the Corolla it's obviously based on.....just like the Infiniti G20 was a long way from a standard Sentra, and the Audi A3 a long way from a VW Golf.
04-29-09, 09:18 PM
#25
I agree, but choices, though, cost money to offer. The budget situation with a lot of carmakers is limiting what will soon be offered.....GM is a prime example, where whole divisions may soon be gone.
The real problem, and no one seems to be addressing it, like I said years ago: The luxury-nameplate auto makers should have offered less-expensive models with smaller engines several years ago, when they HAD the money, resourses, and budget to do so. BMW, for instance, brought out the 1-series, but it was WAY too overpriced (virtually the same as the 3-series) because it used the 3-series engines instead of a cheaper four. Mercedes did a nice little hatchback C230 Kompressor coupe, but simply didn't keep it here long enough.....you can't sell what you don't offer. Audi didn't introduce the A3 here until years after it should have.
Another problem, to a large extent, is the "image" factor. Luxury-car marketers, and a large part of the auto press, seem to think that that there is something wrong with upmarket vehicles with 4-cylinder powertrains, and that they won't sell in the U.S. The Audi A3, alone, among others, proved them wrong. Saab, an upmarket nameplate, has been doing (mostly) 4-cylinder turbo models for decades, and is still plugging away, although their popularity in the U.S. has not been what the German and Japanese makes are.
The real problem, and no one seems to be addressing it, like I said years ago: The luxury-nameplate auto makers should have offered less-expensive models with smaller engines several years ago, when they HAD the money, resourses, and budget to do so. BMW, for instance, brought out the 1-series, but it was WAY too overpriced (virtually the same as the 3-series) because it used the 3-series engines instead of a cheaper four. Mercedes did a nice little hatchback C230 Kompressor coupe, but simply didn't keep it here long enough.....you can't sell what you don't offer. Audi didn't introduce the A3 here until years after it should have.
Another problem, to a large extent, is the "image" factor. Luxury-car marketers, and a large part of the auto press, seem to think that that there is something wrong with upmarket vehicles with 4-cylinder powertrains, and that they won't sell in the U.S. The Audi A3, alone, among others, proved them wrong. Saab, an upmarket nameplate, has been doing (mostly) 4-cylinder turbo models for decades, and is still plugging away, although their popularity in the U.S. has not been what the German and Japanese makes are.
04-29-09, 09:31 PM
#26
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