mmarshall

Depends on just what that statement might be. Those who would plunk down 100K or more on an S-Class Mercedes may not be as concerned about what others think as they are simply the desire to drive what is arguably the most comfortable mass-produced sedan on the road.

For an example, I'll let bitkahuna have the last word and speak for himself, but my impression was that he got a 70-80K Genesis G90 simply because he loved the car (and IMO it does indeed have a lot going for it), not from what we or others may happen to think....indeed, there are a number of people on Car Chat that don't care for Genesis, either as a company or for their products.

SW17LS

Thats certainly part of it. But, nobody buys a high image anything without wanting it to make some sort of statement about them, anybody who says they don't is lying. Even me, part of driving a big flagship Lexus is having a car that makes a statement about me.

He didn't spend $100k, that car is an excellent value, and he clearly made a purchase decision that prioritized the tangible nature of the car and value vs the intangible nature of the brand and its prestige.

JDR76

Like most current Audis, I find it to be completely inoffensive, and it does nothing to get my heart racing. I think they are smart to offer this, as there are certainly buyers out there looking for exactly that.

But I find the touchscreens inside to be a big turn off.

RX469

iTrader: (1)

I can see the same as well...

bagwell

wth is "high image'?? I owned corvettes and a porsche - I bought those for me, not to impress anybody - at work nobody even knew what cars I owned because I parked far away....oh but I guess since they weren't $100K those don't count, LOL.

Johnhav430

I'm with you. I bought Maui Jim sunglasses because I liked the way they looked and have herringbone etching all throughout, but due to so many people complimenting me on them (attention, I stopped wearing them in front of people I know. Same with Oakley (I was in someone's office and they started talking about sunglasses, one millenial said he paid $280 for a pair and they all called him a d'bag what was he thinking? I slithered out hahahahaha).

When I first got this job we only had 2 cars, so I had to drive the BMW to work. Once my wife got her 2011 GM SUV, I went back to the 1998 Maxima. I don't need people to see me driving a BMW, and I'm not a liar. It has nothing to do with anything.

Sometimes I wonder if all of this is a result of social media, the actual media, etc. You can stand in front of me and take a polygraph and tell me the Corvettes and Porsches were not to impress anyone, pass, and I can say no you're lying hahaha

UDel

That is simply not true. How would you know what everyone thinks and if they are lying if they say it doesn't? Many people just want a particular car because they like it and if they can swing a more expensive one then they go for it, especially enthusiasts. For many it has nothing to do with making some sort of statement to the world. I am interested in cars and buy cars that only I like, I don't care what everyone else thinks, if I did then I would only get BMW's and Mercedes because they have the most prestige and image, I would not bother with Lexus or Acura's where some people still think they are just fancy Honda's or Toyota's.

SW17LS

So the style and flash of those cars had nothing to do with why you bought them?

I know lots of people who buy and drive cars like this, as I do myself. I stand by my statement, the prestige of owning an expensive luxury car is absolutely a huge motivator towards their purchase. If it didn't matter, why wouldn't they sell the Genesis like gangbusters? Why would Lexus have to be cheaper to compete? Because they don't offer the same prestige and people pay for that prestige.

You aren't the buyer I'm talking about, you buy used luxury cars, you aren't buying an $80-120k+ luxury car new...I also am not talking as much about Lexus and certainly not Acura. Why do you think they're cheaper? Because people are trading prestige for value.

Lets put it this way, a major reason I don't have an S Class right now is because I don't want that high image prestige in my line of work. Primary reason why.

bagwell

style, yes - because I LIKED IT
flash, no - I purposely chose subdued colors; its more about the power, handling, etc.

aw001

I am interested to see the new S8. Audis are really popular, at least here..

Toys4RJill

Toys4RJill

SW17LS

Big flashy luxury car is a status purchase. When you go to the tangibles...what makes an S Class worth $20,000 more than an LS, or $40,000 more than a G90...its status.

Toys4RJill

SW17LS

I'm not really, I just call it like I see it. The point is badges and status mean a lot to a great many people, a much larger percentage of people that spend $100,000 on a sedan than people who spend $40,000 on a sedan. A huge part of why a consumer spends $100,000 is status...whether they admit it or not. Like you said, you don't want the status that comes with a luxury badge. Well...you just admitted that status exists and it impacts your purchase decisions.

I will say though, the reason I have an LS460L and not a G90 is status. I paid more for a car that really wasn't "better" because of the brand. I like the styling of the LS more than the G90, but as a car the G90 is really every bit as good. Thats really the point, all of these cars are very similar, LS, S Class, 7 Series, A8, G90...they all drive very similarly, ride very similarly, are similarly as comfortable, technology is similar (with some advanced exceptions in the A8 especially, but also the S and 7), the bottom line as to what car somebody chooses has a lot to do with what they prioritize. Clearly status is important enough to me that I would spend $20k more than a G90 for an LS, but not so important I would spend $20-30k more than the LS for an S Class. To many others, it is important enough for them to do that...which is why they sell so many S Classes.