Nissan Fuga = M37 etc
which they sourced to Mitsubishi last year...crazy right. Now mind you even badged as a Nissan the car is built to the standards of a car in its class, like a Crown etc.

and lets be honest, the new Altima looks very much like it. Not sure why they continue to do that.

 

^^

Why would anyone want to spend that much money for a Mitsubishi "Proudia"? Who came up with that ridiculous idea?

 

I am aware that Nissan and Honda both have products OVERSEAS (outside US) that have respective badging instead of luxury emblems, however, for the sake of this topic, i am trying to stay within US only.

The reason I say this is because some luxury brands are not offered for sale worldwide, and the majority of the readers on this forum are Americans. The whole point of my post was to bring to light that just because company X bought luxury company Y, Y is not nothing more than X.

NOTHING in the US market for Nissan comes close to the M. Same for Acura, even a top level Accord is a bit behind a base RL.

Again, I am aware that foreign rebadges exist.

 

I agree. I worded my opinion differently. I think it's just based on how much a brand has pushed itself to distinguish their luxury brand from their affordable brand. Problem is with Japanese brands. People tend to think different about them. No matter how much Toyota / Honda / Nissan tries to push their luxury brand, in people's mind and it could be because of media that people will still compare Lexus / Acura / Infiniti to Toyota / Honda / Nissan. These are the people who buys Mercedes and BMW who think their brand is better than the Japanese brand. VW / Audi are different because people don't compare them to Japanese brands.

 

Some reasons come to mind:
1. Ignorance
2. Justification for the extra $$ for a comparable vehicle
3. Low self esteem

The sad reality is, no matter how well Lexus, Infiniti & Acura build & engineer their vehicles above their competitors, people won't justify paying the same price as their european competitors or label them over glorified Toyota, Nissan & Hondas. Compare the BMW 7 series & the Lexus LS, the LS trumps the & 7 series in quality, finesse, reliability, comfort, resale value, etc. (everyday qualities). Only area that BMW shines is performance, but how often will a person exercise performance going shopping/work/driving kids to school/etc??

I had someone at work bad mouth the Lexus LFA, infavor of an Aston Martin DB9. Seriously??

 

At first, when both cars debut at the auto show.. My first impression was that the Q50 looks better than the IS but with passing days, and the dust settles, Q50 is just ugly and IS is ugly too but less ugly than the Q50..

Both cars are Ugly in design to me.. The Q50 has some kind of mechanical nightmare theme (Front hints GTR with Altima styling Ques..) The IS, though I'm not fond of the design, it does flow better and is somewhat beautiful if you can get pass the Front grill and ugly tail lights.. The IS, I guess will continue to grow on me, the Q50 is a dead weight sinking to the bottom of ocean..

 

Those same qualities can be found on so many automobiles today. Peple buy luxury cars mainly due to image and they probably prefer rear wheel drive as it handles better.

 

You spoke the truth! Lol, honestly, i am willing to bet the overwhelming majority of consumers buy luxury cars for the image. Ask any random person whether their car is front, rear, or all wheel drive, you will get blank stares. Car enthusiasts are not as numerous as you may think. With that being said, i doubt many will care/know whether or not their car has a specific drivetrain.

Heck, i know a few people who bought a 550i over a 528i because the 50 comes with "bigger wheels". I asked if they cared about the MPG drop. Their response: Why would my mileage drop?

I know I personally would pick a luxury brand just so i can have a snob feeling. I know i'm not alone.

 

You are right, though few of us "car" people are not like this. I always bought a car based on Performance 1st, looks 2nd and Image of the brand 3rd. When I bought my first Lexus at 25, People always ask me aren't you a bit younger for a Lexus? (when brand was targeted at 50+ age group) I always answered, "I bought it because its a Performance sedan.." No one ever believed me and thought i was a Snob.. haha lol.. I guess since I have 3 of them now. I'm the Biggest snob on the block like my Mercedes and Audi neighbors. LOL

 

Honestly, i don't think there is anything wrong with buying a car for snob appeal. After all, it is human nature to "strut your stuff" and try to impress others.

I draw the line at people who live BEYOND their means in an attempt to impress their peers though.

Im opposite of you in terms of selection. I love cars, but i would choose based on looks/brand image 1st, mileage second, and performance dead last. Don't get me wrong, I am awestruck by engineering wonders like the LFA and Veyron, but i don't see myself ever purchasing anything "sporty" below the level of Ferrari/Lamborghini.

 

The scary thing is, many die-hard fans of supposed performance brands are equally ignorant. Apparently there was a survey of Roundel Magazine readers and most BMW 3 series owners don't even know or care that their cars are rear wheel drive.

 

Ya that is kind of the reason why i thin "fun to drive/handling greatness" is just a perceived notion. I have driven BMWs and a Mazdas before. Both were really enjoyable to drive, but i always thought that the beamers were more fun, SOLELY due to my own branded bias.

Looking back, if both vehicles were debadged and i was "blindfolded", i think it would have been equal.

 

X2. Rear wheel drive luxury cars are very nice. Heck, I have had 4 BMW's since 2000. Love rear wheel drive. But, can I really use the performance this car can give me. Heck no b/c I don't drive on a race track to work and to the store. Granted, I can take turns faster and it corners better/flatter. However, a current front wheel drive car like a Mazda or Honda can do this pretty darn good as well for a fraction of the cost. Gone are torque steer happy front wheel drive cars. I look forwared to driving my 550i. I don't know if I would have that same feeling in an Accord so I stick with the luxury brand. However, I am open to consider alternatives like a rear wheel drive Genesis and would consider the Chrysler 300m but it is just too big.

 

I agree, what i was trying to say in my last post was, I've been a Snob all these years and never knew it.. LOL

 

actually, the new nissan altima is very similar to the infiniti q50 in looks, and i wonder if the chassis and other components are similar.

we could care less about "brand" image. the issue is, the basic non luxury models dont have all the goodies as the branded luxury models, nor do they look a nice.