bmw BMW wins U.S. luxury sales crown

[BGM]

Amounts to about $400-$500 a month if buying, around $300 if leasing. Most people who make more than $15 an hour can afford these cars. You see them everywhere.

which one, and on what terms? ;P

I love threads like these.. the way different cultures view things is really interesting to me. It's a known fact that Mercedes Benz for example makes trucks and Vans etc, but so what.. that doesn't cheapen anything about their brand. It means that they have diversified their business into other areas.

You do not go to a Mercedes automobile dealer to buy a bus, just as you don't contact their Truck division to buy a car.. they are seperate entities. (ok, so the lines is a bittle bit blurred for vans as they are strictly just big cars :D)

With regards to BMW. The 1-series, x1, and lower end 3-series models are unit shifters. The make up the bulk of sales and allow the company to offer the cars that enthusiasts want and demand.

:)

That's the thing, my friend. The German cars exported to the U.S. already come with a list of standard options which easily surpasses that of their European models. For example, starting with A4, 3 series, and C-class and up - leather is standard. You simply won't find these cars in the U.S./Canada with cloth seats :D

heh fair enough, but anyone speccing one without leather (for example) is mugging himself off anyway.. it's all about the residuals baby! :p

[Bryan R.]

This fact alone makes it an even more impressive stat, considering MB *do* make trucks etc

Considering this is US sales, it is a moot point anyway.

[Roger H. Veteran]

My Boss just bought a 2012 Mercedes S550 for about $120K which is about ?70K or closer to 90k Euro. :D I'm sure not many people would by those to run as taxis no matter how dependable they are. The starting price is $90K!!

It's all a matter of perception though, there were times when some brands that are high now were considered average - Audi and Infinity for example. Once they started getting better perception their pricing went up.

[ILikeTobacco]

which one, and on what terms? ;P

128i could be bought on fairly bad terms like a 5 year term and still be under $500 a month. My MazdaSpeed was 28k and a 4 year loan is costing $407 a month. Of course this stuff comes down to credit scores in USA.

My Boss just bought a 2012 Mercedes S550 for about $120K which is about ?70K or closer to 90k Euro. :D I'm sure not many people would by those to run as taxis no matter how dependable they are. The starting price is $90K!!

It's all a matter of perception though, there were times when some brands that are high now were considered average - Audi and Infinity for example. Once they started getting better perception their pricing went up.

Yea Infinity's prices seem to be going up. Nice cars though so don't blame them.

[still1]

My Boss just bought a 2012 Mercedes S550 for about $120K which is about ?70K or closer to 90k Euro. :D I'm sure not many people would by those to run as taxis no matter how dependable they are. The starting price is $90K!!

It's all a matter of perception though, there were times when some brands that are high now were considered average - Audi and Infinity for example. Once they started getting better perception their pricing went up.

I wish I could buy one! I cant afford 120K for a car. He might be super rich.

[vincent]

What's the difference between a BMW and a cactus? In a BMW the pricks are on the inside.

[Roger H. Veteran]

I wish I could buy one! I cant afford 120K for a car. He might be super rich.

Guess it pays to work hard, own a 4 companies plus real estate properties :D Before that he had a Lexus LS460 (2009 model) for $75K. This dude just spends money like there's no tomorrow. I asked him about getting the BMW 750LI and he said he didn't like it that much, he rathered the Merc. I dunno about all that but i'd definitely take one of those new 5 series or the new E350s as well. Those are sweeet!

[Astra.Xtreme]

You'll find a lot of Audis and BMWs in the repair shops. The Germans are notorious for over-engineering vehicles and rolling out junk.

And before somebody jumps down my neck and tries to label this as my opinion, Consumer Reports will confirm that Audi and BMW sit at the bottom of the reliability charts.

[BGM]

You'll find a lot of Audis and BMWs in the repair shops. The Germans are notorious for over-engineering vehicles and rolling out junk.

And before somebody jumps down my neck and tries to label this as my opinion, Consumer Reports will confirm that Audi and BMW sit at the bottom of the reliability charts.

can't wait to see these reports..

[Astra.Xtreme]

can't wait to see these reports..

There you go (plus many more):

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2011/10/ford-reliablity-plunges-jeep-rises-chrysler-minivan-tanks-consumer-reports/1

It's not that difficult to do a simple Google search...

[ILikeTobacco]

can't wait to see these reports..

Same. I thought Dodge Neons had that prestige position :p

There you go (plus many more):

http://content.usato...sumer-reports/1

It's not that difficult to do a simple Google search...

Also not that hard to read:

"

Three least-reliable:

Audi, Porsche, Jaguar."

Don't see BMW on that list. O wait there it is under three most reliable luxury cars.

[Astra.Xtreme]

Same. I thought Dodge Neons had that prestige position :p

Also not that hard to read:

"

Three least-reliable:

Audi, Porsche, Jaguar."

Don't see BMW on that list. O wait there it is under three most reliable luxury cars.

Sorry, sir. I guess you couldn't be bothered to read the chart included in that article. BMW is still toward the bottom. But in case that's not enough for you:

http://blog.autoref.com/2011/06/15/the-least-reliable-vehicles-on-the-road/

[Dashel]

Some jokers in here. Not surprised that someone finally displaced Lexus' overpriced Camry. Even more impressive is that I'd gladly take a new 7 over a MB S class, which is saying something.

15K 1yr old BMWs? People worried about reliability in the lux market? LOLz

[Dan~]

BMW luxury? Pfft.

Yes there nice, but I wouldn't class BMW as luxury.

In my opinion there's only a few class which are luxury.

Maybach

Bentley

Rolls Royce

Bugatti

And there all German :p

[ILikeTobacco]

15K 1yr old BMWs? People worried about reliability in the lux market? LOLz

Thanks for proving just about everybodies point as well as mine that its amusing that Americans consider BMW's luxury cars at all levels. I already gave you a very clear example of where you can get a 1 year old BMW for 15k. It's not even an uncommon example. If you choose to ignore it, your loss. Especially if you actually consider BMW a luxury brand. I just told you how to get one extremely underpriced for its sticker value.

And people who buy luxury cars worry about reliability just as much as everyone. To say any different is just ignorance. The closest place to get a VW, BMW, Audi, and Porsche fixed from my town is 150 miles away. Because of that, nobody buys them around here unless they have multiple cars and flexible work schedules. Getting a any of these fixed, even if its something simple like an electronics issue, you have to take time off work. Getting a non imported car fixed, you drop your car off at the local dealer and pick it up after hours again. No such luck with imports unless you are doing it outside of warranty. In context, we are talking about luxury cars and people with the money to afford them which are generally under warranty and replaced before the warranty is up.

[remus_lupin]

[ILikeTobacco]

Sorry, sir. I guess you couldn't be bothered to read the chart included in that article. BMW is still toward the bottom. But in case that's not enough for you:

http://blog.autoref....es-on-the-road/

Notice the the two on the list are the low end ones that I was saying were the cheap ones that have close to non of their original value after a year. :p

...

That's win.

[sc302 Veteran]

BMW luxury? Pfft.

Yes there nice, but I wouldn't class BMW as luxury.

In my opinion there's only a few class which are luxury.

Maybach

Bentley

Rolls Royce

Bugatti

And there all German :p

Yeah, but eveyone seems to drool or stare at a bmw when it drives by in the states. To me they are about a luxurious as a Mustang GT. They are very common place, and I even mock their sloagan "The ultimate driving machine"....they are about as ultimate as a Civic. Some people defend them up and down, they wouldn't know luxury if it bit them on the nose and rubbed their privates while doing it.

[BGM]

...and I even mock their sloagan "The ultimate driving machine"....they are about as ultimate as a Civic.

oh sweet Jesus. Now i have driven a lot of cars over the years, from the likes of Astons etc to my girlfriends 1.2 Renault Clio, and BMW are certainly one of the best drivers cars in their respective sectors.

If you stack them up against the super and hyper cars then they will fall short (mostly), but with near perfect 50:50 weight distribution and all rear wheel drive (bar the specific xDrive units) they are pretty damn close to an 'ultimate driving machine' for the everyday man. Absolutely NOTHING like a civic. :s

There is a reason that the M3 (in it's various forms) is consistently rated as one of the best cars in the world, and has been for decades. It is super car thrills, semi-luxury, for a distinctly non-supercar price tag.

[Astra.Xtreme]

Yeah, but eveyone seems to drool or stare at a bmw when it drives by in the states. To me they are about a luxurious as a Mustang GT. They are very common place, and I even mock their sloagan "The ultimate driving machine"....they are about as ultimate as a Civic. Some people defend them up and down, they wouldn't know luxury if it bit them on the nose and rubbed their privates while doing it.

I think BMW is boring since they all have looked the same since ever. Same goes with Porsche.

I see a luxury car as a status symbol, but BMW can hardly be that if you can't tell the difference between a new one or an old one that a high schooler paid $5k for.

[BGM]

I think BMW is boring since they all have looked the same since ever. Same goes with Porsche.

I see a luxury car as a status symbol, but BMW can hardly be that if you can't tell the difference between a new one or an old one that a high schooler paid $5k for.

Chris Bangle can ****ing do one, good riddance.

[+Mirumir Subscriber¹]

Maybach

Bentley

Rolls Royce

Bugatti

And there all German :p

This is an exclusive class! And two of them are part of VW Group! - it's not entirely a people's brand now, is it? haha

[sc302 Veteran]

Can someone give me the text book definition of ultimate and tell me where bmw fits in with ultimate? If they were ultimate there would be none higher. They compare with a civic as being that a civic is not ultimate in anything amd that you can build upon it to make it better. The slogan is flawed.

[sc302 Veteran]

Sloagan should be the best well rounded driving machine, there are faster, better handling, more comfortable cars out there which make them ultimate in their categories. There is nothing ultimate about bmws.

[BGM]

no, because best well rounded driving machine sounds **** doesn't it :p

so good luck with that ;)