Has BMW overtaken Mercedes as the Luxury Leader?

[ohnoes]

The thing is, 3-series is the worst BMW. 5-series is the best combination of luxury and sport, and actually pulls this off successfully, where the 3-series fails at that goal. Definitely 3rd place behind C-class and A4. The 5-series though is at the top of its class, crushing rivals from Audi and Merc. Perfect level of sportiness/luxury.

lol, why do you even have a BMW? Honestly dude...I don't think I've ever seen you praise it at all. Just sell it and be done with it and get your Audi.

[ClintonM3]

The thing is, 3-series is the worst BMW.

I hope you are kidding? That has gotta be the craziest statment I've read on the forums.

3 SERIES IS BMW'S BEST CAR. It is the product that the company spent the most resource on. The most time and money spent in research/development. Most in marketing/advertising. Do you know how many patents were filed everytime a 3 series comes out? It is the benchmark where every car company look up to. Everything else is playing catch up. So many features on the 3 is world's first and only. No other car company rely so much on one product. 57% of all BMW world wide sales is a 3 series. Designers, engineers, executives, center employees, we wouldn't have a job if the 3 series fails. Is without a doubt the most important, most influential, best received automobile in the last 2 decades.

Whereas the Audi A4 is a tweaked, cosmetically enhanced, cross platform, put-together overnight VW.

[Lezard]

lol, why do you even have a BMW? Honestly dude...I don't think I've ever seen you praise it at all. Just sell it and be done with it and get your Audi.

Come now, I gave considerable praise to the 5-series! A class dominator! I came from a mid-engined car, so the BMW really doesn't handle that well to me. Maybe that's why I am so critical of it, and don't have that much passion?


And there is no doubt the 3-series is the most important car for BMW. Just as the Passat is the most important car for VW, it's not their best car by any means. The 3 just doesn't have the luxury of the 5 or 7. And it doesn't have the sportiness of a real sports car. Well balanced, but excels in nothing? Only the 1-series will be worse.

[Daved]

the Audi A4 is a tweaked, cosmetically enhanced, cross platform, put-together overnight VW.

HAHAHAHAH

That needs to be in my sig.

[332 RustBucket]

Do you have to bring the tuners (AMG) into this? IMHO the camparisons are better left at the Stock level.

Why? AMG is mercedes. Here is another example....

2007 MERCEDES-BENZ SL550
weight 5013 lb
0-60 4.7 (damn that is slow, so slow, it would beat an e46 m3)

Here is my opinion - people have a hard time saying BMW and Merc are in the same class. Merc is slightly geared more towards a smooth ride/less sporty and a little more lux while BMW is more of a divers car with a little less lux. To say that because a car is lux. it is slow is retarded. Well unless a rocket car is your definition of fast.... If you think that BMW is NOT a lux car you are retarded too. Give me a break. If that were the case only Rolls and Bentlys would be lux cars (oh ya they are pretty fast too)

[Lezard]

Whereas the Audi A4 is a tweaked, cosmetically enhanced, cross platform, put-together overnight VW.

Keep in mind that today, no Audi shares a platform with any VW, with the exception of the A3. I'll be the first to admit that the first gen A4 sucked horribly. Today, they are legitimate contenders.

[Montague]

Keep in mind that today, no Audi shares a platform with any VW, with the exception of the A3. I'll be the first to admit that the first gen A4 sucked horribly. Today, they are legitimate contenders.

You know they use the same engines right? BMW sells more cars worldwide than Lexus, MB or Audi. It is the #1 lux manufacturer.

[2494cc]

At least mercedes is putting out good looking cars...

[E53BimmerJunkie]

Lexus is the luxury leader.

[prash]

Is it safe to say that BMW has Overtaken Mercedes in the Global Luxury Brand Leader category ?

In a word. No. S-Class > 7-Series; SL-Class > 6-Series; E-Class > 5-Series. G-Wagen > all.

X5 & 3-Series > ML & C-Class

[Ahmed303]

Why? AMG is mercedes. Here is another example....

2007 MERCEDES-BENZ SL550
weight 5013 lb
0-60 4.7 (damn that is slow, so slow, it would beat an e46 m3)

Here is my opinion - people have a hard time saying BMW and Merc are in the same class. Merc is slightly geared more towards a smooth ride/less sporty and a little more lux while BMW is more of a divers car with a little less lux. To say that because a car is lux. it is slow is retarded. Well unless a rocket car is your definition of fast.... If you think that BMW is NOT a lux car you are retarded too. Give me a break. If that were the case only Rolls and Bentlys would be lux cars (oh ya they are pretty fast too)

Well!! No harm intended. I just wanted to keep the comparison to a stock level. I owned/own several brands of cars and each car has it's strong areas. In the Lux line MB edges out BMW. Then there is Bentlys, Jaguars, etc. Jaguar has the most comfortable seats and leather appointments than any car I have ever driven.

[Magistr]

I would say so, Mercedes to me personally has never appealed to me, BMW always has. This coming from all of the international auto-shows I've been to

[mvancE30]

looking at the new 3 series dont the c series MB have more hp? (same price range)

idk still pic a bmw over a mb though. but then again if someone handed me either i'd take em.

[mpolans]

2007 Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG Specifications - Specs
weight 1905 kg / 4200 lbs
0 - 60 mph 4.3 seconds


Show me where that is slow?

In a corner. Contrary to riceboy gospel, horsepower can't make up for mass. See Newton's First Law.

FWIW, I would be perfectly happy for BMW to cede the luxury crown to Mercedes. Maybe then they wouldn't insist on loading up their new models with all sorts of gimmicky crap that adds mass and will be expensive to fix when (not if) it goes out.

[EuroCar]

In a corner. Contrary to riceboy gospel, horsepower can't make up for mass. See Newton's First Law.

FWIW, I would be perfectly happy for BMW to cede the luxury crown to Mercedes. Maybe then they wouldn't insist on loading up their new models with all sorts of gimmicky crap that adds mass and will be expensive to fix when (not if) it goes out.

+ mothereffing 1

For christ sake, an electroinc arm that hangds you the friggn seat belt in the new 3 coupe? Are you effing kidding me? HAve we stooped that low and lazy to not reach back 6 inches for a seat belt. And I wonder how that thats going to cost when that breaks, and who knows what other crap gets wired to it that will be shot as well.

BMW should continue to focus on its driver friendly state of mind and let MB take the damn luxury market. I can see M3's buzzing up canyons all day long, but seeing a MB tearing up canyons never really seems right to me, becasue i never see them doing it. Besides the 190e evo, that ish was baller lol. Not to say luxury = slow (AMG is the best example of that) Mash the throttle and go screamingly fast in straight line while sipping your latte is what MB alwasy was too me. I would not feel right tearing up turns in a MB over a BMW

Besides the 7 series, i think it would be a slap in the face to call a BMW fully luxurious. I just wish BMW would stop trying to compete against cars that aren't really in the same class. To me, there is no other car maker thats in the same class as BMW....theyre just so damn neutral theyre good at anything and hard to classify.

Give me a modern day e30 with a kick ass engine and im happy

[Montague]

Lexus is the luxury leader.

NO. Lexus outsells BMW in the US. BMW outsells lexus in worldwide sales. Lexus weren't even offered in their own country of Japan until about 2 years ago.

[E53BimmerJunkie]

NO. Lexus outsells BMW in the US. BMW outsells lexus in worldwide sales. Lexus weren't even offered in their own country of Japan until about 2 years ago.

I'm not speaking of sales exclusively. Lexus is the luxury leader because they put out luxury cars that rival the fit and finish of the Germans while being more reliable and having a lower overall cost of ownership. When you spend a lot of money on a luxury car it better not have any build quality issues like some of the BMW,MERCEDES,and AUDI vehicles.

[KPACOTKA]

So what is a conclusion? BMW is status symbol for md class people? Note people always tell compliments to your BMW, like how can you afford this car?
- Oh I paid just $3k for this 25 yo car.
or Is it new model BMW? I never seen such before?
- Oh, it is just 25 yo BMW, but I detail it twice a day.

Mid class people is the fundament of society, everything is based on their hard work and mid class people deserve to drive decent cars as BMW are.

[sadkorean34]

I just think....
Im not saying MB is bad or anything..
but MB is too overrated.

[ohnoes]

So what is a conclusion? BMW is status symbol for md class people? Note people always tell compliments to your BMW, like how can you afford this car?
- Oh I paid just $3k for this 25 yo car.
or Is it new model BMW? I never seen such before?
- Oh, it is just 25 yo BMW, but I detail it twice a day.

Mid class people is the fundament of society, everything is based on their hard work and mid class people deserve to drive decent cars as BMW are.

Honestly, I think you are being just plain ignorant, it's really irritating to read. If BMWs are for the middle class, then why do pro athletes and celebrities drive what MOST consider to be "baller" cars like the E65/E66, E63, etc.? Dude, a BMW isn't a middle-class car...their prices are plain and clear evidence of this. No "middle-class" layman can afford a $45k-100k car...and I don't mean stretch their finances to LEASE, I mean really afford.

[gnfnrs91]

bmw!

[kornkid8600]

I'd say they are very similar until you step into an S class.

[Lezard]

+ mothereffing 1

For christ sake, an electroinc arm that hangds you the friggn seat belt in the new 3 coupe? Are you effing kidding me? HAve we stooped that low and lazy to not reach back 6 inches for a seat belt. And I wonder how that thats going to cost when that breaks, and who knows what other crap gets wired to it that will be shot as well.

BMW should continue to focus on its driver friendly state of mind and let MB take the damn luxury market. I can see M3's buzzing up canyons all day long, but seeing a MB tearing up canyons never really seems right to me, becasue i never see them doing it. Besides the 190e evo, that ish was baller lol. Not to say luxury = slow (AMG is the best example of that) Mash the throttle and go screamingly fast in straight line while sipping your latte is what MB alwasy was too me. I would not feel right tearing up turns in a MB over a BMW

Besides the 7 series, i think it would be a slap in the face to call a BMW fully luxurious. I just wish BMW would stop trying to compete against cars that aren't really in the same class. To me, there is no other car maker thats in the same class as BMW....theyre just so damn neutral theyre good at anything and hard to classify.

Give me a modern day e30 with a kick ass engine and im happy

I think you, like a lot of people on this forum, would love to have a super-stripped down sports car. Which makes me wonder why you like BMW in the first place? The Japanese offer stripped models like the LanEvo RS, Integra Type R, etc. These cars for example embody exactly what you want. OH wait, it's not RWD.

BMW is a luxury brand. Good thing too. I want more comfort, more features, less road noise(oh my, add weight?), and still a sporty driving experience. Doesn't make sense to compromise luxury for sportiness if you are in the luxury segment.

[Chinny4290]

I'd say they are very similar until you step into an S class.

+1

Mercedes-Benz has always been and always will be the leader in innovation and safety....especially if you mention the S-Class. It has set a lot of standards that cars today wouldn't have without it.