Small cars with BIG prices and real MINI's
July 7th 2008 14:29
AUTOLOUD read recently that so called Premium brands charge so much for their vehicles because that is what the consumer will pay! Mmmm, are consumers really that stupid?
It’s a badge thing. I don’t wish to sound cynical here, but does that mean if we don’t buy these things, then when will the prices come down?
Maybe there is some truth in this concept, but AUTOLOUD still cannot see that the BMW 320i is really twice the car of a VW Golf.
What about the Mercedes Benz A Class, A solid enough little car but compare, its base price in automatic form (like $40,000!) with its real competitors. Now when I say competition, I mean vehicles of a similar size/ package/ engine size. So we are looking at 1.8 litre five door automatic hatches. The list is endless and cars like the Tiida, Corolla, Astra, Elantra, and Mazda3 will all do the same job for half the money!
The other little trick that these premium manufacturers play on the poor unsuspecting buyer is the long option list. Now, this is where the car is advertised for say $29,990 and then you tick all the boxes and drive away having spent somewhere in the mid fifties. The champions of this ruse are BMW / MINI.
Have a look at the base 320i. It lists in the middle fifties but add a sunroof, 18” Alloy wheels, metallic paint and leather and Hello! There you are at Seventy thousand dollars!
Suddenly the fully equipped Lexus IS250 looks like an absolute raving nick!
BMW openly admit (in Europe anyway!) that the MINI is now the vehicle that has the most money spent on accessories by its purchasers. It’s the personalisation factor, apparently. The fashion conscious owners prefer their own cars to be an extension of their own personality! What a crock! If that was really the case they should all be finished in dark tones and run on double decaf lattes!
All this talk of accessories reminds me, the original Mini didn’t have a space for a radio because its designer Sir Alec Issoginis thought them a distraction! Now you can plug in your iPod and listen to music in your car non-stop far longer than your tank of fuel or bladder will last!
It’s a badge thing. I don’t wish to sound cynical here, but does that mean if we don’t buy these things, then when will the prices come down?
Maybe there is some truth in this concept, but AUTOLOUD still cannot see that the BMW 320i is really twice the car of a VW Golf.
What about the Mercedes Benz A Class, A solid enough little car but compare, its base price in automatic form (like $40,000!) with its real competitors. Now when I say competition, I mean vehicles of a similar size/ package/ engine size. So we are looking at 1.8 litre five door automatic hatches. The list is endless and cars like the Tiida, Corolla, Astra, Elantra, and Mazda3 will all do the same job for half the money!
The other little trick that these premium manufacturers play on the poor unsuspecting buyer is the long option list. Now, this is where the car is advertised for say $29,990 and then you tick all the boxes and drive away having spent somewhere in the mid fifties. The champions of this ruse are BMW / MINI.
Have a look at the base 320i. It lists in the middle fifties but add a sunroof, 18” Alloy wheels, metallic paint and leather and Hello! There you are at Seventy thousand dollars!
Suddenly the fully equipped Lexus IS250 looks like an absolute raving nick!
BMW openly admit (in Europe anyway!) that the MINI is now the vehicle that has the most money spent on accessories by its purchasers. It’s the personalisation factor, apparently. The fashion conscious owners prefer their own cars to be an extension of their own personality! What a crock! If that was really the case they should all be finished in dark tones and run on double decaf lattes!
All this talk of accessories reminds me, the original Mini didn’t have a space for a radio because its designer Sir Alec Issoginis thought them a distraction! Now you can plug in your iPod and listen to music in your car non-stop far longer than your tank of fuel or bladder will last!
| 48 |
| Vote |
Subscribe to this blog
