Even with high gas prices, luxury model sales on the rise

While so-called crossover utility vehicles - those with SUV bodies and automobile chassis - continue to command increasing market share, sales of new full-size cars surged upward last year, spurred by the success of several new models and introduction of others.

While some full-size cars are classified as "family cars" because of their size and price - Buick's LaCrosse and the Dodge Charger are examples, much of the growth has come in the luxury, large, and upscale brackets. That's where the big Cadillacs and BMWs roam, along with Lexus and Infiniti, Lincoln's Town Car and Chrysler 300, plus the ever-present Mercedes.

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S550Range - 4/24/2006 10:23:55 AM

+1 Boost

Toyota and the hybrid cars that it proliferates are now the first line of defense for the oil crisis that is upon us. Toyota/Lexus started the fight of economy cars in the last oil crisis and they are in a position now to finish off slow moving auto makers like GM.

Only people who can barely afford gas guzzling suvs and luxury cars will buy them. Some already have them and that can't be helped, but new purchasers of new vehicles will be looking at the mpg estimates very closely. You can bet that rich people will be buying these hybrids in droves and let the middle class and poor people throw money away at the pumps. How do you think they stay rich?

Toyota/Lexus makes better, cheaper, more reliable cars and will be the largest manufacturer in the world very shortly. Current BMW, Mercedes, and Audi purchasers will be very compelled to buy Lexus. They will think it is stupid to buy those cars for the perception that they perform so much better or carry a certain snobbish reputation and pay extra every time they fill up.

To those who say there will always be people that pay that extra money, wait until gas is $8 - $12 a gallon…

S550Range - 4/24/2006 10:25:43 PM

+1 Boost

Well it is well true that suv sales have made Lexota what it is today, but they are still in that position and that cannot be denied. I never said that they were the most fuel efficient car company. I said "Toyota/Lexus makes better, cheaper, more reliable cars and will be the largest manufacturer in the world very shortly." I will add to that and say they are currently the most successful.

The first rule of sales success it to "sell the sizzle, not the steak"

You can bet that there are car makers that have cars just as reliable and more fuel efficient, but Toyota is the best at selling on reputation.

E34M5 - 5/9/2006 2:58:23 AM

+1 Boost

maintenance is big, but depreciation is huge. each mile you drive costs you more in depreciation than in gas. maybe much more if you drive a high dollar luxury car, even a lexus. I drive a 91 M5 on the weekends and an Accord during the week. $60 tanks suck, but only once every 6-8 weeks isn't all that bad. maybe we'll all be lucky and we can buy an SL55 for $10k in a few years. i'd drive it once a month at that price.