YIKES! 75% of luxury buyers NOT considering BMW's?

It's hard to believe, but after all these years there are still a great many consumers, specifically luxury-car buyers, who associate BMW with the yuppie phenomenon of the 1980s. That's what BMW Vice-President of Marketing Jack Pitney was distressed to find when he took over the brand last year after a successful run managing MINI USA. BMW's research shows that despite record sales in the U.S. last year, a shocking 75% of luxury buyers aren't even considering a Bimmer.

The problem, say BMW brass, is that for too long it has perhaps overemphasized the brand as the paragon of performance driving. BMW, indelibly etched in performance-car enthusiasts' psyches as "The Ultimate Driving Machine" in ads for 33 years, is showing a different plume of feathers in a new ad campaign, the first from its new U.S. ad agency GSD&M of Austin, Tex. Rather than horsepower and curve-hugging handling, it's ballyhooing its design prowess and financial independence.

Full review here

JUGNU - 5/7/2006 5:32:07 AM

+1 Boost

I think moreover BMW is consider as the sports/sporty car, with the standard/basic German luxury present.I think BMW's luxury is no more than any VW's.
I drive 2006 M5 and i know that my car got many sports touches and drive like a coupe or a real 500+BHP Sports car.It doesn't give the feeling that i am driving a sports luxury sedan,and not only M5 is sports oriented full 1 series,3 series,5 series,6 series,X5,Z4 is more sports than luxury but yeah there is an exception where BMW has given more importance to luxury than sports and that is 7 series.

In short i mean if u look at BMW's complete line-up,except from 7 series all cars are more sports oriented and BMW has given less importance to luxury.

So why all that yikes and surprise Spies if 75% of people haven't considered BMW as Luxury.

I will say Sports is in the gene and nature of BMW.

On the hand Luxury is in the gene and nature of Lexus and Mercedes.Even if u look at these two companies's minimum luxury cars u will still find much more luxury than any equally equiped car.Look at SC,IS,C class,E class..etc they give more of a luxury feel than sports.

JUGNU----->THE CARMAN

JUGNU - 5/7/2006 5:32:07 AM

+1 Boost

Hyundai - 5/7/2006 9:04:09 PM

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I read your post a couple posts up and I am in agreement with 100% of your sentiments. I could add very little to what you wrote; it is bang on. I am all for evolution and change, but what happened to the older BMWs? This is not an evolution but an axe murdering of their previous design language!

dblo7 - 5/8/2006 2:18:47 PM

+1 Boost

True what some of you said. BMW is so watered down that it does not seem exclusive. Yet polls are retarded and we will see plenty of new BMWs on the road.

chewy - 5/9/2006 9:56:34 PM

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True, I see so many people that buy BMW for the image aspect. The proof, they drive them as if it was a Buick. I see some people that push their BMW's, but many even the ones that are in an M3 just bought it to look cool, and drive it like a Buick or a Civic.

tarponsprings - 5/19/2006 7:52:42 AM

+1 Boost

I've been driving BMW's since 1970, when most people did not even know what a BMW was. People used to stop me in parking lots, and ask of my 2002, "what kind of car is that?"
I've driven BMW's for 36 years because of their engineering, and the way that they drive, not because of any perceived status that they offer. BMW loyalists like myself saved BMW from extinction in the 70's, and now we get rewarded with i-drive, flame surfacing, and simplified (read cheap) interiors.
I fully understand that any company constantly needs to expand it customer base to grow, but BMW has abandoned many of its long time customers by trying to be all things to all people. When I see a soccer mom driving an X5 4.8is with 3 kids in the back, something is very wrong with the picture.