What Is The Biggest Mistake The German Car Companies Are Making Today?

VW trying to become the biggest carmaker in the world. Hasn't been so good for GM, Toyota.

I agree, once you get to a certain size you can no longer react quickly.

How?

Their biggest mistake: Trying to fill every automotive niche existent.

They need to stop the nonsense and focus on what made them (once) great.

Ahh what do I know.. they are raking it in thats for sure! :)

Mercedes has been successful at filling new niches...The CLS has succeeded and spawned a lot of cars from other brands that follow similar principles.

I agree there are times the Germans are to cute by a half.

BIG MISTAKES< MB started making durable cars,
Less Mistake, they started selling more cars/trucks than Lexus...
Asina quit buying Japanese (crps) Lexus and Infinitis (myself too)

I can tell you the best things German Companies are doing:
1. They refused to out-source like the stupid American Companies that we have here. Agreed they have plants over-seas but they refused to out-source to china.
2. They embraced Labor unions, in fact unions have a representative in the Board of Directors in every major companies. Unlike our companies here and some on the crazy side of the politics that think unions are evil.

Going green.

Diluting their brands by going too far down market, over reliance on leases, too much tech not enough sex, trying to be all things to all people, high prices, etc. etc. When a Mustang can match an M3 at $25K
less the customer of the German car is overpaying for brand snobbery.
When the owner of a $120,000 Mercedes is kept waiting in service while
a kid with his hat on sideways on a lease is complaining to the service rep the luster is off the premium brands.

"They need to stop the nonsense and focus on what made them (once) great."

Ditto. Don't lose all your eggs in the Chinese market.

"When the owner of a $120,000 Mercedes is kept waiting in service while
a kid with his hat on sideways on a lease is complaining to the service rep the luster is off the premium brands."

And YOU mentioned "snobbery???"

Guess it's okay to be a social Darwin now!

1. Dealer practices. (At least with Mercedes Benz). I absolutely love everything my local Benz dealer offers, with the exception of "loaner" vehicles. When the average service takes more than half the day, I really don't enjoy driving a Camry, Altima or other brand vehicle. BMW, Porsche, Infiniti etc. all offer either one of thier own models, or another "luxury" brand car to drive...why not Mercedes? Even a C would be better than a Camry.

2. Overcharging for options that should be standard. For example: most vehicles offer "keyless" options now...why should I have to pay over $1000 for the same feature on a German that comes standard on cars which cost less.

3. Planned obsolescence. The last years of the E46 BMW had led tails and several other "LCI upgrades" that the new E90's didn't have...until the LCI of the E90...I don't agree with retardation of innovation.

4. Part and parcel with above, why do some options come on some cars and are not available until much later on other models? BMW Apps for example...

Their biggest mistake is overpricing their cars and expecting people who aren't brain dead to pay for them.

Audi of America and dealer service needs to be a MUCH better experience. I have an 2007 A8 which had an airbag fault problem. Car had 38k so the problem was under warranty. Dealership kept it more than 30 days to fix the problem. Since I didn't buy the car at that particular dealership, I didn't get a loaner. So Audi keeps my $82k car for 30 days and makes it my responsibility to find alternate transportation.

reliability