Where Do YOU Draw The Line On Luxury? The Brand, Interior, Features, Or Something Else?

The world draws the line on luxury based on the brand heritage, and also where it comes from.

From the days of European colonialism/imperialism, the world started to become quite Europeanized, and that trend still lives on today in automobiles, timepieces and in many other luxury brands.

Just like how most countries do not see Lexus, Infiniti and Acura, the Japanese luxury brands as "real" luxury brands, even though those brands have made a lot of efforts to be considered valuable, the consumers do not really care.

It is kind of like this. How Hollywood gives all the leading roles to white people mainly (Around over 80% of roles are for the whites in Hollywood) and only around 1.8% of Asians get the leading role. And also not to mention how all the extra Asian actors get the roles that get killed and the white actors saving the day in the movies.

There is definitely a racial barrier in the luxury car world, just like how there is one in other fields.

I understand Lexus and Acura not getting recognized well by many people, but why also Infiniti, which has such a gorgeous exterior design language and great performance oriented vehicles? But we all know why.

So meaning, just like how, Hyundai making Genesis sedan and Equus not meaning anything to the buyers of BMW, Mercedes and such, simply something "luxury" is always associated with Europeanism in the end.

How did Hummer just become a history, when Range Rover maintained its super-bad reliability with real bad mpg? Because it's British.

How did Audi start to gain so much popularity? Because it's German.

How did Maybach still get that much of attention when it existed even though it was more like a hyper-luxury version of Buick? Because it's German. And it's Mercedes-Benz.

So, to answer your question, technically, anything American, Korean or Japanese, no matter if they are luxury brands or not, are considered mainstream.

Absolute luxury is about the holistic experience, buying, owning, servicing. Just because it is "European" or expensive does not necessarily make it luxurious and vice versa.

To me one aspect of luxury is its temporal nature, the car has to be new. A 10-year old car that used to be considered "luxurious" is no more.

Another aspect of luxury is the lack of tradeoffs. The most important one is cutting costs. Any car that has been subjected to bean-counters can not be considered luxurious and this seems to exclude most mass-market cars. Tradeoffs to increase performance unfortunately also reduce luxury.

Last but not least is practicality. A luxury car also has to be practical. People should be able to use it daily, fit themselves and their stuff in, and drive it everywhere. A show car is not luxurious.

And that is your opinion, a very American opinion that is.

In Europe, the Europeans generally do not care about reliability in terms of luxury cars, thus, BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz and such have no problem selling tons there.

In fact, practicality idea is mainly something the Americans and the Japanese care about.

And if the world has the same view like you do, then I have to ask why Cadillac, Lexus and Infiniti do not get the same recognition that the BMW, Audi, Mercedes and such enjoy?

Perhaps someone should actually answer the question: "Where Do YOU Draw The Line On Luxury? The Brand, Interior, Features, Or Something Else?"

For me it is the intersection of performance vs value vs style

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I have owned 5 BMW's with no "reliability" issues. If this were not true, I would drive another brand. I own an X5 and am looking forward to X7. My sister has a MDX. It drives like a Honda, interior looks and smells like a Honda. The truth hurts. Stop crying. Enjoy your ride.

No one is crying. And I enjoy my ride and am excited to get my new Infiniti soon. And you being lucky with those BMWs does not mean you represent the majority of people with BMW issues. So, stop crying.

"Racial barrier in the luxury car world." WTF. Stop the stereotyping and racial profiling. China (Asians) can not get enough MB, BMW, and Audi's. Explain that bright boy.

If you have some difficulties understanding the sentence, then try asking first, kid, otherwise you make yourself look like a highschool drop out, or maybe you are one.

The racial barrier I am talking about is how the consumers tend to pick and prefer European brands over anything else from other countries. For example, Hyundai has Equus. How many consumers would go out and say, Equus is as good as Bentley or Rolls-Royce? Or even S class? It doesn't really matter how good Equus may be, or how luxurious it looks, the brand not being a European becomes a huge disadvantage. It is not that hard to see what I am trying to say here, but doesn't seem like you are not very good at grasping logic. In other words, you are dumb.

And since you brought up reliability, let me ask you, why do you choose BMW? Why not Lexus? Or Infiniti? And what does it mean that MDX drives like a Honda? What is it like to drive a Honda?

Please don't tell me you choose BMW because they are "reliable". Seriously, are you really this stupid?

*doesn't seem like you are very good

Luxury is not about checking the boxes on tech options and leather seating. Most cars can do this today, Luxury is defined by the execution, quality, and driving experience from those options. I was at the NY auto show today and could not believe how poor the Kia k900 materials looked in person. Perfect example of checking the boxes, but with low quality of execution. Yet the in trained eye will flock to the perceived value without knowing the whole story. I also felt the same sitting in a 328i. Compared to my 2012 A4 interior, the BMWs plastics were down right embarrassing.

Hollywood roles to mostly whites?
Duh, Its America
Go to Bollywood - are'nt 99% of actors Indian there?
Arent 99% of actors in Korean Drama,..well ermm...Korean..?
Sniff, looks like JDMUSMuscle has an inferiority complex..

I didn't know the United States was supposed to be a "white" country. We are talking about the United States, not England.

Sounds like someone failed many classes.

Very good argument. BobM, you actually seem a lot smarter than you look.

I have owned BMWs since H.S. days, brand new M3 was a gift from the family for doing well but then the first car I bought with my own money was also a BMW - Twin-Turbo 535xi and I tuned the sh** out of it with an M5 beating 500+ Bhp - Never broke down, my present car is also a BMW and my future cars will also be BMWs. This does not mean I'm closed to other brands - I have a Mercedes too and am going to be getting a Lexus DD before my first exotic.

"Muscle" must be suffering from a identity crisis. Were you always the last one picked for a team or did someone steal your milk money. Life lesson: Be happy with what you have, not what you want. Relax. Enjoy your new Infiniti. Listen to Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. Have some Laphoaig Scotch. Oh wait, these are European.

Hmm, seems like you have some reading problems, or mayhap, you are just slow in terms of understanding things.

Did I say I was not happy? I was only here merely pointing out the truth, and you got so sensitive over something that is not even far from the truth.

And yes, it is German. So? I listen to it, and have no problem with it.

Or did I say I "hate" everything European? Was that what I was trying to say? Did I say I was a "racist"?

If anything, I was actually praising the strength that the European brands possess, and at the same time, critiquing it. But I can already tell you are not very good at grasping things.

Seriously, I really hope you try to ask me some questions before you judge. I am white (mixed), and my girl friend is white and have no reason to hate certain races.

^Good one 550, muscle only cares about Infiniti

Usually. But I still care about my Ford truck, too.

No one said the U.S is a white county JDMUSMuscle. But the majority are.
If this bothers you, leave the US and run to Saudi Arabia and try become a movie star there, or Mali, or North Korea or wherever you
can grind your bitter - "hate the white man" ax.

Funny. Hollywood is nothing like those Korean drama or Bollywood that you speak of. Hollywood usually screws up and messed up other cultures and whitewash them in their own movies. Let me ask you, why is it that some white guy is the main character in samurai Hollywood movies? And is there anything "original" about Hollywood nowadays? Oh wait a sec, how many of their successful movies are based on the Japanese manga or Asian movies?

And I have no reason to hate a certain race, and I am only here to point out the truth. You are only acting like a typical uneducated white American man without brains. Try not to be so sensitive and try not to overreact like a girl, and you may have a chance to make yourself appear a slightly more intelligent than Sarah Palin and John McCain.

In fact, people like you are the reason why the United States has failed to become like the European Union, and keeps failing. Amuse me more.

"I am only here to point out the truth." You ask too many questions. Relax. I enjoy a good Chimay beer. Sounds like you need a Xanax. Feel sorry for your "girlfriend."

Oh, no need to feel sorry for my girl friend, at least she is not a girl friend of some highschool drop-out who is not really good at grasping things.

But I still appreciate for your concern, gentleman.

Sniff,...JDMUSMuscle seems to be emotionally insecure. Haw-haw!!,he postulates as if he, -and he only - belongs to this ethereal elitist intelligentsia. See how he strikes back at this little comment. (to buoy his lil ego, off course..)

Elitist? Do I sound elitist to you?

And I am not exactly understanding your comment, like I am not seeing your point. Is it fun for you to troll around like that? Maybe you are not having a good life in real life? I am only asking those questions because I am worried.

Taking the family to Scotland for Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo . Great Gaelic Highlander war music played in battles from Asia to Africa. Last went in 2007. "Piping" hot. Haggis and Macallan single malt. Neat of course. Muscle, neat refers to Scotch whisky served without ice or water.