What is the best starter luxury car company?

"JR1" (type35bugatti) 04/02/2014 at 10:57 • Filed to: Oppositelock

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How did I define starter luxury you may be wondering? Well I tried to choose car perceived luxury car companies that do not mirror there lineup after the Germans. That is how I arrived with the following poll:

Starter Luxury

If you think I am wrong or another car company is the best starter luxury car company please leave it in the comments and tell me why you think that. I would be interested to find out why. Personally out of the following companies I think Lincoln is currently doing the best. Lincoln's design langue is excellent. Furthermore Ford is a strong company with only two brands therefore they are willing and have the resources to increase sales and prestige for their luxury car company. Lincoln finally seems like they appear to want to improve their brand image. Sure some of there recent commercials are corny but with a sales increase of 31% compared to last year the commercials appear to be working. Will they continue to defy the odds and bounce back in the years to come? Maybe, only time and the consumer market will be the judge of that. Volvo is aggressively trying to improve as well and they got a great chance to eclipse Lincoln, however I am a little skeptical about Chinese backing. We shall see though, and with concepts like this they are off to a great start.

jlay > JR1 04/02/2014 at 11:23

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Why not Cadillac?

Merkin Muffley > JR1 04/02/2014 at 11:23

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If your sole criterion is "luxury not modeled after merc, bmw, and audi," why isn't Jaguar on the list? Their cars have tended to come in at a lower price than their german rivals, and they have always had their own distinct design language. If anything, the current big audi takes styling cues from the current xj.

JR1 > Merkin Muffley 04/02/2014 at 11:43

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That wasn't the only thing I looked at, I thought about considering Jaguar but with over $45,000 as a base price on the car they are hardly a starter luxury car company. I love the big xj though it is a beautiful car.

JR1 > jlay 04/02/2014 at 11:44

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They have already surpassed the starter luxury car market imo. Their line up is starting to look more like BMW with direct competitors. Furthermore the prices of the Cadillac start in the 30s and climb form there.

Axial > JR1 04/02/2014 at 15:42

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Chrysler. Why Chrysler?

First, the 300:

And there are few major US automaker topping this right now, including Cadillac:

The PentaStar V6 is also the best domestic V6 on the market (and I hate V6s as a rule) and it doesn't even need forced induction to reach similar levels of performance as the EcoBoost and GM mills being put in their cars. Think of how awesome it could be if/when FCA decides it does need a turbo!

JR1 > Axial 04/02/2014 at 16:21

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I love the 300 and if I had to pick a best starter luxury car this would probably top the list. But as a whole I am not so sure they can really compete with the likes of Lincoln, Buick, etc. However if Chrysler just built this car they would win hands down.

Axial > JR1 04/02/2014 at 16:35

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I think Chrysler is just warming up. They only have three cars: the 200, the 300, and the Town & Country...which is a minivan...which I don't see continuing beyond another generation or so. Chrysler has essentially become synonymous with "minivan" over the years, and if they hope to grow as a more luxurious brand I think they need to change that.

Still, I like where they are going. GM is still doing the usual cutting of corners in the details, hoping nobody will notice, and that's hurting Buick and, more obviously, Cadillac. Lincoln has...well, they have nothing.

JR1 > Axial 04/02/2014 at 18:22

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I would't say Lincoln has nothing, they have a design department and a goal. There lineup just is slightly starting to suggest that. We will see. But I can see Chrysler growing hopefully. I just don't want Fiat to use and abuse them.

Axial > JR1 04/02/2014 at 18:37

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My worry is that Fiat will do one or both of the following:

1. Use Chrysler as a cash cow crutch until they can supplant it with the proper Italian brands

2. Deliberately hold Chrysler and its divisions back to let the Italian brands shine brighter.

They already supposedly do number two with the Viper. I think the Viper could be better. I don't think the F-portion of FCA wants it to be better; they would rather stick you into a new Maserati. Similarly, I feel like they are going to hold Chrysler down...again to encourage you to switch to Maserati or Alfa Romeo for your higher-end experience.

It's really a tragedy, FIAT buying Chrysler. Chrysler went bankrupt and needed a cash infusion, but it's actually Chrysler that's propping FIAT up.

As for Lincoln; they are being extra cautious in their approach, if nothing else. I actually like their sort of Neo Art Deco look, and I think they should go all in with that, but the cars themselves are lackluster. I'm pretty well-versed with the MKZ, and the only neat tricks it has are mood lighting, working automatic parallel-park, and all-wheel drive. It doesn't sound nice, it doesn't handle impressively, its transmission operation is stupid (subjective opinion), and inside feels somewhat chintzy.

What Lincoln needs is a rear-drive platform with powerful engine options to create a 3-series competitor. It was working for Cadillac, I don't see why it can't work for them. Alternatively, they should go all-in on a Halo car to snap some heads and gain mindshare, but for that to work there needs to be a salvo of related-but-more-affordable options.

JR1 > Axial 04/02/2014 at 18:47

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You and me tend to think alike with the Chrysler problem. I think it was one of the worst things to happen to Chrysler. Fiat does hold the brand back with the likes of the Viper. Why can't there be more Viper T/As? Ferrari is scared they will lose sales on the F12/458. I just hope Chrysler will one day be able to get the Italians off their back.

Lincoln doesn't have the most exciting of lineups and I agree the MKZ is a little lacking. But that car is one of the best looking cars for sale under 40,000 dollars (subjective). A halo car could be a good option for them. No American car company is currently making a big halo luxury car and if Lincoln beats Cadillac to the table they may receive a more loyal fan following and customer base from that.

Ger > JR1 04/09/2014 at 20:57

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This is stupid.

catkam623 misses his 944 > JR1 04/09/2014 at 21:00

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I voted Volkswagen because phaeton...