Afrosheen

Poor NY people with only AWD models to choose from. Sucks to get a real winter I guess. I'm surprised the dealers up there don't just call around in the south and have one brought up from another dealership.

Sal Collaziano

Same with the Cadillac CTS - even more so. Hell has frozen over. But it's BMW's own fault. They're using the big, heavy 7-Series platform for the 5-Series now... It'll probably work well for them for awhile considering most luxury buyers will appreciate the softer suspension - but it'll be less of an enthusiast car in the future - which will probably eventually affect sales...

peteharvey

Traditionally, E Class outsells 5 Series.
However, the old 2003-10 5 Series was very special - it outsold the E Class.
Stats show that old 2003-10 5 Series outsold equivalent 2002-09 E Class.
Miracles do occur!
The Benz E Class is beatable! If the engineers put the hard yard in.

However, stats show that current 2009-16 E Class has outsold current 2010-17 5 Series from the word go!
Not "probably", but it has actually occurred in reality already.
Somehow, the mass public doesn't like the current 5 Series, as much as the old 2003-10 5 Series.
The way they are going year to date, E Class could finish 2014 more than 14,000 units ahead of 5 Series in the United States...

Year E Class 5 Series
2002 42,598 40,842
2003 55,683 46,964
2004 58,954 45,584

2005 50,383 52,722
2006 50,195 56,756
2007 48,950 54,142
2008 38,576 45,915

2009 43,072 40,109
2010 60,922 39,488
2011 62,736 51,491
2012 65,171 56,798
2013 69,803 56,863
2014 21,928 14,925

jjscsix

There are far more people who want $70,000 luxury sedans that also handle decently than there are people who want $70,000 sport sedans with some luxury.

jjscsix

Then again, how hard is it to modify a GS350 to put our 445 hp like the BMW 550? As I have said before, Lexus needs more power to be a serious sports sedan. I never understood why they dropped the V8 just when they were trying to get some sports sedan creed. What they should have done is kept the V8, but not the stupid neutered version they had in the GS (340 hp), but the full 380 hp as in the LS.

SNiiP3R

iTrader: (3)

I don't know about not "selling so well" part. I see more and more GS on the road everyday. Yesterday I think was the record, I saw 3 at the same time (not counting myself). And no, they were not friends or a dealer transporting them. Silver GS was driven by a lady, a young guy was in nebula and in the black GS there was some guy in his 40s.

jjscsix

I agree that I'm seeing more of them on the road in the past few months.

RNM GS3

If u are referring to my post, i never modified anything.

The M sport suspension (704) is a Passive setup which is Standard on RWD 5series with Msport Packages. It was first offered in the US for the 2013 MY. With this setup, the car retains the handling of the previous gen E60.

Just to be fair, my 2012 handled like crap.

RNM GS3

From Lexus:

GS

• Has posted double-digit gains every month this year

1. Sales up 30% YTD

Thats great to know but YTD sales are 6,858 which is what Eclass/5Series sometimes do each month. There is def opportunity to grow.

LexFather

Actually for sales to increase its not about offering more power. Its about offering LESS power which is what BMW does with an I-4 528 entry level model. The GS only offers a 6 cylinder ala 535. The 550 sells in very minuscule numbers and offering a V-8, which sounds great in theory, ultimately has proven it no longer drives sales. Of course I think we all would like a higher hp GS option but it seems the GS lacking a gateway model hurts it. We are talking 1,500-2000 sales a month of I-4 BMS 525s vs 30-50 V-8 550s.

Audi offers a I-4, 210hp, CVT transmission, FWD entry level model as well. It starts at 42k. This helps sales, not the 77-100k V-8 S7.

keyframe13

If that was the case why not sell the GS250 here in USA?! They offer it everywhere else.

LexFather

I assume b/c we have the ES here. And again, the GS was only 800 units shy of its first year sales goal. So the entire premise "why are sales so low" is actually incorrect, which continues to be glossed over.

keyframe13

SO your previous statement that the problem is not offering more power but less power doesn;t stand. Even if they offer less power sales won;t increase as they have the ES.
Like previous stated by others just because you meet the goal doesn't mean you sell well. They set realistic goals they can reach. So if they don;t expect the car to sell they set the goal low. otherwise they'll set the same goal as 5 series and E class if they'll expect to sell that well but they are just being realistic.

LexFather

What do you mean it doesn't stand? We have people here explaining to us that the GS needs to offer more power even though those cars sell 50 cars a month. They are ignoring the competition offering I-4 gateway cars which do help sales. If the 5/A6 didn't sell I-4s guess what, sales would significantly drop. The E class seems to be immune to this offering a 350 only but sales include coupes.

You asked why the GS 250 is not here, I assume b/c the ES is here. Offering a GS 250 would still help sales (by how much I am not sure).

Anyone expecting the GS to sell anywhere close to the 5 series or E class doesn't get it. No other cars sell like those two, they are the 2 heavyweights. Cars not selling to that level here doesn't make them failures.

The entire last generation these same people complained the GS needs to drive sportier to sell better, the GS is sportiest in class and now we are hearing it needs to offer everything else.

(and in no way am I arguing that more power would not help, it would)

Sal Collaziano

Sportiest in it's price class maybe. The CTS V-Sport holds the "sportiest in it's class" title - if we're talking about midsize luxury cars outside of M, V, AMG, etcetera. I'm not saying the V-Sport is the all around better car - but it's "sportier". Then again, you pay for that with a stiff ride...

What a high powered GS would do is draw more attention to the car (media, word of mouth, etcetera) which would sell more GS's as a result...

The E350 is a major slug. I like the car and it would be on my shopping list if it weren't so slow. Too slow for the price - for me... It's Mercedes. It should be the best.