I don't know if the Phaeton being bagain compared to other will help it sell but what I think the companies are watching for is if there is a shift in consumer buying habits towards luxury nameplates.

I think there will be a slight shift from Lexus/Audi/Lincoln nameplates to Toyota/Volkswagan/Ford in that buyers still want the Lexus/Audi build cars but with a Toyota or Volkswagen badge.

Toyota Avalon, Tauras, Buick Lacrosse, Passat all have tredmendous opportunity after the recession is over. There will be more of a market for cars like these than there will for cars like the LS450, GS460 etc etc.

 

Well, the average car buyer isn't going to be looking at a new Phaeton, period.....especially the 90K W12 version. We're only talking people here who would (or should) be cross-shopping it against the BMW and Mercedes V12 sedans.


Interesting that you mention Ford. Hyundai started to enter a new build-quality and value age about 10 years ago. Now, it seems to be Ford's turn. The quality of some new Ford products has now reached Japanese levels.


I'm concerned, though, that the new Taurus, while an excellent car in many areas (I just reviewed one), and the new LaCrosse, will gain some new customers at the distinct loss of their traditional ones. The two new models are substantially different from their predecessors. The Taurus has also lost its Mercury Sable and Taurus X wagon versions, which could (?) also mean the loss of even more customers.

 

Personally, I liked the Taurus X/Freestyle but the sales were just too low for Ford to keep it. In July they sold 366 Taurus X's vs. 7,857 Edge and 3,361 Flex. Edge and Flex are where the volume is for Ford.

 

We may be getting a little off-topic here (and, mods, please intervene if we are), but why does Ford need three more-or-less similiarly-sized SUV's (Flex, Edge, Escape), all competing against each other (four, if you include the Mercury Mariner)? If you want to look at anything in the Ford line-up that doesn't make sense, there it is. Same at Mazda, which is Ford-owned.....they have the CX-7, CX-9 (which is a little larger), and the Tribute.

BTW, I brought up this question to a Ford product specialist at the D.C. Auto Show, and he had little in the way of a REAL answer, except for some defensive posturing and double-talk.