UDel

"You know lots of people". So that somehow makes you an expert on what everyone places a priority on or why they buy cars. You can't be serious. Just because you are making some kind of "statement" to the world by choosing your vehicle does not mean everyone else is and they are lying if they say they aren't.

Genesis is a new brand, it is unproven, not as many buyers are even aware of a G90 and as nice as the G90 is, it still does not have the power, performance, options, good looks, handling, refinement, all the luxury of a S class, S class is nice in just about every way still. When the LS came out, back when leasing was no where near as popular it was a immediate success, same with the Acura Legend despite them having much less prestige over Mercedes and BMW's at the time. Many people buy nice and expensive cars for the car and not the name/prestige of the brand.

You're not the buyer you are talking about either, you bought a much less expensive Lexus that was already being replaced by a newer model over a more expensive S class or a brand new LS500.

With leasing luxury cars being so popular the whole prestige, image, making a statement, status symbol is not anything like it used to be, pretty much anyone can lease a BMW, Merc, or Lexus now.

UDel

More power, quicker, nicer interior, better ride, better handling, better looking, more luxury, optional 12 cylinder/AMG models, etc. There are many things that make a S class nicer then a G90 or LS and to many worth the extra money, it is not just status.

Toys4RJill

SW17LS

I'm certainly not an expert, but I've been an avid fan of luxury cars since I was a child, I have more than a passing understanding of that market segment, and at the age of 37 I have already purchased 5 luxury cars...

Do you seriously not see the role status has in the purchase of luxury goods, especially luxury cars? How can you not see it?!

I stand by what I said, status is a huge factor in the purchase of a car like this, and people who buy them do care about status, and if they say they don't they're lying.

The LS was an immediate success because it was DRAMATICALLY cheaper than the competition. Without that value proposition it would not have been as successful. It took years and years for Lexus to get within spitting distance of the big German players when it comes to prestige, and they still are not there. Lexus is a big value proposition seller compared to Mercedes, BMW and increasingly Audi. If Lexus cars weren't cheaper...people wouldn't buy them. Why is that? Status.

I'm not? I bought a $90,000 flagship luxury sedan 10 months ago, I bought an $80,000 flagship luxury sedan 3 years before that. I didn't chose the one I bought because it was cheaper than the new LS500, I chose it because I liked it better. I am absolutely that buyer.

I chose the LS over a new S Class because it was cheaper and because I didn't want something as ostentatious as the S Class. The status of the S Class actually deterred me from getting one.

I don't agree, status is still a huge motivator when it comes to someone's desire to get a luxury car.

SW17LS

How many of them have you driven? I've driven 8 or 9 current generation S Classes. They ride very similarly, handle very similarly to the LS. 12 cyl (being discontinued BTW) and AMG are niche models, the vast majority are non AMG cars.

The S Class is nicer, but not $30-40k nicer. Status and prestige are the greatest differentiators.

Your parents don't, and they chose not to buy a luxury vehicle. We're talking about people who DO choose to spend $80k+ on a luxury car and their motivations...not somebody who buys a 4 Runner and an Avalon. I'm not talking about "everybody in the world" I'm talking about people who do choose to spend on high end luxury cars.

I can't believe we're sitting here arguing that status doesn't matter to people who buy luxury cars LOL, to say it doesn't is absurd.

Toys4RJill

Toys4RJill

Toys4RJill

SW17LS

Its not the only reason at all, but its a BIG reason...my point was if anybody buys an S Class and tries to tell you "I don't care about status" they aren't being honest. They care about status on some level, or they wouldn't be driving something so outwardly ostentatious. If I told you I didn't care at all about status I wouldn't be being honest with you.

Its not the only thing. And, this thread is about the A8, so defining it to this segment makes perfect sense.

Toys4RJill

MattyG

Still curious how anyone is making a statement by buying an understated conservatively styled $100K Audi which looks very much like its predecessors on the outside (unless your neighbors, friends and everybody on the road knows exactly what you paid). Is Audi a status vehicle? Is there a neon sign option for the back window which yells, "I bought a $100K Audi"?

Or is MB and the S classe a status and statement vehicle? Audi seems to know that there is a certain class of customers who don't care to brag too much about their car, but love a tech-filled vehicle that just suits them fine.

On the outside, your average non-enthusiast is going to be hard pressed to distinguish an A8 out on the road. It's bigger than those A4s and A6s but that's about it. You buy an A8 for the tech and the interior. You drop 100 large for the S class to enjoy, and show off.

SW17LS

All of these cars are status vehicles, the A8 included. The S Class has by far the most prestige out of all of them though, its the flashiest, and its the most ostentatious. I would say the A8, like the Lexus LS as an example (or at least...previous versions of the Lexus LS) would cater to somebody that wants to fly under the radar more than somebody who chooses an S Class.

One of the things you don't realize when looking at pictures is what the size of these cars does for their presence on the road, in a parking lot, etc. I can tell you from having a SWB LS and now a LWB LS, the LWB car is a lot more impressive and draws more attention simply because its so big. The A8 will stand out from lesser Audis the was the 7 and even the S Class do, because they're just so much bigger.

MattyG

By that measure then, a status seeker should be driving a gigantic MB GLS. It's even more pounds/per/prestige than the S classe. Presence on the road in the vehicle category is a relative thing. Gigantic gilded $60K-$75K pickups and SUVs rule the roost. An A8 is not going to be too over the top here. It's just a wonderful sedan for people who don't "need to realize" anything. They look and buy and could care less about image or, "what do I look like at my next appointment".

SW17LS

Theres some truth to that, SUVs are rapidly outpacing sedans as the status symbols of choice. Something like a Range Rover has a lot of status/prestige. Also depends on where you are, in the midwest for instance big expensive pickups have more status than they do here.

Like you said its all relative, these flagship sedans at 205-208 inches long are really big for sedans and they stand out among sedans. Clearly they're not as big as a huge pickup.

Would you be surprised to learn that an S Class is actually longer than an MB GLS? A GLS is 202 inches long. My LS460L is 3 inches longer at 205 inches, and an S Class is 5 inches longer at 207 inches. Like I said, these big sedans are big. It sticks out in a parking lot...

MattyG

To me the A8 is just a "fly under the radar" vehicle. S class is the one diplomats, kings, princes, dukes and show off power and wealth. Pomp and ceremony. A8s are just for regular rich people who look under the skin and see tech. That side collision feature in my earlier link was something I had never seen before, the tilt of a car to mitigate a collision. It really shows that feature for feature, a smart buyer can look past the aesthetics and look for what's under the styling and prestige.