24th Dec 2013, 19:53
I agree, it's sad to see most people driving around in cars they don't really own or are leasing in order to afford them. BTW I never have to do a timing belt on my BMW, which is considered regular maintenance on say a Camry every 100k miles at a cost of 600 to 800 USD. Really depends on what you want out of a car. I do like the idea of having a vehicle that is "below the radar", though. How about a Subaru Legacy GT?!
18th Dec 2013, 12:51
Of course they're there to see your cars, why else?
Anywhere that a product (doesn't have to be a car) is marketed as an item of prestige, then the rest of it follows. Prestige is what you make it, and then again, regardless of your view for or against a product, the local attitude prevails.
Can't understand why "Acura" is deemed a luxury car - it's just a Honda outside North America. Really. The TSX is an Accord, which competes with cars like the Ford Mondeo or Mazda 6 in the real world. For the longest time, Mercedes wouldn't sell vans in America with the 3-pointed star as it may affect the branding they have cultivated - even if the whole world knows Mercedes makes trucks and delivery vans. And taxis in Amsterdam or Brussels are all Mercedes.
It's all a matter of access. If you live in a country where you can reasonably afford to get a new or used so-called prestige brand, then only you who have owned one or several will know what it's all about. Then you make the call. You may have a good run, you might get a lemon, but once you take the badge off it, then you can judge for yourself what makes it different. No access - and it is very vulnerable to sour grapes. There are grapes that are sour, but not enough for people not to buy them.
As the guy from Poland said - it is very mainstream over there. And Poland is not richer than America. And the guy from New Zealand - yes, Japanese cars can get very expensive to repair too, and they do break down. To each his own.