NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Luxury car

A luxury car is a relatively expensive car. In some countries they are targets of special taxes. Luxury cars place more emphasis on comfort, appearance, and amenities than on performance, economy, or utility. They usually offer more modern technology, higher quality materials and are often built in smaller numbers than more affordable mass-market cars. A small variety of cars, the most popular kind of automobile. ...

ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1218x820, 721 KB) Summary I shot the picture myself. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1218x820, 721 KB) Summary I shot the picture myself. ...

General Definition (U.S.)

A luxury vehicle must be in the top 10% of all cars sold by price. Currently, that means its manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) is above $36,000 and it offers a high degree of comfort (including warm rich wood and soft rich leather) and safety. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (816x436, 287 KB)I shot the picture myself then edited myself using my own Photoshop software. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (816x436, 287 KB)I shot the picture myself then edited myself using my own Photoshop software. ... The Suggested Retail Price (SRP) of a product is the price the manufacturer recommends that the retailer sell it for. ...

A vehicle may still be considered an entry-level luxury vehicle if its base MSRP is between $29,000 and $36,000 and it is manufactured by a luxury car maker, a car manufacturer of which the majority of all vehicles sold featured base MSRPs of $36,000 or above. Vehicles made by a non-luxury marque must feature a base MSRP between $36k and $40k in order to be considered an entry-level luxury car. The Suggested Retail Price (SRP) of a product is the price the manufacturer recommends that the retailer sell it for. ...

In addition to featuring a high base price and high levels of comfort luxury cars must also carry prestige which is combined with a keen emphasis on craeture comforts, blended with aforementioned attributes to impart a certain intangible allure so that the customer is willing to pay the rather high MSRP.

Non-luxury prestige vehicles

In the car market of the 2000s it has become rather difficult to determine whether a vehicle passes as a luxury car or not. Many vehicles such as GMC Yukon or Chevrolet Suburban fit the price criteria to be considered luxury vehicles, yet they do not have the prestige or anemities of luxury vehicles. Many non-luxury vehicles such as the Acura TSX and Hummer H2 are also often mistakenly identified as luxury vehicles. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1188x662, 220 KB) Summary I took the picture myself Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1188x662, 220 KB) Summary I took the picture myself Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Chevrolet Tahoe (and similar GMC Yukon) is a full-size SUV from General Motors. ... The Chevrolet Suburban is one of the longest-lived automobile nameplates in the United States. ... The Acura TSX is a mid-size luxury car manufactured by Honda and sold in North America under the Acura brand name. ... The H2 is the second vehicle sold under the Hummer marque of General Motors. ...

There are quite a few vehicles who have luxury car-like prestige and/or pricing but do not offer the degree of comfort required for them to actually be considered luxury vehicles, these vehicles include the Hummer H2, the Corvette and the Viper. All three vehicles have base MSRPs of above $38,000 and the Hummer H2 is made by a company whose entire line-up, with exception of the Hummer H3, features base MSRPs in excess of $50,000. Yet all three lack the comfort needed to make them luxury vehicles. The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car first manufactured by Chevrolet in 1953 and is built today exclusively at a General Motors assembly plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... The Hummer H3 is a vehicle from the General Motors Hummer family, introduced in 2005. ...

Other vehicles such as the Mercury Grand Marquis offer a high degree of comfort similar to that found in luxury vehicles, but are not manufactured by a luxury brand and do not feature a base MSRP in excess of $38,000. // Overview The Mercury Grand Marquis is a more upscale version of the Ford Crown Victoria produced by the Ford Motor Company. ...

Luxury Market Segments (U.S.)

Entry-level luxury

The entry-level luxury forms the tail-end of the middle luxury segment and competition in this segment is fierce. It features vehicles with base MSRP between $29,000 and $38,000, feature a realtively high degree of comfort and be manufactued by luxury brand. If the vehicle is manufactured by a non-luxury marque its base MSRP must exceed $36k and it must place a emphasis on comfort. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1198x726, 715 KB) Summary I shot the picture myself Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1198x726, 715 KB) Summary I shot the picture myself Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

This segment mostly includes the bottom vehicles in the line-up of luxury brands as well as the top-of-the-line models of some non-luxury brands. Vehicles in this segment include: BMW 3-Series, Lexus ES, Lexus IS, Audi A4, Mercedes C-class, Infiniti G35, Acura TL. The BMW 3-Series is a line of compact sedans manufactured by BMW since May, 1975. ... 2003 MCV30 Lexus ES 2001 MCV20 Lexus ES300 2001 MCV20 Lexus ES300 1990 VZV21 Lexus ES250 The Lexus ES series is a family of midize sedans produced from 1989 to the present. ... The Lexus IS (originally known as the Toyota Altezza in Japan) is a compact luxury sports car from Lexus. ... The Audi A4 is a midsize luxury car made by Audi. ... The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is a line of compact luxury sedans, coupes and station wagons. ... Infiniti G35 Coupe 2004 Infiniti G35 Sedan The Infiniti G35 is a sport luxury car introduced to North America in the 2003 model year. ... The Acura TL is a midsize entry-level luxury car from Hondas near-luxury Acura marque. ...

BMW is the most successeful brand in the entry-level luxury segment due to special marketing programs and free maintanance offers.

Jaguar X-type is the worst performing vehicle in this category. Critics claim that because of a certain elitism in jaguar there has not been success, however others point out that X-type is just a poor quality product. Jaguar X-TYPE 2004 Jaguar X-TYPE estate The Jaguar X-TYPE is a model of motorcar that first began production in 2001 (as a 2002 model) and remains in production at Jaguars Halewood, UK facility. ...

Mid-level Luxury Segment

The top 10% of vehicles sold by price (currently 1.6 million in US) constitute this segment. Consequently, the vast majority of luxury vehicles are part of this segment. In order to be considered part of the middle-luxury segment a vehicle must feature a base MSRP between $36k and $60k, have a high or very high degree of comfort, should have latest or near latest technological innovations and be manufactured by a luxury brand. If the vehicle is not manufactured by a luxury brand it must feature a base MSRP between $40k and $60k as well as feature a degree of comfort equaling that of luxury brand manufactured models. In addition to creature comfort, customers in this segment also give priority to performance so that these vehicles feature V8 and some highly sophisticated 6-cylinder engines.

Vehicles in this segment include the mid-range models of several luxury carmakers such as the Mercedes E-class, BMW 5-Series, Lexus GS430 or Jaguar S-Type. There are however also some flagship sedans in this segment. The Lincoln Town Car, Cadillac DTS, Lexus LS, Acura RL and Infiniti Q45 are all considered to be part of the mid-luxury segment due to their relatively low base MSRPs. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The BMW 5 Series is a series of midsize luxury cars manufactured by BMW in Germany. ... The Lexus GS430 is a five-seat luxury car. ... Rear view of Jaguar S-Type The Jaguar S-Type saloon is a model of motorcar introduced in 1999 (for the 2000 model year) by the British manufacturer Jaguar. ... The Lincoln Town Car is a fullsize luxury sedan and serves as the flagship of Fords luxury Lincoln Division. ... The Cadillac DTS (DeVille Touring Sedan) replaces the Cadillac DeVille as that carmakers largest luxury car for the 2006 model year. ... Lexus LS (sold as the LS 400 and LS 430 and in Japan as the Toyota Celsior) is a Japanese rear wheel drive luxury car with a V8 engine sold by the Lexus division of Toyota. ... The Acura RL is the top-of-the-line sedan in the range of Hondas North American luxury brand Acura. ... The Infiniti Q45 is a fullsize luxury car from Nissans Infiniti marque. ...

This market is mainly operated under western nameplates with some Japanese representation. It is mainly controlled by Germans (40%), Americans (30%) and Japanese (23%).

High-End Luxury segment

This segment consists of the top 1% of vehicles by price sold in the US (approx. 160,000 in 2005) and may be other developed countries. This includes flagship vehicles of some European luxury brands such as the Audi A8L W12, Mercedes S350/430/500, BMW 750i/750il Series, and Lexus LX 470. Currently, all vehicles starting between $60k and $100k with a very high empahsis on comfort are part of this segment. The vehicles in this segment offer also high levels of quality, comfort as well as prestige. The VW Phaeton W8 is the only high-end luxury vehicle that is not sold under a luxury nameplate. The Audi A8 is a large luxury automobile built by Audi to replace the V8 as their flagship model. ... The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is an expensive luxury automobile designed and built by DaimlerChrysler in Stuttgart, Germany. ... 2001 BMW 750iL The BMW 7-Series is a luxury saloon (sedan) made by BMW. It replaced the New Six models in 1977. ... 2001 Lexus LX470 The Lexus LX is a sport utility vehicle sold by the Lexus division of Toyota. ... The Volkswagen Phaeton (pronounced fay-eh-tun) is a large luxury sedan manufactured by Volkswagen. ...

Sometimes, however, mid-level luxury priced flagship sedans are also considered to be high-end despite their pricing. While vehicles such as the Lincoln Town Car, Cadillac DTS, and Lexus LS are tehcinically not high-end lxuruy vehicles their flagship prestige elevates them into this segment.

This segment is operated under various German and British nameplates with a few additions from It is mainly controlled by Germans (60%), Americans (30%) and Japanese (8%).

Ultra-Luxury Segment

The Ultra-luxury segment occupies the top 0.1% of vehicle market and includes those vehicles priced above $100k (which number about 16,000 in US) that offer a high degree of comfort. While They may or may not be superior in terms of comfort quality and refinement than some of the more affordable luxury cars, but due to their high MSRP they guarantee exclusivity and help to get their owners noticed. This segment includes the entire line-up of Rolls Royce, Bentley, Maserati, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maybach. Other vehicles in this segment include the Mercedes-Benz S600, BMW 760, or Audi A8 W12 and some variants of Porsche 911. The VW Phaeton W12 (not W8) and the Toyota Century (only in the Far East) are the only ultra luxury vehicles not manufactured by a luxury car manufacturer. Most of the vehicles in this category offer 12-cylinder engines, though some such as Maserati offer only V8. Rolls-Royce is a set of companies, all deriving from the British automobile and aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Henry Royce and C.S. Rolls in 1906. ... Bentleys winged B badge and hood ornament Bentley Motors Limited is a British based manufacturer of luxury automobiles and Grand Tourers. ... Present Maserati logo Maserati is a famous Italian manufacturer of racing cars and sports cars, established in 1914 in Bologna. ... The current Ferrari logo Ferrari is an Italian manufacturer of high-end race cars and high-performance sports cars formed by Enzo Ferrari in 1929. ... The official automobili Lamborghini logo Lamborghini logo symbol 2004 Lamborghini Gallardo 2004 Lamborghini MurciÃ©lago Roadster Automobili Lamborghini S.p. ... Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH, founded by Wilhelm Maybach (pronounced my-ba:h) and his son Karl, was a German manufacturer of engines for zeppelins and later large and luxurious automobiles. ... The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is an expensive luxury automobile designed and built by DaimlerChrysler in Stuttgart, Germany. ... 2001 BMW 750iL The BMW 7-Series is a luxury saloon (sedan) made by BMW. It replaced the New Six models in 1977. ... The Audi A8 is a large luxury automobile built by Audi to replace the V8 as their flagship model. ... A 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS A 1977 Porsche 911s Targa The Porsche 911 is a sports car made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. ... The Volkswagen Phaeton (pronounced fay-eh-tun) is a large luxury sedan manufactured by Volkswagen. ... The Toyota Century is a large four-door limousine produced by Toyota mainly for the Japanese market. ... Far East is an inexact term often used for East Asia and Southeast Asia combined, sometimes including also the easternmost territories of Russia, i. ... Present Maserati logo Maserati is a famous Italian manufacturer of racing cars and sports cars, established in 1914 in Bologna. ... The Liberty V8 aircraft engine clearly shows the configuration A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders. ...

This category is operated under only European nameplates and controlled mainly by Germans (70%), Americans (10%) and Italians (15%). Some critics have speculated that Asian manufacturers do not have any presence because they fear no one will accept their products in this category.

European (German) Definition

In Western Europe different classifications are sometimes used than in the U.S. While most luxury cars are considered luxury cars in both Europe and the US, the entry-level segment is not. In Germany cars with MSRPs of over $20k are classified as Mittelklasse or Middle-Class, obere Mittelklasse or Upper-Middle-Class, and Oberklasse or Upper-class.

Middle-Class vehicles are the equivalent of entry-level luxury cars in the U.S. such as the BMW 3-Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class or Audi A4. These vehicles are not considered to be luxury cars.

Upper-Middle-Class vehicles are the equivalent of Mid-level luxury cars in the U.S. They include vehicles such as the BMW 5-Series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and Audi A6. These vehicles are considered to be luxury vehicles.

Upper-Class vehicles are the equivalent of High-end and Ultra luxury vehicles in the U.S. They include vehicles such as the BMW 7-Series, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, and Audi A8.

Luxury Car Manufacturers

Car manufacturers of whom the majority of all vehicles sold featured a base MSRP of $36,000. While this definition is based on U.S. market MSRPs it can be used globally to identify luxury marques.

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (750x750, 264 KB) Summary I changed an image orginaly posted by Soakologist, to which the user realeased and surrendered all rights unconditionally I editited the image using my Adobe Photoshop software and stored image that stem from press releases. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (750x750, 264 KB) Summary I changed an image orginaly posted by Soakologist, to which the user realeased and surrendered all rights unconditionally I editited the image using my Adobe Photoshop software and stored image that stem from press releases. ...

Current luxury car manufacturers

*Far less than half of all Acura's sold featured a base MSRP of $38,000 (Acura is a U.S. market brand) or above and Acura can therefore not be considered a proper luxury brand. Due to its past line-up of models, however, Acura is often still seen by many as a luxury brand.
Acura is a Japanese brand name used by Honda in the US, Canada, Mexico, and Hong Kong since March 1986 to market luxury automobiles and near luxury vehicles. ... Official Aston Martin logo (since 2003) Aston Martin logo (1987 - 2002) Aston Martin logo (before 1987) Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd. ... Audi is an automobile maker in Germany, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group. ... Bentleys winged B badge and hood ornament Bentley Motors Limited is a British based manufacturer of luxury automobiles and Grand Tourers. ... BMW AG (an abbreviation for Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, or in English, Bavarian Motor Works), is a German company and manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles. ... Cadillac is a brand of luxury automobile, part of the General Motors corporation, produced and mostly sold in the USA; outside of North America, they have been less successful. ... Infiniti is Nissan Motors luxury brand in the United States, Canadian, Middle Eastern, South Korean and Taiwanese markets. ... Jaguar Cars is a British automobile manufacturer. ... Logo of Daimler 1898 Daimler car in Bristol Industrial Museum, England Daimler is a British marque of motor car since 1896 and is now a division of Jaguar Cars. ... Land Rover was the name of one of the first British civilian all-terrain utility vehicles, first produced by Rover in 1947. ... Lexus is a Japanese brand name used by the Toyota Motor Corporation for such export markets as North America, Middle East, Europe, Africa, Latin America, Asia and Oceania, for luxury automobiles. ... Lincoln is an American luxury automobile brand, operated under the Ford Motor Company. ... Present Maserati logo Maserati is a famous Italian manufacturer of racing cars and sports cars, established in 1914 in Bologna. ... Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH, founded by Wilhelm Maybach (pronounced my-ba:h) and his son Karl, was a German manufacturer of engines for zeppelins and later large and luxurious automobiles. ... This page is about the Mercedes-Benz brand of automobiles and trucks from the DaimlerChrysler automobile manufacturer. ... The Rolls Royce logo Rolls-Royce is a set of several companies, all deriving from the British automobile and aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Henry Royce and C.S. Rolls in 1906. ...

Past luxury car manufacturers

These are luxury car brands that used to exist but have since been either bought up or disappeared from the market due to bankruptcy.

The 1923 Stanley Steam Car The Stanley Steamer was a steam-powered automobile produced by the Stanley Steamer Company which set the world land speed record at 127. ... The Delage emblem The Delage Automobile company was established in 1905 in Levallois, a northwesterly suburb of Paris, France. ... Packard Cormorant hood ornament from a 1941 180 Formal Sedan Packard was a United States based brand of automobile. ... A 1929 Duesenberg j350 Willoughby on display at the 2005 United States Grand Prix 1930 Duesenberg J Walker Legrande Torpedo Phaeton 1932 Duesenberg J Murphy-bodied coupe convertible Wikimedia Commons has more media related to: Duesenberg vehicles Duesenberg was a US-based luxury automobile company active from the 1910s until... Tatra mountains - a mountain range, part of the Carpathian Mountains, between Poland and Slovakia. ... Zavod Imeni Likhacheva (Ð—Ð¸Ð›, ZIL, Russian: Likhachev Factory) is a major Russian truck and heavy equipment manufacturer, which also produced armored cars for most Soviet leaders, as well as trucks, buses and tanks. ... circa 1960 GAZ Chaika parade car A Chaika (Ð§Ð°ÌÐ¹ÐºÐ°), which means lapwing, is a luxury automobile from Russia made by GAZ. The vehicle is one step down from the ZIL limousine. ...

Near-luxury brands

Semi-luxury, or near-luxury brands are vehicle brands that are not only mistaken for luxury car manufacturers but also place a relatively high degree of emphasis of comfort in some of the more upscale vehicles in their line-up. Usually the model line-up of these brands includes one proper luxury car such as the Volvo S80, Chrysler 300C, or GMC Yukon Denali. But since less than half of the models in their line-up are luxury vehicles, these brands may not be considered to be proper luxury brands. The Volvo S80 is a front wheel drive luxury car made by Volvo and introduced in 1999 as a replacement for the aging Volvo 960 sedan. ... The Chrysler Corporation has used the designation Chrysler 300C to refer to two different vehicles, which are described in separate articles. ... The Chevrolet Tahoe (and similar GMC Yukon) is a full-size SUV from General Motors. ...

Categories: Luxury car manufacturers | Luxury vehicles | Car classifications | Automobiles Acura is a Japanese brand name used by Honda in the US, Canada, Mexico, and Hong Kong since March 1986 to market luxury automobiles and near luxury vehicles. ... Saab is an aircraft and automobile concern based in Sweden, founded 1937 in LinkÃ¶ping. ... Volvo Cars is the car maker using the brand Volvo. ... Buick is a brand of automobile built in the United States, Canada, and China by General Motors Corporation. ... The Chrysler Corporation is a United States-based automobile manufacturer, since 1998 merged with Daimler_Benz into DaimlerChrysler. ... Mercury is an automobile brand name of the Ford Motor Company founded in 1939 to market semi-luxury cars slotted between entry-level Ford and luxury Lincoln models. ... The initialism GMC can mean either: GMC, a division of General Motors formerly named GMC Truck Game Maker Community, a game making utility forum. ... For the automobile brand, see Rover (car) For the parent company, see the more general and indepth article at MG Rover Group For the British civilian all-terrain utility vehicles brand, see Land Rover For the Japanese lawnmower, see Rover (lawnmower) For extraterrestrial vehicles, see Lunar Rover, Mars Rover For... Alfa Romeo is an Italian automobile manufacturing company, founded as Darracq Italiana by Cavaliere Ugo Stella, an aristocrat from Milan in partnership with the French automobile firm of Alexandre Darracq. ...

Contents

General Definition (U.S.) var ACE_AR = {Site: '756743', Size: '300250'};