Fully agree with you on this one, I can see BMW going the same path Benz did, the obvious aim at volume now is a big factor on risking losing the special facts that got BM to Number one premium on 1st place, like what on earth is series 2 tourer about, apart from Marketing and volume, to sacrifice the reputation of rear wheel drive cars only with car like that one is mind blowing how Marketing now run the company pushing aside engineering folks, big volume never helped quality it is simply human nature, just like all Empires end up going down. So in this debate you expect to see the like of Jag coming back with more and more quality and perfection while BMW maybe losing some, I truly hope this is not the case, I am a big fan of BM’s but when I look at what happen to Benz it is a very likely outcome. I guess for us the good news more choice! I am hopping Jag and Alfa go back to their forms along with BM’s this was more competitive prices and choice for us.
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Originally Posted by gIzzE
Which was the case in the UK 10 years ago too, however, residuals on Jaguars are now pretty much the same as the German marques.
They obviously marketed Jaguar in the UK as they knew the support would be better here than anywhere else due to it being perceived as a British brand still. It worked.
I think it was also timed right, with BMWs getting softer and softer and less dynamic Jaguar saw a gap and went for it. Again, that appeals to lots of UK buyers. You have to remember, around 80% of UK sales are M-Sports, S-Lines, AMG Line models, which is not the case in Europe, so Jag going in with a very dynamic chassis was a clever move.
The new XE does feel sportier than the 3 Series, the XF does feel more sporty than the 5 Series, nearly every review agrees, so for a lot of buyers in the UK that is enough to get them to at least consider them.
We also have a huge number of cars financed, either lease purchase with a balloon or through contract hire, this allows the UK manufacturers to control the pricing and more importantly the residual values after 2, 3 4 or 5 years. There is no risk for the customer, it just comes down to what you prefer.
Absolutely agree.
It has not happened over night, but we are now at the point in the UK where Jag is a real alternative to BMW, Mercedes and Audi, not everyone has bitten the bullet yet, but those that have are no longer laughed at for choosing a Jag.
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