Quote:
Originally Posted by cfm56d7b
Car manufacturers are at the end of the day people (product planners) responding to what people (buying audience) want. The only thing that's constant is change. The cost pressure is forcing car manufacturers to find many new ways to expand margins by creating multiple milestones towards value. Other car manufacturers do the same thing. Globally, Toyota is #1 car manufacturer.
2019 Toyota Corolla has 6 (six!) trim levels. "I have a Corolla but it's an SE so it's almost as good as BMW 135". Humor is intentional of course but the power of "Almost M" marketing messages turns bystanders into buyers.
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Exactly, It's marketing. That's all.
I always said that Audi has always done a fantastic job marketing the S4/S5 cars compared to BMW. When people think of an S4 they think that the comparable BMW would be the M3, when in reality it is the 335/340. BMW has done such a poor job of marketing the 335/340, your average consumer thinks that its just a higher trim package of the 320. BMW is trying to remediate this by putting a M badge in front on the 335/340.