10 Ways German Cars Rule The Road

[cawimmer430]

10 Ways German Cars Rule The Road

There's a perfectly good reason why the world buys cars from Germany. No one else quite measures up.

Anyone seeking to understand why Germany remains the economic powerhouse of Europe need only to look at the performance of its auto industry. Its flagship brands -- Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, and Porsche -- are all enjoying record years and forecasting even better results for 2013.

Logically, they shouldn't be doing well at all. At a time when most of the world's consumers have a case of the shorts, Germany is selling premium cars at premium prices. With gasoline at wallet-busting levels, it continues to profit from high-performance V-6 and V-8 engines. And with typical buyers squeezing into smaller cars, there is no shortage of upscale German limos -- black only, of course -- festooned with more luxury features than a first-class seat on Emirates.

So much for logic. In the first five months of this year, BMW's global sales are up 6.4%, Porsche has gained 13%, and Audi is a remarkable 14% better off.

How do the Germans do it? You could say they're smart, work hard, and have momentum on their side. But they also enjoy 10 unique advantages:


1. Historical roots that go deep



The automobile was invented when Karl Benz developed one of the first internal combustion engines in the 1870s and fitted a coach to it in 1887. The other German companies are younger -- BMW didn't start making cars until 1928 -- but all of them have invested billions of euros in marketing their heritage. Just look at the lavish museums that have been erected in Stuttgart, Munich, and Ingolstadt. The Germans revere their cars, and customers respect that.


2. Winning by racing



No country -- not even Italy -- has a racing heritage like Germany's: the "silver arrow" Auto Union and Mercedes' cars of the 1930s; drivers like Juan Fangio, Stirling Moss and Michael Schumacher; and the fabled Nurburgring, which loops around a medieval castle and was nicknamed "The Green Hell." Even its accidents are memorable: Eighty-three spectators died at LeMans in 1955 when a Mercedes 300 SLR plowed into the crowd. You can't put a price on racing heritage, but nobody doubts its value.


3. No speed limits



The nearly 8,000 miles of German autobahns are some of the few public roads in the world with no speed limits. Urban areas, traffic congestion, and construction keep speeds on most sections below 72 miles per hour, and German manufacturers limit their cars to a top speed of 155 mph under a gentlemen's agreement, but 190 mph on some stretches is still possible. Cars are built to go this fast nowhere else in the world.


4. Steroid-level brand strength



It's equal parts clarity, commitment, authenticity, and relevance -- and Germans are hip deep in it. Mercedes-Benz has been downsizing since the 1950s and has struck some wrong notes (Anybody remember a three-door hatchback from a few years back called the C230?) but nobody is confused about what a Mercedes is. Ditto Porsche, despite its detours into SUVs and sedans. All four marques rank among the world's top global brands -- the most from any single country.


5. The triumph of technology



Engineers occupy a high pedestal in a country that prizes technology and craftsmanship, which explains the ubiquity of the title Dr. Ing. (for doctorate holders) at the top of German automakers. No bean counters need apply. And who but the Germans would have taken the homely, if efficient, diesel engine (invented by a German, of course) to heart for their passenger cars? This kind of dedication to first principles resonates with customers.


6. The right markets



As the Economist put it, "It's quite simple really -- Germany makes things which people in countries with growing economies want to buy." Like the U.S. and China. In May, Audi sales rocketed up 44.2% in China while BMW leapt ahead 31.5%, and both companies are growing faster than the overall market in the U.S. Try to name any other brands that are so well positioned in both places, and you start and stop with Buick.


7. Arrogance with a purpose



Who else but Mercedes could get away with using "The best or nothing" for its advertising tag line? It ranks up there with BMW's historic and enduring "ultimate driving machine." Even if the claims aren't always true, they underscore a level of ambition that cars from no other country can match. As one Zurich newspaper put it a few years ago, cars are as central to Germany as secret bank accounts are to Switzerland.


8. The price is very nearly the object



Sometimes, how much you pay for something -- as opposed to its function -- is the point of the exercise, like paying $3.5 million for dinner with Warren Buffett. German cars haven't gotten to that level yet, but they are getting close. Such as charging $137,500 for a 2013 Turbo 911 Porsche with all-wheel-drive -- and then asking for another $330 to apply the Porsche crest to the lid of the central console. Buyers of German cars love to complain about this stuff so you'll understand how deep their pockets are.


9. Exclusive and super-exclusive



The old Stork Club invented the idea of a club-within-a-club when it opened the Cub Room for celebrities to hide out from the hoi polloi. A regular $47,000 5-series BMW not good enough for you? How about a specially equipped M5 for $90,695? Mercedes has made this an art form with its Black Series -- special seats and trim, less weight -- layered on top of its AMG performance upgrades that hike the price of a C-class coupe to around $125,000.


10. Everybody else is in second place



Really, who can go up against this quartet of winners? Lexus may deliver higher quality and better service, but its tentative presentation and lack of heritage consign it to second-tier status. Cadillac has labored mightily to raise its game to international standards -- and nearly gets there with its high-performance V-series -- but will need to execute at this level for another couple of decades before being taken seriously. And for all its panache, Ferrari is a boutique competitor to Porsche, which sells more than 20 times more cars.



Link: http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2012/autos/1206/gallery.german-cars.fortune/index.html

[nickdrinkwater]

#11 Keeping workshops and garages in business

[GoCougs]

Ha, ha. Note that "Germans cars are great" is conspicuously absent...

[Yawn]

That was just on CNN's webpage

[cawimmer430]

#11 Keeping workshops and garages in business

The same as any other brands including those overrated Japanese cars.

[AltinD]

Ha, ha. Note that "Germans cars are great" is conspicuously absent...

Because that's a given 

[CALL_911]

All this list says is "OMG H&H PRESTIGE OMG. "

I love German cars, but this is a retarded list. As usual, CNN fails.

[sportyaccordy]

I'm not even gonna touch this one.

[AutobahnSHO]

drove a BMW once. Really nice for 19 years old and 310k+ miles on it. And manual windows.

[Morris Minor]

We need this:
"Engineers occupy a high pedestal in a country that prizes technology and craftsmanship..."

We also need to honor mechanics, technicians, & other vocational pursuits, and stop this insane mentality in the US that everybody with pulse has top go to college.

[Morris Minor]

I will say, that my wife's chick car Merc CLK350 is like no other car I've ever owned; it's superbly screwed together. She absolutely loves it.

[hotrodalex]

All this list says is "OMG H&H PRESTIGE OMG. "

[Middle_Path]

You might not have this term in Germany, but we call it "Horse SHIT!"

[cawimmer430]

You might not have this term in Germany, but we call it "Horse SHIT!"

Yay, another Consumer Reports worshiper. 

[cawimmer430]

My dad visited me today with his '89 Mercedes 500SL. I took it for a spin and did a little shoot with it. Car feels solid and well-made. Runnings costs have been very low and the only thing that needs periodic inspections and adjustments is the mechanisms of the foldable roof - every 50,000 km depending on usage. Car has over 200,000 km on it now.

[Onslaught]

The same as any other brands including those overrated Japanese cars.

False

[Northlands]

" No country -- not even Italy -- has a racing heritage like Germany's: the "silver arrow" Auto Union and Mercedes' cars of the 1930s; drivers like Juan Fangio, Stirling Moss and Michael Schumacher; and the fabled Nurburgring, which loops around a medieval castle and was nicknamed "The Green Hell." Even its accidents are memorable: Eighty-three spectators died at LeMans in 1955 when a Mercedes 300 SLR plowed into the crowd. You can't put a price on racing heritage, but nobody doubts its value. "


I'm pretty sure Fangio ( Argentinian ) and Moss ( English ) weren't German. They may have driven for a German automaker, but they drove for others as well.

[cawimmer430]

False

In my experience the Japanese cars we owned had more problems and issues than the German cars we've owned and currently own.

[cawimmer430]

" No country -- not even Italy -- has a racing heritage like Germany's: the "silver arrow" Auto Union and Mercedes' cars of the 1930s; drivers like Juan Fangio, Stirling Moss and Michael Schumacher; and the fabled Nurburgring, which loops around a medieval castle and was nicknamed "The Green Hell." Even its accidents are memorable: Eighty-three spectators died at LeMans in 1955 when a Mercedes 300 SLR plowed into the crowd. You can't put a price on racing heritage, but nobody doubts its value. "


I'm pretty sure Fangio ( Argentinian ) and Moss ( English ) weren't German. They may have driven for a German automaker, but they drove for others as well.

The implication is that although they were foreigners, they drove for German racing teams.

[Lebowski]

In my experience the Japanese cars we owned had more problems and issues than the German cars we've owned and currently own.

Your experience is wrong.

[cawimmer430]

Your experience is wrong.

You've not experienced my experience.

[Northlands]

The implication is that although they were foreigners, they drove for German racing teams.

Ok.. uh..so? I think everyone has driven for a foreign racing team. I'm not sure they picked the teams because they only liked German cars. If that's the story's implication, what does that say about Michael Schumacher? 

[Onslaught]

In my experience the Japanese cars we owned had more problems and issues than the German cars we've owned and currently own.

In my experience every person I know who has a German cars has had more problems then the people I know that have Japanese cars. So who's right here?

I do know a guy with a 1980 something 300 series that's been as solid as a tank. Other then that all the BMW's, VW's and your precious MB's have been shit.
Or when I say "shit" I mean I'd never put up with the stuff that happens to them all the time.

My best friends dad has a S Class that's probably around a 2004. It's been an absolute nightmare for him. He can't keep it on the road.

[68_427]

Lol wimmer thinks 200k kms is alot.   come back to us once youve hit at least 50k miles.

[AltinD]

Lol wimmer thinks 200k kms is alot.   come back to us once youve hit at least 50k miles.

I have no idea what you are tryiong to say, by 200k km are 120k miles .... which of course is way way more then 50k

[Laconian]

[Soup DeVille]

In my experience every person I know who has a German cars has had more problems then the people I know that have Japanese cars. So who's right here?

I do know a guy with a 1980 something 300 series that's been as solid as a tank. Other then that all the BMW's, VW's and your precious MB's have been shit.
Or when I say "shit" I mean I'd never put up with the stuff that happens to them all the time.

My best friends dad has a S Class that's probably around a 2004. It's been an absolute nightmare for him. He can't keep it on the road.

300D mercedes diesel? yeah, those without a doubt ARE as solid as tanks, in more ways than one.

[cawimmer430]

Ok.. uh..so? I think everyone has driven for a foreign racing team. I'm not sure they picked the teams because they only liked German cars. If that's the story's implication, what does that say about Michael Schumacher? 

In this case it's not about the driver but the brands. In the 1930s Auto Union and Mercedes-Benz employed both German and foreign drivers.

The same is true for motorsports today.

In DTM racing for instance there are British, Scottish and Italian drivers, male and female.

[cawimmer430]

In my experience every person I know who has a German cars has had more problems then the people I know that have Japanese cars. So who's right here?

Any car can develop problems. Cars are complex machines.

All I am saying is that in my experience things have been different. And my family keeps their cars for a long time: ten years or more and we generally sell them with 150,000-200,000+ km on the clock.

I don't want to get into another argument about which cars are better or worse, since all modern cars are of high quality and high reliability. It just seems that people are still stuck with stereotypes. A few days ago I read on another forum about how someone would never touch an Audi, BMW, Mercedes or Volkswagen because of "high maintenance costs", but that same person would buy a Porsche because "they're reliable". Is this guy for real? The maintenance costs on Porsches are expensive. Just because they're reliable won't mean they're not cheap to own...

[cawimmer430]

Lol wimmer thinks 200k kms is alot.   come back to us once youve hit at least 50k miles.

200,000 km = 125,000 miles