Premium Brands' Share of U.S. Market: 2017-2020

[Morris Minor]

https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/5487275/

Looks like it was sourced here (note the guy who put this together likes Tesla & is therefore suspect    ).
https://www.goodcarbadcar.net/all-reports/

[Morris Minor]

Infiniti should give up IMO. JLR maybe should give up on Jag too: they have Land Rover, which has worth.

[Rich]

why is tesla on this list

[Eye of the Tiger]

why is tesla on this list

Electricity is a luxury

[mzziaz]

Well, Alfa has room to grow :-D.

Looks like Jag is in big trouble, too.

[veeman]

why is tesla on this list

Electricity is a luxury

The price points of the Tesla models are very similar to Lexus, BMW, etc. Lexus ES for example starts at around 40 thousand and Tesla Model S and Model X are more expensive than majority of other luxury cars.  Also, I don't think people cross shop Tesla with 4 cylinder Camcords and the like.

[Eye of the Tiger]

The price points of the Tesla models are very similar to Lexus, BMW, etc. Lexus ES for example starts at around 40 thousand and Tesla Model S and Model X are more expensive than majority of other luxury cars.  Also, I don't think people cross shop Tesla with 4 cylinder Camcords and the like.

A friend of mine literally just cancelled their Tesla order and bought a 335i.

[Rich]

cost =/ luxury. 

People buying a lotus ain't cross shopping it with a camry either.  Or, for that mater a Big Horny Ranch® truck.

[veeman]

It looks like the the continued dilution of BMW brand over the last decade has not negatively affected sales.  Plus 1 for the bean counters.  I hope Audi does not start taking pages out of that playbook. What Audi really needs is new designs for their Audi SUVs.  The Q7 should be larger.  I know that sounds sacrilege but that's what people want. 

[veeman]

cost =/ luxury. 

People buying a lotus ain't cross shopping it with a camry either.  Or, for that mater a Big Horny Ranch® truck.

If they didn't include Tesla on this list, it would not explain why to a large extent many of the "other" luxury brands are stagnant or have progressively decreasing sales over the last several years.

If you don't want to include a 100 grand model S as a luxury car because it's interior is spartan and the ride is not luxurious, that's legitimate.

This chart is much more informative with Tesla included.

[veeman]

I guess you could label the chart as Luxury cars vs Tesla vs Porsche vs Buick or something like that. 

[Eye of the Tiger]

I guess you could label the chart as Luxury cars vs Tesla vs Porsche vs Buick or something like that.

I think we need a chart of Jeep XJs versus all vehicles.

[Morris Minor]

I guess you could label the chart as Luxury cars vs Tesla vs Porsche vs Buick or something like that. 

I've renamed the thread - Premium Brands... to match the chart.

[Rich]

I've renamed the thread - Premium Brands... to match the chart.

It's not you, it's the chart... they consider tesla luxury.

-break-

I get it, an electric vehicle can be a luxury: it's quiet, you don't need to fill up at gas stations, it accelerates quickly. 

But nothing about a Tesla interior looks luxurious on the inside, and the build quality surely isn't.

[Laconian]

On the west coast, a lot of folks that would have bought BMWs and M-Bs are buying Teslas instead.

They might not seem luxurious, but the buyers consider them to be an adequate luxury substitute..

[Soup DeVille]

Whatever you want to call them, its pretty clear Teslas are being sold to people that would have otherwise bought a traditional luxury brand.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Normal cars are pretty damn luxurious these days. Real luxury cars are so ridiculously luxurious that it's almost too much for anybody. People buy the badge more than the actual luxury. Tesla is a premium badge because they are expensive and you have to order one.

[RomanChariot]

Normal cars are pretty damn luxurious these days. Real luxury cars are so ridiculously luxurious that it's almost too much for anybody. People buy the badge more than the actual luxury. Tesla is a premium badge because they are expensive and you have to order one.

Maybe it should be called the Status Symbol comparison.

[Laconian]

Maybe it should be called the Status Symbol comparison.

Then you'd have to include $80,000 lifted heavy duty pickups in the comparison.

[Soup DeVille]

Then you'd have to include $80,000 lifted heavy duty pickups in the comparison.

That's status amongst a different crowd; but neither of you are wrong.

[NomisR]

Maybe it should be called the Status Symbol comparison.

I'm not sure how driving a white base model 3 just like everyone else is considered a status symbol..

[Laconian]

I'm not sure how driving a white base model 3 just like everyone else is considered a status symbol..

You could say the same thing about a M-B CLA or an Audi A3

[NomisR]

You could say the same thing about a M-B CLA or an Audi A3

At least they're more varied in colors, although it's usually a variety of grey tones.

[CaminoRacer]

I'm shocked how many people are too cheap to get a non-white Tesla

[NomisR]

I'm shocked how many people are too cheap to get a non-white Tesla

Most of these people are getting the base model with no add ons.. and judging from the groups and forums, it's the "best car they've ever owned" with 7 year car loan.. so $1000 would be a lot to tack on top of that..

[Laconian]

What's the premium of driving something that doesn't look like a refrigerator?

[CaminoRacer]

Did cars from the Big 3 have a status in Detroit in their heyday? I'm curious if Teslas in Silicon Valley might also have a bit of hometown pride status that isn't as diminished when everyone has one, like other luxury products. Although luxury tech like iPhones and airpods still have decent status even if tons of people have them.

[veeman]

I'm shocked how many people are too cheap to get a non-white Tesla

Sometimes, even though the overall added cost is a small percentage of the vehicle price, people don't want to pay extra for paint.  There's a feeling that a customer shouldn't get charged "extra" for something that should be included in the price. 

Personally I wouldn't pay an extra $1000 or even $500 for a different paint color on a car.  Especially when what you get is not some hifi exotic paint color or quality. 

Most other manufacturers don't make you pay extra for their paint color options except for "tricoat" white.  Which is kinda interesting because the Tesla white is their only "free" one.

[Laconian]

My friend got a white Model Y, which she wrapped in a matte pearl vinyl.

[veeman]

My friend got a white Model Y, which she wrapped in a matte pearl vinyl.

My brother in law, who has a grey model S, wanted to wrap his car.  I think I convinced him not to do it.  I said that it would look like crap in a few years.  I also said that the only cars I ever see wrapped are Lambos, Audi R8s, and Teslas and the Lambos and R8s which are wrapped are usually owned by young punk kids who have very rich Dads.