Fancy cars are just "more expensive" conventional models?

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Photo of the author by Doug DeMuro of August 2014

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If you've talked to enough other car owners about luxury cars, you've probably heard the old argument that luxury vehicles are not worth the money as they are only dresses-up versions of the regular models. Some people say that Lexus models are only more expensive Toyota, for example, or that Audi vehicles are expensive Volkswagen. Is this true? We have the answer.

Sometimes it's true

One thing is clear: it has been so in the past. If you look at some marks, like Buick, Lincoln, Mercury and some of the first Infiniti models and Lexus (we're thinking Lexus IS 250 and Infinti M30) starting from the 1980 's, some of their models were obviously just regular cars with leather seats and some of the new logos released successively. Even today, there is no doubt that some luxury vehicles are actually versions of conventional models simply gussied up. The Lincoln Navigator, for example, shares many parts, inside and out, with his cousin of the mainstream, Ford's expedition. The simple reality, however, is that this kind of currency engineering is mostly a thing of the past. In today's world, shoppers interested in luxury cars usually expect their vehicles to offer significant upgrades or upgrades of conventional models, and usually do.

What's the difference?

What is the main difference between most luxury cars and conventional models? There are some great ways that manufacturers differentiate their standard vehicles from their high-end offer.

An easy way to distinguish the two is bodywork or an attractive design. The Lexus sedan is, for example, uses the same chassis and many of the same mechanical components as the Toyota Avalon, but is carved in a very different way. As a result, it is unlikely that he had ever known that both are related. In addition, the Lexus could offer a top quality look slightly bolder or more than the Toyota in order to entice shoppers to spend more money.

Another way that car manufacturers can distinguish their luxurious cars and mainstream are differences in March quality and hardness engineering. Luxury models usually ride better than conventional models, and you'll get less wind noise and noise from the tires when you're on the road. Car manufacturers spend more money on developing suspension components in luxury models, luxury cars and usually carry additional soundproofing materials to keep their interior quieter. For years, Buick has used double-thickness glass in key areas to keep the interior noise down.

Luxury models also offer different characteristics of conventional vehicles. For example, while two cars can use the same chassis and engine, the luxury model can offer an automatic parallel parking system or a panoramic solar roof is not available in the mainstream version. These differences help buyers see the value of spending extra money to get the luxury model.

Luxury cars often have improved engines with more power than standard models. A good example is the Lincoln MKZ, a medium-sized luxury sedan based on the Ford merger. While Fusion only offers 4-cylinder engines, the MKZ is also available with a powerful 3.7-liter V6-an engine that adds extra muscle for buyers in spending more money for the luxury version.

Our Take: Luxury is different

In most cases, the days of the addition of leather and the change of the emblems are more. Instead, it is suspected that most car buyers will find great differences between the mainstream version and the luxury model, proving that high-end vehicles offer much more than just a more expensive take on a car every day.