LUXURY CARS The Problems and Why We Love Them

LUXURY cars

THE PROBLEMS AND WHY WE LOVE THEM

By Lance Gosiaco (G11)

Audi Quattro

Cars have become an important part of human society due to their ability to quickly transport people and items, but aside from that, cars also play an important role in one’s status or prestige. This can be seen in how a person driving a luxury car like a BMW or Jaguar will be viewed differently from a person driving a normal car such as a Honda or Toyota. For sure, many people aspire to be the former, with some wishing to be driven to work or school in the backseat of a shiny new Rolls Royce Phantom or MercedesBenz S-Class, or perhaps they would like enjoy the breeze by a seaside road in a convertible Porsche 911 or BMW Z4 roadster. Unfortunately, most people who dream of owning such a car may not be aware of the issues with owning such a car.

A luxury car is generally defined as a vehicle that has better quality, performance, features, and status due to an increased price compared to normal cars. These types of cars usually come from brands such as Land Rover, Jaguar, BMW, Mercedes Benz, and many others. While this may seem quite appealing, there are some costly drawbacks.

One such issue is reliability. This is defined as how frequent an unplanned breakdown is likely to happen, with reliable cars breaking down less. Luxury brands tend to rank quite low in many lists of reliability. The ReliabilityIndex notes that out of the 40 brands on the list, the five lowest are Land Rover, Porsche, Aston Martin, Bentley, and Maserati, all of which are luxury brands.

A brand notorious for its unreliability is Land Rover, a British manufacturer most known for its off-roaders. Land Rover’s cars have been given constantly low reliability ratings for the past two decades as owners have reported multiple issues on both old and new cars. A common issue across the manufacturer’s cars is the axle and suspension, which is detrimental for a car that’s built for off-roading, as those parts have to be strong to withstand the rough conditions that it will undergo such as dirt, thick mud, and inclines. Having such an expensive vehicle break easily in the role it was intended for makes the vehicle’s value questionable. Alongside poorer reliability, maintenance is also pricier on luxury brands. Maintenance is a series of procedures done to a car after being driven for a certain distance, like replacing parts or fluids. When it comes to brands with the highest maintenance costs, luxury brands rank the highest, with the top three being Cadillac, Mercedes Benz, and BMW. Not only do these cars cost a fortune, but they also require a lot more to upkeep. This tends to be caused by complicated design, poorer build quality, or expensive parts (or a combination of the three).

Some cars have notoriously expensive maintenance costs, an example being the Ferrari F355. The majority of F355s require the timing belt, a crucial part of the engine that allows it to properly operate, to be replaced every three to five years, regardless of mileage, which is the number of miles a car has driven throughout its life. Part of the process involves removing the engine, a difficult and expensive process. Replacement can cost between 5,000 to 10,000 USD. If maintenance is not done, the engine will fail and will require a rebuild that can cost up to 25,000 USD in order to work again. This is just as expensive as a new car. For reference, preventative replacement of the timing belt in a normal car costs between 500 to 2000 USD, and a brand new Toyota Corolla in the Philippines starts at around 21,000 USD.

One may say that these issues do not really matter since most people who can afford to purchase these kinds of cars are wealthy enough to afford repair and maintenance. The issue with this argument is that it allows manufacturers to get away with lower standards of quality. Should we really be letting these prestigious manufacturers get away with having such difficult and costly ownership just because buyers can afford it? Well, this does not really matter.

In spite of these problems, most of us will continue to look at these manufacturers and their cars with awe. Even if most people knew of these issues, it would not stop these manufacturers from being lauded. This is because even

Lamborghini Miura BMW 850Csi

Mercedes Benz 190E Evo II BMW E30 M3

though these manufacturers may not represent the better quality that is expected, they still make cars that are really darn cool.

There are many things people love about prestigious cars. One of these is the styling or design, which is what most people immediately notice about a car. Many luxury brands have been responsible for some of the best looking and most recognizable cars ever produced. These are some of my favorites.

When it comes to off-roader vehicles, I think Land Rover really knows how to design them well. I personally love the look of their older vehicles like the Range Rover Classic and the Defender. The boxy styling and the large silhouettes of these vehicles are what really gives these old Land Rovers such a charming muscular look.

Boxy-styling is not limited to SUVs, as sports cars can have them too. Examples include the BMW E30 M3, the Lamborghini Countach, the Mercedes Benz 190E Evolution II, and the Audi Quattro. There is something about these cars that makes them so nice to look at. These cars have that aggressive feel to them without having to use aggressive features like angry headlights or lots of sharp edges. You look at the BMW E30 M3 from the front and know it means business.

On the other side of the spectrum of boxy-styling is the sleeker design with smoother edges and more curves. A personal favorite design of mine is the Porsche’s 911. The general shape and style of the 911 has not been significantly changed since its inception in 1963 as its design is quite unique and attractive. Other such designs include the Mercedes Benz CLK GTR, the Ferrari Testarossa, Lamborghini Miura, and the BMW 850Csi.

To complement the better styling on more prestigious cars, a better driving experience is needed, whether by means of better comfort or more engagement. Comfort-oriented cars like the Rolls Royce Phantom and the MercedesMaybach S-Class offer a lot of features like a refrigerated storage compartment for drinks, tray tables, high quality materials, and other goodies in order to give the passengers a relaxing and comfortable method of travel, while sportoriented cars like the Porsche’s 911 and Cayman/Boxster, BMW’s M cars, Mercedes’ AMG cars, and many others offer better performance compared to normal cars. When you get into a boring old sedan or crossover, your thoughts and consideration about your car end when you get out, but that is not the case with these cars. They offer a much more fun and engaging driving experience that will keep you excited with the quick acceleration from the increased power from the engine, the responsive handling from the lightweight design and suspension, and the delightful sound of the exhaust.

Luxury cars, while quite appealing, have issues that result in costly ownership, but they offer so much more than your boring everyday car that it helps one forget about the issues. No matter how problematic these cars could be, they will never cease to be really freaking awesome.