Who has the best brand image??

Don't care about the begrudgers having a go at the poor old (new) Alfa's, what a V6 engine and what looks!!, you can't believe allwhat you read - have a drive in one. Had a GTV and that was some blast of a car, never had much trouble with it, herself is mad to off the Volvo and get another one !!

Have to agree about the 159, just doesn't look right.

Anyway, it's about BMW vs Merc image, as Bimmer drivers are percieved as a bunch of pr**ks, the Mercs have the better image - but they also have their fair share of them as well.

635CSi wrote: nn_dd wrote: Anyway, it's about BMW vs Merc image, as Bimmer drivers are percieved as a bunch of pr**ks, the Mercs have the better image - but they also have their fair share of them as well. Agreed, but I have a feeling Mercedes have lost their image. They are no longer the envy of of every other driver on the road. Nobody really dreams of owning a Merc nowadays due to their "ould fella" image and of latter years their lack of quality. Whereas BMW portrays a young, energetic image. Sure remember when about 2 or 3 years ago a bunch of young lads drove a 3 Series from Dublin to Australia?? That further proves my point. They wouldn't be doing it in a C Class because that car is generally perceived as an old geezer's wheels!

yes but these guys that are buying bmw are getting on a bit and the yunguns are now buying scoobies and evos or ganza if they cant afford the first 2

Even as a BMW owner, I don't quite understand this poll.

BMW has a SHOCKING brand image.

Yes we all like our cars, and we know they're quality cars, and other people know they're quality cars too.

However, this question is about brand image.  The image of the BMW brand is a dreadful one.  You only need to look at polls on a multitude of other places to see that almost every other car owner will put BMW's down as having the worst image.  Not because they're crap, because of course as I said before, people know they're not - but because of the perception of the driver that has been created by the few idiots out there and fixated on by those with stereotypical minds.

Now then, Mercedes-Benz build is improving - but it's still not up to BMW or Audi standards.  However, their image is definitely better! 

Maybe the context of the poll is too broad, but as I said to begin with, even as a BMW owner I'm sorry to say I'd have the brand image a long way down.  Brilliant cars, crap image.

Of course it's all irrelevant, because if anyone is having to think about image to begin with, then you're probably not driving the car you should be. 

Yes they would, because thankfully a lot of people ignore the stereotype and buy the car for what it is, not the image it presents.

Most people don't like BMW's.  Until they buy one.  Then all of a sudden they don't shut up about them.  It's the typical 'only any good once I buy one' buyer that rubbishes so many brands.

I've encountered pretty much the same recently because we're looking at changing my wifes car.  The front runner is a Lexus RX400h SE-L.  Frankly, it has made its competition look poor by comparison.

However, mention the prospect of buying a Lexus and not a german marque...and the responses are really quite funny to witness!  I'll admit it wasn't a car I thought we'd be interested in, but driving one has changed that.

Maybe we're generalising a bit, because an earlier poster asked for clarity of the question.  I'd say the same.

Brand image can cross a range of matters and it is difficult to summarise on the whole.  I agree that the BMW 'brand' is a very strong one.  But the BMW brand image can be split into driver perception, worth, prestige value, aspiration, build, dynamics and so on.  

I maintain that, even as a BMW driver, I think the brand has a poor image to the majority of other drivers (until as I say, they decide to buy one because thats how fickle so many people are).

I think BMW has a stronger image to the "performance driver", however, to the general public its Mercedes all the way.

I work as a chauffeur for a local company at times and they have mainly Mercs, when I asked why they didn’t use BMW’s I was told its because of Mercedes perceived image with their type of clients over BMW…and to be fair, the guy does have a point..

The women all love to say I was picked up in a Mercedes to their friends and customers , saying I was picked up in a BMW doesn’t say as much in this type of business

dryle wrote: or ganza if they cant afford the first 2

what's a ganza?

Coasting wrote: because if anyone is having to think about image to begin with, then you're probably not driving the car you should be.

don't quite get this bit, can you elaborate?

brybusa wrote: saying I was picked up in a BMW doesn’t say as much in this type of business

not when the 3-series outsells the ford mondeo by a significant margin, bmw is so common nowadays, selling 1-series to appeal to a lower market sector doesn't help either

to give an example of pure image based car buying a lot of people moved away from mercedes back when the 190e dropped to a level that youngsters could afford to buy secondhand and start modifying them - the traditional merc buyer didn't like the association

from a marketing perspective porsche will be next i reckon, although the 924/968 started the ball rolling the diluting of their brand really started with the boxster - when they start making prestige brands affordable to the man in the street they lose their magic, the cayenne, like the 1-series and the x-series, is a market porsche should have stayed out of, they cheapen the brand by diversity and volume pricing