• Lexus IS-F
• Infiniti M-35
• Jaguar XF
• Lexus LS 460
• Mercedes-Benz GL Class
• Lexus RX-400 Hybrid
• Mercedes-Benz M Class
• Mercedes Benz E320 Bluetec
• Audi A6
• BMW 5 Series

I thought it would contain insightful research on “green” luxury cars, I was wrong. The Forbes article focused on cars priced between $40,000 and $90,000, and it appears the biggest contributing factor in making the “guilt free list” is a high resale value (around 50%) after three years. Of the ten cars on the list, only two achieved a 25 mpg rating, the Mercedes-Benz E 320 Bluetec and the Lexus RX400 Hybrid. What’s appalling, five of the ten cars failed to achieve 20 mpg.

Now don’t get me wrong, the list is compromised of some great cars. For the most part they’re not marketed as green alternatives and they’re reliable, fast and often push technology in important features like safety. But based on mpg, I wouldn’t classify them, as Forbes states, “environmentally friendly.”

It would be great to see more automakers follow Tesla’s lead and create cars that challenge the status quo, drive new technologies and change the industry. At $109,000 the Tesla Roadster is priced higher than any of the cars Forbes reviewed, it’s also 10x more efficient than the top car on Forbes’ list with a 256 mpg equivalent. In addition to owning an extremely fuel efficient car, owners have comfort in knowing they’re a benefactor to an innovative new company that’s driving change. Other benefits to owning a Tesla; 0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds and what’s bound to be incredible resale value. Orders for the first 100 signature models took less than three weeks to fill. With limited production, the first few model years are sure to become collector’s items, making the Tesla not only a “Guilt-Free” choice, but a solid investment.

All the best,
Bill

Finding my last two cars on the internet, the post Online Shopping Continues to Grow – But Not For Luxury Cars from On Wheels in Heels came as a surprise, but I think the title was a little misleading. According to research from the Luxury Institute, two-thirds of all high-end shoppers turn to the web for research, but only one-fourth are comfortable buying a car online.

With so many people utilizing the web for research, it’s only a matter of time until a higher percentage of cars become available for sale on the net. Once the cars are there, you’ll see more purchasing done on the web. Over time I think consumer behavior will flip to where shoppers visit dealerships for research/test drives and return home to negotiate the best deal and complete the purchase online.

All the best,
Bill

MediaPost featured an article this morning Luxury Shoppers Migrate Toward The Web. According to the Luxury Institute, families with an income of $150,000 and higher are more likely to do research on the web with 64% visiting the company’s website for additional information.

This information correlates with the stats we’re seeing from our Online Reader Survey and also relates to the navigation patterns of our readers visiting company’s websites from 3LUXE “Best Of” pages. The missing element from MediaPost’s article is the “why”? I believe the why is time, or lack there of. Consumers are constrained by the hours in a day, and the web provides a faster option for browsing, researching and shopping. As users better learn to cut through the clutter and find the useful information they desire, we’ll continue to see higher percentages of luxury shoppers migrate to the web (and 3LUXE) to fulfill their shopping needs.

All the best,
Bill