Different brands of cars cost more money compared to others, just as insurance for certain car brands is often more expensive. Many people feel that luxury automobiles are more expensive than conventional automobiles because of the higher quality parts, the larger and better options, the use of more expensive materials, and so on.
Though this is all correct, this is merely part of the truth. The fact is that everyone is to blame for rising prices on different automobile brands, from purchasers to banks.
As consumers demand even more functions, manufacturers are asking for increased vehicle costs. Regulators have added hundreds and thousands to the vehicle cost with standards addressing safety, fuel efficiency, and emissions.
As a result, creditors have increased the amount of money accessible to borrowers, allowing for price inflation to flourish. As the vehicle cost to make and repair certain car brands increases, insurance providers raise their rates too. This is why a BMW M6 insurance costs more than a Honda or Toyota sedan.
Having a clear understanding of the factors that increase the vehicle cost of certain automobile brands can help you better gauge the cost worthiness of certain vehicles when taking steps to buy a new car.
Different Car Brands Have More Features
The rising amount of features buyers anticipate with certain automobile brands is a primary cause of rising sticker costs for some automakers. Automobile manufacturers are installing touch-screen infotainment systems and big alloy wheels in addition to replacing manual cranks with electric windows and door locks.
Leather upholstery, which was formerly solely available in high-end vehicles, is now available on a wide range of common vehicles. So more brands are increasing their vehicle cost.
Having said that, the major reason that a Range Rover or SL500 vehicle costs so much is because of the low volume of manufacture. Select automobile brands are extremely costly to design and produce. Automobile manufacturers regularly invest hundreds of millions in the development and design of automobiles.
These expenses must be spread out throughout each car sold. As a result, a limited-production car brand with quality features must always be more expensive than a mass-produced vehicle cost for these companies to receive a good enough profit.
Safety Technology Is More Advanced
There’s no denying that today’s automobiles are safer than they’ve ever been. However, the engineering and technology required to make automobiles safer are costly. Many of the advancements were spurred on by regulations, while others were inspired by customers.
The federal government and other agencies scrutinize nearly every component of a car’s safety features. They regulate everything from the length between a vehicle’s running lights and turn signals to the need for rearview cameras, stability control, and airbags.
They provide guidelines for the kind and durability of anchors for child safety seats. Also, the front-end design of today’s automobiles is dictated by pedestrian safety regulations.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gathers information regarding car faults and works with manufacturers on product recalls in addition to crash testing automobiles and reporting the results to customers.
Compliance with the ever-changing regulatory framework is a big vehicle cost for manufacturers, which is pushed onto customers in the retail pricing of new automobiles.
The vehicle cost of the luxury brands has skyrocketed because of the ever-growing competition with safety features and the expectations that consumers have from specific brands.
Some Cars Have More Power
Most modern automobiles come with a wide variety of powered features in addition to locks and windows. Power liftgates are becoming more common in SUVs, and most minivans include power sliding side doors. Power-adjustable seats are standard on all but the most basic trims of most automobiles.
Advanced powertrain technology, which allows even strong engines to take less gasoline, is another fuel-saving trick in manufacturers’ toolboxes. Large V8 and V6 engines can be replaced by smaller turbocharged V6, four-cylinder, and even three-cylinder engines, as Ford has proved with its EcoBoost family of engines.
More gears are being added to transmissions so that the vehicle’s engine can maintain its ideal revolutions per minute (rpm). Some automakers have even abandoned gears in favor of continuously variable transmissions (CVTs). Such transmissions are extremely efficient, but their complex designs are costly to manufacture and replace if they break down.
You Pay for Exclusivity With Some Brands
Ultimately, luxury brand automobiles are more costly because they provide exclusivity. The rarer the automobile is and the fewer models a company sells, the more each customer must pay for design, development, and manufacturing.
If the model is only offered in small quantities, such as 10,000 units per year, a large amount of the selling price is used to fund development expenditures.
The amortized development per vehicle cost is minimal if the model is sold in large amounts, such as 300,000 units per year, which is why the F-series truck, Honda Civic, Toyota Camry, and other common models are relatively inexpensive.
While the expenses of manufacturing a car with luxury choices and amenities are greater than those of producing a car without them, the price difference is generally minor. Consumers mostly pay for the name and exclusivity.
Exclusive Brands Have Higher Advertising Costs
The vehicle cost of launching a new car is prohibitively high, and customer acquisition is essential in the automotive industry. In addition to high-priced car shows or exclusive media premieres, automakers are expected to conduct luxurious driving events at which they will fly in the auto journalists for technical presentations and test drives.
Beforehand, car manufacturers and dealers only needed to advertise on a few television channels, and maybe a few radio stations or local newspapers. Now, hundreds of broadcast and cable television networks, major newspapers, social media channels, and the full internet are available.
Having said that, marketing and advertising a new automobile is quite expensive, and vehicle buyers pay for that too.
Ownership Expenses Are Higher for Luxury Brands
Since most states base sales and excise taxes on the amount you pay for a car, you should expect to spend extra when purchasing and registering premium brand vehicles.
Many auto insurance plans are based in part on the vehicle’s worth and expected repair expenses, which means you’ll pay extra to cover certain vehicle brands, too.
Cars made of pricey materials will almost certainly have those prospective expenses reflected in higher insurance premiums. The methods for maintaining and repairing particular automobile brands get more complex as the vehicles themselves grow more complicated.
On the plus side, maintenance intervals for most routine fixes have increased dramatically. When high-quality brands do require maintenance, though, owners can expect to pay extra.
Brands like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Lexus have longer maintenance intervals, which makes them more reliable in the eyes of consumers.
Prices for certain brands will continue to increase as long as consumers continue to view specific luxury brands as reliable and better.
Imani Francies writes and researches for the car insurance comparison site, QuoteInspector.com. She enjoys helping people find the best insurance policies and rates to meet their specific needs.
